Home Tasting: Highland Park 1992-2013 21yo Acorn's Brut de Fût

Originally delicious, but it has improved slightly with some bottle aging. Highland Park HIGHLAND PARK 1992-2013 21yo ACORN'S Brut de Fût 66.8% ・Aroma: A pleasant, well-balanced sherry note with apricot jam, rich rum raisin, dry orange with milk chocolate, dried fig, nuts, heather, thick honey, and a deep leather and earthy smoky peat from the back, quite rich. ・Flavor: Highly concentrated with a creamy texture and tingling spiciness at the same time. Notes of orange marmalade, dried pineapple, heather, and honey with a strong, sweet body and gentle acidity. The solid oak tannins deepen the flavor, slightly oily with a complex, rich, and powerful profile. ・Aftertaste: The concentrated fruity sweetness of thick honey and a strong smoky note linger for a long time. ・Dilution: The spiciness softens, becoming smoother while the flavor remains largely intact. The kiwi-like and slightly heather-like plant notes become more pronounced. ・Overall Review: The sherry note is present but not overpowering, making it an extremely rich malt. There are no off-flavors or shortcomings typically associated with sherry in recent years. Not only is the rich fruitiness impressive, but also the Highland Park characteristics of heather and deep honey sweetness, along with sufficient smoky peatiness that carries an earthy quality. These elements come together in a powerful, unified whole. It offers satisfying depth and a sense of fulfillment with each sip, while the moderate aging period ensures minimal fatigue. The level of completion in this form was occasionally seen in older bottles but is extremely rare in recent releases. 【Very Good】 The Highland Park 1992, aged for 21 years, was released under Acorn's 'Brut de Fût' label. This bottle was already delicious at the time of its release. Despite being highly alcoholic at 66.8%, it doesn't feel overly strong in aroma, with a pleasant sherry character that lacks the off-flavors or insufficiency often found in recent years. It has a rich, concentrated fruitiness from a good sherry cask while retaining the distinct Highland Park elements of heather, honey, earthiness, and smoky peat. It was already enjoyable from the bottling date but felt more spicy and alcoholic at first, possibly due to being opened when it was younger. Although only a few years have passed, it has mellowed slightly and is now exceptionally delicious. While I enjoy Acorn as a bottler, they rarely produce something truly outstanding. However, this is undoubtedly a masterpiece of a malt. Among Highland Park distillations from the 1990s onwards, this is undoubtedly my favorite bottle. It's a remarkable malt that offers satisfaction without any drawbacks—so satisfying that you could drink it endlessly.