The Highland Park 25, together with the 30yo and the recent 40yo, are the premium bottlings of the distillery. I’ve tasted this one head-to-head with the 18yo. The 25yo is certainly more expensive but I’ve heard mixed opinions about it.

   
Highland Park 25yo (48,1%, OB 2007)

Nose: definitely grassier and waxier than the 18yo. More resinous notes as well. The honey accents are still there, but less pronounced. More peat, less caramel. Walnuts. It’s difficult to say whether this is better or not, it seems a lot sharper and a bit more one-dimensional on the nose. Mouth: really muscular: more peat, more grass. The sweetness was traded for a waxiness and there’s a bunch of pepper. It’s bigger and less gentle, which is a good thing. Finish: very long with dominant spices and warm peat. Less smokey than the 18yo. Some marmelade at the very end.

This one is wilder than the 18yo. It’s less balanced and less all-round, but I presume it was meant to be like that. Since the 25yo is almost 3 times as expensive, the 18yo still offers the most for the money. On the other hand, once you’ve tasted the 25yo, the 18yo seems a bit soft and “easy”.

Score: 86/100.