Whisky Forum - My Malt Experiment

Quaich1 · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:03 pm Post subject: My Malt Experiment

Call me crazy but i've been wanting to try something for a long time. I enjoy Highland Park 18 especially on the nose but my palate as some of you already know expresses exponentially the salted butter and salted honey on the palate with this dram usually to the exclusion of other flavors. So I decided to mix 1/2 oz. of the HP 18 with a 1/2 oz. of Dalmore 12 and see if I can get beyond the mega-salt experience.

Here are my results which I must say turned out for me very positive. I guess we can call the resulting dram HPD 12 (for the youngest of the 2)-:

Neat- On the nose: stewed prunes, salted roasted chestnuts, smokehouse aromas, rum cake, strawberry rhubarb pie. On the palate: Smokehouse salmon, waves of sweet, faint notes of salted honey and nuts. On the finish: Peaches and cream sweet corn, with a creamy long finish with sweet smoke.

With Water-On the nose: Vanilla, citrus, honey, hint of rhubarb, smoke and nuggat notes. On the palate: Kippery, smokehouse, hint of leather, salted honey and berries. On the finish: Sweet with a distant saltiness, smoky and lingering.

The combo gave me what I always considered the best part of HP18 with an opening of palate flavors for me and a greater overall complexity. Again, I'm basing all this on my sensitive palate and a study of N=1.

Comments? Anybody try something like this?

Cheers.
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Calder · Master Of Malts Joined: 13 Nov 2008 Posts: 688

Not being a big Dalmore fan i couldnt have brought myself to add some to some Highland Park 18 which i love.

I have blended together the remains of a few almost empty bottles in the past but not in a calculated way with the intent of creating a certain flavour profile.

bifter · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:29 pm Post subject:

Hi Quaich1, have you tried verifying this salt note against another bottle of HP18 or even a dram from a local bar? I wonder whether it could just be the particular vatting. My recent tasting notes of HP18 didn't include any mention of salt/brine but I'll make sure to look for it next time round. Incidentally have you ever tried Old Pulteney 12? I think that's about the saltiest dram I've had.

In my notes on HP18 I had thought of mentioning how superior it was to Dalmore but in the end I thought the comparison would have to be with the Dalmore 18 rather than the 15 that I own. Either way I think its much better value. However the 12 seems to be generally rated well and, I guess, if the HP18 isn't doing it for you then you may as well try to make the most of it.
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Quaich1 · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:49 pm Post subject:

bifter · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:27 pm Post subject:

albo · Master Of Malts Joined: 22 Mar 2011 Posts: 1888

I've never actually done the (that I can remember). It may be a good way to get through a bottle you don't particularly enjoy, though it would mean risking something you do.

The only bottle I really didn't get on with was the Bruichladdie Waves, picked it up for Â£20 tried it a couple of times and just really didn't get on with it at all. Ended up giving it away to my father.