Highland Park 1994 Vintage

Highland Park, like many distilleries, has ventured into duty-free exclusive releases. In HP's case, they have taken a page from the Glenrothes and gone for vintage releases. On a recent trip I picked up the 1994 (a sixteen year old bottled at 40% alcohol by volume). Other options include a 1973, 1990 and a 1998. The color is a deep straw, bordering on apple juice (!) and it has a surprisingly light nose. If tasted blind, I might have mistaken this for a Canadian whiskey (like 40 Creek) or an Irish. It smells like it came from a refill bourbon barrel -- I detect no sherry influence. There is a hint of perhaps bubble gum, defintely some floral notes, biscuit and cereal. It has a chewy, but light texture on the palate. With water there is more honey, but it's still a bit anti-septic. This is a very clean and light Highland Park; a bit of a lightweight if you ask me.