Be Warned: Highland Park's New Scotch Is Really, Really Strong

One of the best new cask-strength whiskies to check out, along with one of the higher-proof examples in the Scotch whisky category, is Highland Park Cask Strength Release No. 5. As you can tell by the name, it’s the fifth entry in this series of cask strength single malts from the storied distillery. 

Cask Strength No. 5 is assertive but delicious, bottled at a whopping 64.7 percent ABV. That’s nearly 130 proof, which is a very strong whisky along the lines of some Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases of the past few years. And yet, this single malt is still totally approachable, especially if you add a few drops of water to open up the palate and lower the ABV a bit—or not, it’s totally up to you. 

According to the brand, Cask Strength No. 5 was aged mostly in first-fill European oak sherry-seasoned casks, along with some refill casks, bourbon barrels, and sherry-seasoned American oak.

“With each Cask Strength release, I’m looking for something unique to deliver a different flavor characteristic,” said Gordon Motion, Highland Park master whisky maker, in a statement. “For Highland Park Cask Strength No. 5, I’ve chosen to include rarely filled Pedro Ximénez casks. The sweet, dark, dessert sherry wine which matured in these casks helps deliver notes of spicy, sun-dried fruits and cloves to the final whisky.”

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There’s no age statement, but by maturing in that combination of barrels—particularly the high percentage of sherry-seasoned casks—has given the whisky a lush range of flavors including vanilla, raisin, dark chocolate, espresso, baking spice, and a hint of citrus and menthol on the finish.

Highland Park whiskies are all peated, but not as heavily as what you might find from distilleries on Islay like Laphroaig or Lagavulin. And they’re bottled with natural color, letting the cask influence the hue of the whisky as opposed to the commonly used caramel coloring.

Highland Park Cask Strength No. 5 is available now nationwide for $100 per bottle, depending on the market. Try this side by side with some of the lower-ABV age statement expressions to see how the whisky compares without any dilution.

Related: We’ve Tasted Hundreds of Scotch Whiskies. These 16 Bottles Are the Best of 2024