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Highland Park Dark Origins, Ardbeg Dark Cove, Laphroaig Lore

$79.99

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Highland Park Dark Origins, Ardbeg Dark Cove, Laphroaig Lore

Tasting Notes:

About:
Appearance:
Light tea, amber with greenish tones. Strong legs. Reddish amber, strong legs. Fresh clover honey. Medium legs.
Nose:
, and flavors are richer, deeper, and bolder. Vital Stats: 46.8% ABV (93.6 proof), no age statement, 100% malted barley, available at suggested retail price of $79.99 per 750 ml bottle. Appearance: Light tea, amber with greenish tones. Strong legs. Nose: Hot, rubbing alcohol, lightly floral, peach, gentle wisps of smoke. and flavor profile, though this stands in contrast to the aesthetic of the bottle and packaging. The opaque black bottle is glorious, but also hides how quickly the Scotch inside is disappearing. Function is sacrificed in favor of form in this case, and I am fine with it. The bottle just looks cool. Being the lowest priced of the three certainly helps in the enjoyability factor. While not the most complex, Dark Origins is a fun single malt of very high quality. Score: 89/100 From left to right: Highland Park Dark Origins, Ardbeg Dark Cove, Laphroaig Lore. Photo by Joshua St. John. Image copyright The Whiskey Wash. Tasting Notes: Ardbeg Dark Cove Dark Cove is seeing its release on Ardbeg Day, or Ardbeg Night as this year’s festivities have been christened. As with Dark Origins, Dark Cove celebrates the illicit past of the Scotch whisky industry. There is a somewhat romantic emphasis on the days of smuggling gracing the box housing the release. In addition to these marketing similarities, sherry also plays a large part in the creation of the latest Ardbeg. Vital Stats: 46.5% ABV (93 proof), no age statement, 100% malted barley, available around $110 per 750 ml bottle, though some sellers are marking their bottles up significantly as of the time of this writing which is still ahead of the official release date. Appearance: Reddish amber, strong legs. Nose: Brine, charred oak, sherry, seaweed, tobacco, ramen noodles, hint of ground mustard seed as the dram opens up in the glass. Thick char, mint, iodine, licorice candy, caramel, Fruit Loop cereal (This one was bothering me for days. Finally figured it out), toasted marshmallow. Layers upon layers. I could go on. ,
Palate:
Sweet cream, malt, candy apples, apricot. There’s a medium burn in the finish, with a lingering sweetness reminiscent of over-ripened fruit. It comes as no surprise to me that Highland Park is the brightest of these three releases in terms of aroma and flavor profile, though this stands in contrast to the aesthetic of the bottle and packaging. The opaque black bottle is glorious, but also hides how quickly the Scotch inside is disappearing. Function is sacrificed in favor of form in this case, and I am fine with it. The bottle just looks cool. Being the lowest priced of the three certainly helps in the enjoyability factor. While not the most complex, Dark Origins is a fun single malt of very high quality. Score: 89/100 From left to right: Highland Park Dark Origins, Ardbeg Dark Cove, Laphroaig Lore. Photo by Joshua St. John. Image copyright The Whiskey Wash. Tasting Notes: Ardbeg Dark Cove Dark Cove is seeing its release on Ardbeg Day, or Ardbeg Night as this year’s festivities have been christened. As with Dark Origins, Dark Cove celebrates the illicit past of the Scotch whisky industry. There is a somewhat romantic emphasis on the days of smuggling gracing the box housing the release. In addition to these marketing similarities, sherry also plays a large part in the creation of the latest Ardbeg. Vital Stats: 46.5% ABV (93 proof), no age statement, 100% malted barley, available around $110 per 750 ml bottle, though some sellers are marking their bottles up significantly as of the time of this writing which is still ahead of the official release date. Appearance: Reddish amber, strong legs. Nose: Brine, charred oak, sherry, seaweed, tobacco, ramen noodles, hint of ground mustard seed as the dram opens up in the glass. Palate: Spicy. Lightly salty. Ground pepper and mustard seed. Dry sherry and milk chocolate. A long burn in the finish. Lingering chocolate notes as well as tobacco smoke. I had the genuine pleasure of reviewing the Ardbeg Committee bottling of Dark Cove recently. For this article, I am focusing on the general release. This is a much more appropriate comparison as these are the bottles that will be widely available on store shelves alongside Dark Origins and Lore. That said, the difference between the Committee bottling and this version was somewhat more dramatic than I had anticipated. This bottling almost certainly benefits from not being directly compared to the Committee release. Read: I liked the Committee edition better. File under: not surprising. This may be a stark departure from what many most readily associate with Ardbeg in terms of flavors and finish. The finish in particular is far more muted than standard, but executed with finesse. I found the end product to be an appropriately dark dram suitable for evenings of literary intrigue. Score: 89/100 Tasting Notes: Laphroaig Lore With Lore, Laphroaig doubles down on their traditional claim of being the “most richly flavored of all Scotch whiskies.” To this effect, the new, dark green label reads “the richest of the rich.” The creation is intended to honor the traditions which have been handed down through the years and ultimately to the current Laphroaig distillery manager, John Campbell. The labeling for Lore certainly fits the darker tones of Dark Origins and Dark Cove, as does the complexity of the dram itself. Where this release departs is on emphasizing the legitimate craft of distilling over the generations rather than an association with outlaws. Of course, exact details are scarce as to the precise makeup of Lore, but Laphroaig claims some of the whisky contained within to date back to 1993. This is undoubtedly combined with varying ages of significantly younger whiskies. In addition to this, accompanying literature states that Lore is “the result of liquid being drawn from a selection of casks including double matured first-fill ex-bourbon barrels followed by Virgin European Oak, first-fill Oloroso Sherry butts, first-fill and refill quarter casks and refill ex-Laphroaig stock.” The expectation is for the influence of wood upon the spirit to be evident and dramatic. Vital Stats: 48% ABV (96 proof), no age statement, 100% malted barley, available for a suggested retail price of $124.99 per 750 ml bottle. Appearance: Fresh clover honey. Medium legs. Nose: Thick char, mint, iodine, licorice candy, caramel, Fruit Loop cereal (This one was bothering me for days. Finally figured it out), toasted marshmallow. Layers upon layers. I could go on. Palate: Loads of cayenne and black pepper and charred oak, cocoa, clove cigarettes, roasted corn. Cool and silky mouthfeel. Sweet and super rich. Pepper throughout the finish. Cayenne and chili. Fairly long lasting burn with dry sherry and licorice notes. There is a lot going on here. The nose, palate, and finish are very deeply layered. I felt the need to sit down with a knife and fork and really dig into this. There is a complexity which walks just up to the border of “busy” without actually crossing into hostile territory. This is a very Laphroaig-y Laphroiag. If one were of the opinion that 10 Year is unapproachable, this would be considered downright hazardous to one’s health. I happen to truly enjoy Laphroaig, so I found this expression to be interesting and incredibly luxurious. Of the three reviewed here, it was far and away my favorite. This is a very fine whisky, indeed. Score: 93/100 Without pontificating too much on the merits and drawbacks of entering the era of NAS whiskies paired with premium price tags, it should not go unmentioned that these three releases are likely to be viewed as the shape of things to come. Personally, the distiller can never give me too much information. If a whisky comes with literature, I will gladly read it. I was classically trained for this by spending my formative years pouring over many a cereal box at the kitchen table. I may not fully understand what exactly riboflavin is to this day, but I know it’s in Frosted Flakes. The fact of the matter is that for better or worse, the industry at large has seen fit to offer products to the public without clearly divulging their contents. Some find no problem with this practice, while others consider it unforgivable. I tend to be somewhere in between. While I would love to see an age statement on all three of these whiskies, I personally found them to be of exceptional quality regardless. The argument could be — and, I am sure, has been — made that most effective strategy in influencing the industry on an individual level would be to vote with your cash. It would seem to be simple enough to refrain from purchasing whiskies should they be marketed without the information you personally require in order to feel you have made an informed decision. No good deed goes unpunished, however, and in doing so you may end up missing out on some truly great whiskies in the pursuit of an ideal.
Finish:
Comments:

More often than not, I feel that comparing different whiskies directly can be problematic. It can too easily become a comparison of apples and single malts. From time to time, however, there are whiskies on the market for which comparison is virtually unavoidable. Such is the case with three recent releases from Scotch whisky distillers Highland Park, Ardbeg, and Laphroaig.

DarkOrigins-DarkCove-Lore
Photo by Joshua St. John. Image Copyright The Whiskey Wash

Both Ardbeg and Laphroaig celebrated their respective 200th anniversaries of distilling on Islay in 2015. There was almost certainly something in the water off the west coast of Scotland back during the second decade of the nineteenth century as Port Ellen neighbor Lagavulin is marking their own bicentennial in 2016. Whereas this months sees Ardbeg and Laphroaig each introducing non age statement single malts with a dark aesthetic, Lagavulin, by contrast, is commemorating their 200th anniversary with an 8-year-old bottling of their single malt. Lagavulin choosing to embrace and even emphasize their youngness can arguably be seen as a reply all its own to the more covert releases from both their nearest competitors, geographically speaking. While I very much look forward to sampling this latest Lagavulin, it would not necessarily fit the criteria for direct comparison to the latest bottling from Ardbeg and Laphroaig. Enter Highland Park Dark Origins.

Tasting Notes: Highland Park Dark Origins

Each of the three whiskies reviewed here feature an emphasis on the dark in terms of the look of the products and the marketing surrounding them. Highland Park Dark Origins was the first of the three to be released, with bottles gracing store shelves beginning in 2014. The whisky is in honor of Highland Park founder Magnus Eunson. Dark Origins is currently part of the brand’s core expression lineup. Highland Park proudly boasts the use of double the amount of first fill sherry casks used in the creation of this whisky compared to their 12-year-old single malt. The result is striking, as one would never mistake this Scotch for its more moderately-priced label mate. The color, aroma, and flavors are richer, deeper, and bolder.

Vital Stats: 46.8% ABV (93.6 proof), no age statement, 100% malted barley, available at suggested retail price of $79.99 per 750 ml bottle.

Appearance: Light tea, amber with greenish tones. Strong legs.

Nose: Hot, rubbing alcohol, lightly floral, peach, gentle wisps of smoke.

Palate: Sweet cream, malt, candy apples, apricot. There’s a medium burn in the finish, with a lingering sweetness reminiscent of over-ripened fruit.

It comes as no surprise to me that Highland Park is the brightest of these three releases in terms of aroma and flavor profile, though this stands in contrast to the aesthetic of the bottle and packaging. The opaque black bottle is glorious, but also hides how quickly the Scotch inside is disappearing. Function is sacrificed in favor of form in this case, and I am fine with it. The bottle just looks cool. Being the lowest priced of the three certainly helps in the enjoyability factor. While not the most complex, Dark Origins is a fun single malt of very high quality.

Score: 89/100

DarkOrigins-DarkCove-Lore
From left to right: Highland Park Dark Origins, Ardbeg Dark Cove, Laphroaig Lore. Photo by Joshua St. John. Image copyright The Whiskey Wash.

Tasting Notes: Ardbeg Dark Cove

Dark Cove is seeing its release on Ardbeg Day, or Ardbeg Night as this year’s festivities have been christened. As with Dark Origins, Dark Cove celebrates the illicit past of the Scotch whisky industry. There is a somewhat romantic emphasis on the days of smuggling gracing the box housing the release. In addition to these marketing similarities, sherry also plays a large part in the creation of the latest Ardbeg.

Vital Stats: 46.5% ABV (93 proof), no age statement, 100% malted barley, available around $110 per 750 ml bottle, though some sellers are marking their bottles up significantly as of the time of this writing which is still ahead of the official release date.

Appearance: Reddish amber, strong legs.

Nose: Brine, charred oak, sherry, seaweed, tobacco, ramen noodles, hint of ground mustard seed as the dram opens up in the glass.

Palate: Spicy. Lightly salty. Ground pepper and mustard seed. Dry sherry and milk chocolate. A long burn in the finish. Lingering chocolate notes as well as tobacco smoke.

I had the genuine pleasure of reviewing the Ardbeg Committee bottling of Dark Cove recently. For this article, I am focusing on the general release. This is a much more appropriate comparison as these are the bottles that will be widely available on store shelves alongside Dark Origins and Lore. That said, the difference between the Committee bottling and this version was somewhat more dramatic than I had anticipated. This bottling almost certainly benefits from not being directly compared to the Committee release. Read: I liked the Committee edition better. File under: not surprising. This may be a stark departure from what many most readily associate with Ardbeg in terms of flavors and finish. The finish in particular is far more muted than standard, but executed with finesse. I found the end product to be an appropriately dark dram suitable for evenings of literary intrigue.

Score: 89/100

Tasting Notes: Laphroaig Lore

With Lore, Laphroaig doubles down on their traditional claim of being the “most richly flavored of all Scotch whiskies.” To this effect, the new, dark green label reads “the richest of the rich.” The creation is intended to honor the traditions which have been handed down through the years and ultimately to the current Laphroaig distillery manager, John Campbell. The labeling for Lore certainly fits the darker tones of Dark Origins and Dark Cove, as does the complexity of the dram itself. Where this release departs is on emphasizing the legitimate craft of distilling over the generations rather than an association with outlaws.

Of course, exact details are scarce as to the precise makeup of Lore, but Laphroaig claims some of the whisky contained within to date back to 1993. This is undoubtedly combined with varying ages of significantly younger whiskies. In addition to this, accompanying literature states that Lore is “the result of liquid being drawn from a selection of casks including double matured first-fill ex-bourbon barrels followed by Virgin European Oak, first-fill Oloroso Sherry butts, first-fill and refill quarter casks and refill ex-Laphroaig stock.” The expectation is for the influence of wood upon the spirit to be evident and dramatic.

Vital Stats: 48% ABV (96 proof), no age statement, 100% malted barley, available for a suggested retail price of $124.99 per 750 ml bottle.

Appearance: Fresh clover honey. Medium legs.

Nose: Thick char, mint, iodine, licorice candy, caramel, Fruit Loop cereal (This one was bothering me for days. Finally figured it out), toasted marshmallow. Layers upon layers. I could go on.

Palate: Loads of cayenne and black pepper and charred oak, cocoa, clove cigarettes, roasted corn. Cool and silky mouthfeel. Sweet and super rich. Pepper throughout the finish. Cayenne and chili. Fairly long lasting burn with dry sherry and licorice notes.

There is a lot going on here. The nose, palate, and finish are very deeply layered. I felt the need to sit down with a knife and fork and really dig into this. There is a complexity which walks just up to the border of “busy” without actually crossing into hostile territory. This is a very Laphroaig-y Laphroiag. If one were of the opinion that 10 Year is unapproachable, this would be considered downright hazardous to one’s health. I happen to truly enjoy Laphroaig, so I found this expression to be interesting and incredibly luxurious. Of the three reviewed here, it was far and away my favorite. This is a very fine whisky, indeed.

Score: 93/100

Without pontificating too much on the merits and drawbacks of entering the era of NAS whiskies paired with premium price tags, it should not go unmentioned that these three releases are likely to be viewed as the shape of things to come. Personally, the distiller can never give me too much information. If a whisky comes with literature, I will gladly read it. I was classically trained for this by spending my formative years pouring over many a cereal box at the kitchen table. I may not fully understand what exactly riboflavin is to this day, but I know it’s in Frosted Flakes. The fact of the matter is that for better or worse, the industry at large has seen fit to offer products to the public without clearly divulging their contents. Some find no problem with this practice, while others consider it unforgivable. I tend to be somewhere in between. While I would love to see an age statement on all three of these whiskies, I personally found them to be of exceptional quality regardless.

The argument could be — and, I am sure, has been — made that most effective strategy in influencing the industry on an individual level would be to vote with your cash. It would seem to be simple enough to refrain from purchasing whiskies should they be marketed without the information you personally require in order to feel you have made an informed decision. No good deed goes unpunished, however, and in doing so you may end up missing out on some truly great whiskies in the pursuit of an ideal.

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