Highland Park 12 year old 1977 Bicentenary Vintage Repatriation
Review by Highland Park
- Colour
Golden amber, liquid honey
- Nose
Rich and sweet with a hint of smoky peat, picking up soft oak tones
- Palate
Medium to long, subtle oak with a hint of rich fruit cake
- Finish
Long, rich and deliciously complex
- Note
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International demand for this expression released in 1998 was on an unprecedented scale. Little wonder then that, no sooner had the bottling been launched, the entire release was sold out. To support this new release, some bottles were set aside for tasting and sampling. The Japanese allocation sold out with this reserved stock barely being touched. The existence of this forgotten cache only came to light in 2008. It was decided to repatriate the last 694 bottles of the Bicentenary 1977 Vintage, to celebrate its extended Japanese sabbatical and to offer the opportunity to enjoy this highly-prized and sought-after whisky to a new audience.
The Repatriation bottling comes in a bespoke oak box the embellishment of which follows classic Japanese graphic form. The front of the box features an outline of Japan as well as 1977 depicted in Japanese characters. The use of red as an extra colour is typically Japanese. The interior of the box features a design adapted from a traditional Japanese wave pattern. The design is embellished with Japanese characters that spell out the words Highland Park.
The bottle has then been wrapped by hand in specially printed Japanese washi paper, a reference to the wrapping paper which was the original inspiration of the French Impressionists, and the Japanese characters depict 1977.