Tastes
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Highland Park Mjølner
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed January 7, 2023 (edited January 8, 2023)Woah, this is Highland Park #15 for me, with twelve of those coming in the last 13 days. One heck of a ride. But now, hot off the tail of the indomitable “The Dark” we have this Australian exclusive bottling to explore. For this release HP teamed up with the owners of a viking themed Australian restaurant called Mjølner. There are two venues one in Sydney and one in Melbourne. Back in 2109 I visited the Sydney venue. An incredible place, entering down a stair case thats essentially a candle wax wall with flames flickering all around you enter into a bar with a wall of whisky, linen tunic and corset clad staff, heavy wooden tables and benches, axes, shields… and on the bar, a giant hammer. A custom made hammer that is infact a very heavy whisky decanter. The venue is very high end, very well done, and the meat dominant venue is exquisitely presented and tastes great. So an exclusive whisky will need to deliver the goods. I have to add, instead of set cutlery I had a corseted woman with the most incredible braided hair stand next to me and drop out a leather roll embedded with knives. I was then asked to choose one for eating. Outstanding. Seriously, if ever you get the chance - go! Anyway, HP and the owners of the restaurant ’The Speakeasy Group’ teamed up to release an exclusive bottling predominantly for serving at the venues but also for limited release to the Australian market. The result a 14 year old whisky matured in first-fill Sherry seasoned European oak casks, first-fill Sherry seasoned American oak casks and refill casks, bottled at cask strength of 56.6% ABV and limited to just 1,731 bottles. The Mjølner bottling is allegedly the standard HP mix of 20% HP floor-malted and lightly peated barley and 80% unpeated commercially malted mainland barley. N: I cannot recommend letting this sit in the glass enough. There is an early alcohol presence that needs to dissipate. Raisins, figs, brown butter and barley, honey, and orange peel blend together into a big smack of spicy minced pie. There is leatheriness and woody-oaky notes that add richness and indulgence. The peat smoke though, thats what I am here for. The smoke is only barely floral staying more towards a woody-herbal smoke with perhaps an element of struck match (sulphur). I think this is definitely complex, but perhaps just a little unrestrained and aggressive. P: Medium to full bodied with a growing presence. Oily to creamy texture with definite high proof presence, but not on the side of harsh. Leather is my first definite note that gives way to a dark side of classic sherry cask flavours of stewed red fruits and dried fruits. Creamy dark chocolate and fudge with bitter espresso that opens up into what I can only describe as rum and raisin ice-cream. There is at times a light sulphurous note, which normally I don’t care for, but here it kind of fits so I don’t mind it. This is a challenging palate and even challenging to draw sips out over my palate enough to keep the high proof under control. This is big, like a viking raiders axe to the chest, it does not hold back. The peat smoke seems to keep out of the palate, interesting. F: Medium. Toasty wood, mixed baking spices, a daub of honey and some lightly herbal (sage, thyme?) smoke as a distant memory. Subsequent sips finish with some pear or apple and a slightly drying woody-nuttiness. A good dollop of water tames and levels out the nose and now there is a muted white toast, less prominent smoke has just become a rounded floral delight and the sherry cask influence has brightened slightly. I think I prefer the more rustic nose. Water takes the palate to a thinner but brighter place with an ashy bonfire smoke becoming the main player with much more leafy green herb presence. I’m a little taken back by the transformation. Right. There is a lot to unpack here. This lives up whole heartedly to the essence and thematic presence of the Mjølner restaurant, authentic, unapologetic and rustic with smack loads of character. But, definitely not for everyone. I had read some pretty damning comments over the raw spirit presence of this liquid, yes, it is alcohol forward on the nose and builds a little on the palate. But, time in the glass dissipates that, and I actually think it kind of needs that aggression in some ways, it grabs hold of you and shakes you without being overly harsh. It works, I think. This is definitely not a dram to pour for a newbie and it is going to take me much more than tonights pour to understand this absolute monster, but I’m excited to dive deeper into it. There are new things here that I can recollect as lesser notes in the other 14 HPs I’ve now tried and they come together to make something that is surely HPs darkest and most formidable bottling. The herbal notes, the richness of the sherry casking and the variable nature of the smoke are not perfect but they just keep giving. This is probably the first time I have felt that the HP viking theme really works, and its the only time I think HP haven’t leant into the marketing; they should take notes here. Also this old style bottle is beautiful; kudos. I’m glad I saved this to last, this is the most interesting, challenging, and fun HP in my list. My overall best goes to The Dark, and most highly recommended is the 18. For the budget conscious or every day drinker its a hard choice between the 10 and 12. Hands down worst and a real black mark for HP is the scat of the wolf. If you’ve read this far, and gotten through all my HP tastings, thanks for reading and I hope you have either enjoyed or will enjoy a HP soon! [No ‘on the rocks’ picture this review. Instead the pop up Mjølner viking long boat that holds your bill when you visit the restaurants; a little bit of nostalgia to end this Highland Park journey.] Distiller whisky taste #143 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.25 Loyalty of the Wolf: 2.75 Wings of the Eagle: 4 The Light: 4.25 The Dark: 5 Mjolner: 4.5220.0 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park The Dark 17 Year
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed January 5, 2023 (edited October 10, 2023)Apart from one last exclusive Australian release I have arrived at the end of these HP tastings. This afternoon I pour The Dark, counterpart to The Light. As for the Light, Dark has an age statement of 17 years, beautiful packaging, and a seemingly outrageous price of AUD$399.99. The Light was good and showcased some core elements of HP beautifully, but it lacked some character to be on par with the 18 at AUD$250. The Dark according to HPs marketing gurus “celebrates autumn and winter in Orkney – a time to escape from wild weather outside and gather with friends and family, sharing long nights of conversation and laughter around the fire”. It’s 40 degrees celsius today so no fire, and I refuse to share. This is my darkness. N: Thickly decadent and oozing opulence. This is a syrupy to oily nose that spaced with cherry and fruitcake, cake batter, nuttiness (walnuts, pecans?), cocoa and orange rind, cinnamon and nutmeg spices and of course peat. The peat here is HP, sure, but reimagined. The peat goes to a legitimately deeper and darker place, still with the presence of florals and softness but now somehow damper and ashier with a more ember rich feel, and with a little Chrismtas tree pine to boot (same as in the Eagle 16); as if it really is a cold dark winter outside. Honestly, I forgot that it is a brilliant furnace outside. I am almost 20 minutes into this nose and I don’t want to leave. I have also stopped trying to think about what is here, it keeps unraveling, dragging me in, and rearranging itself; so freaking good. P: Full, thick, velvety, and a direct follow on from the nose. Decadence again. Woah. Cherry and raisin, mulled red fruit, spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove (I think?), creamy and bitter mocha. There is wonderful textural changes of tannic dryness in places and juicy richness in others. The more you dwell the more there is to find; barrel toast and malted cereal, perfumed wood, lovely hints of pepper, floral-pine brightness, orange or lemon rind. Oh lets not leave out the ever present unifying thread of peat smoke delicate medicinal notes, florals, and beach bonfire. F: Long. The bonfire becomes slightly ashy, sherry fades and wood tannins become drying and peppery. Hidden under the dry exit is a delicate chocolaty creaminess. I believe the Light was matured in ex American oak sherry refill casks. The sherry presence was all but missing in the Light. Here in the Dark the barrels were all sherry seasoned first fill European casks, and what a difference that makes. A beautiful depth of colour instantly contrasts the pale straw colour of the Light. The Light really is light in comparison. The depths of richness and indulgent character in Dark were not mucking about. Everything is brilliant. This is whisky that would reach out and drown you in its darkness if it could. Damn, the execution of this cask strength offering are so en point that there is no abrasive roughness to the high ABV (so much so that I forgot to add a drop of water along the way). Seamless in its integration the dram keeps on giving. Every sip seemingly the same, yet different. Couple this excellent whisky making with its captivating and transportive nature; the ability to pull me into a little bothy hunkered down against a bracing Orkney winter when its really an inferno outside; and I am left unable to fault this brilliant dram. [Pictured here with this drams viking themed rock a eclogite facies metafelsite from Fjørtoft, More Og Romsdal, Norway. This rock is packed with pink garnet, white quartz, and blue kyanite and represents the subduction of very low density granitic crust into the very dense mantle to a depth of about 150 km. It’s also filled with micro diamonds and kind of goes against everything we know about the our planets geodynamics as it shouldn’t be possible to subduct granites to this depth; a remarkable rock for a remarkable dram] Distiller whisky taste #142 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.25 Loyalty of the Wolf: 2.75 Wings of the Eagle: 4 The Light: 4.25 The Dark: 5399.99 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park The Light 17 Year
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed January 4, 2023 (edited January 5, 2023)We now arrive at the pointy end of these HP tastings. Tonight we crack into The Light, one of two special releases, the other being The Dark. Both with an age statement of 17 years, beautiful packaging and a seemingly outrageous price of AUD$399.99. Given the standard 18 is exceptional and only AUD$250, there had better be something special inside the Light and Dark. The Light was created to celebrate warm summer days in Orkney - or so say HP marketing. From the HP website “Made to honour a time when we emerge from winter hibernation, ready to embrace the fresh air, clear skies and long days of summer, the whisky is light and bright. Its delicious warm-season-friendly palate is the result of 17 years' maturation in refill American oak casks, which have a more gentle influence than first-fill European oak casks… Orcadian Summer in a bottle. N: Yes, floral peat is forward and just excellent! There is vibrant citrus, crisp juicy apple, honied malt, a tiny bit of toasty wood and some background wood spice. P: Good viscosity balancing the line between oily and creamy. Vibrant and tongue tickling fruit salad of mango, banana and peach with extra sweetness from hard candy pear drops. Restrained perfumed wood (sandalwood/cedarwood? I can never tell the difference) rides with the honey-malt cereals which fade to a soft butterscotch. Through everything the peat is a ghostly touch with a perfumed-floral and slightly peppery influence. Adding water does nothing for me but mute everything into a longer, but milder and less pronounced imposter of itself. F: Long. Oily to waxy and laden with pepper, citrus peel a building smoke and background biscuit note. Brilliant stuff. Clean, sharp, bright, and superbly executed. If this is an Orkney Summer bottled then thats where I want to over summer. I have said over the last several HP tastes I have written that the standout for me from HP is the floral peat on the nose, when that carries over to the palate they are just fantastic. This light is not a competitor to the 18 but rather stands alongside it. The sherry influence isn’t here in the Light, this is absolutely just about the heather and the malt and they are showcased extremely well. The downside though, is this is perhaps a touch simple and lacking some more interest and character. I’d also hazard to say that despite how summery and the money that marketing is, and how wonderful the box is; the Light is overpriced when you know the 18 exists, even if they are not direct competitors the 18 is just too good to let this take the (spot)light. [Pictured here with this drams viking themed rock a garnet-pyroxenite from the Bergen Arc near Holsnøy in Norway. This rock is an ultramafic representative of some really complex mantle geology that occurred during shearing of a subjected slab of oceanic crust during the Caledonian Orogeny ~500-440 million years ago.] Distiller whisky taste #141 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.25 Loyalty of the Wolf: 2.75 Wings of the Eagle: 4 The Light: 4.25399.99 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park Wings of the Eagle 16 Year
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed January 3, 2023 (edited January 5, 2023)We have arrived at the end of the TRE releases, Bear, Wolf, and now Eagle. The marketing drivel here says that HP seek to celebrate the wild windswept Orkney Islands with the ‘Wings of the Eagle’ release; “Our waters are stormy, our winters are long and few trees can survive here… but that just makes for a more harmonious whisky”. N: A refreshing and summery nose that smacks of orange off the bat. Then, beyond this orange forward juiciness is shortbread biscuit (I guess thats buttery and vanilla malt) and then a pine needle/Christmas tree vibe is unexpectedly brilliant. Smoke comes through from this pine, its soft, light and very floral/herbaceous - HP doing what it does best. The longer this sits the more depth there is, a leathery richness and wood spice (allspice?) compliments the nose just nicely. P: A creamy and full body but with plenty of warming and enveloping smokiness. The smoke builds but remains just slightly floral and delicate enough to be really interesting. The smoke also carries with it just the slightest briny minerality. The rest of the palate has honey and malt, bbq charred peach, and a touch of orange vibrancy. Spices mix together and I think I find pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and maybe some ginger too. Bourbon barrel influence is present as a butterscotch-toffee. F: Long. Creamy and a little nutty (pecan?) with a leathery to (salted)-chocolate exit that vies for attention with some wood spice. Being objective, I have a clear winner for complexity, flavour profile, depth of character and all all-round show stopper from these TREs: Wings of the Eagle. Interestingly the 14 year old Wolf was a comparative disaster and the Bear was really enjoyable for a simple entry. I find this Eagle a unneccessary addition to HPs already stacked range. As far as I am concerned this comes across like a less sherried and more bourbon influenced version of the 15 year old viking heart; replace some fruity/winey sweetness with more notable toffees and leather and I think thats about the differences covered. I think I may enjoy the 15 slightly more, there we some interesting bitter marmalade and cocoa notes that make the difference. But heres the rub, the 15 is AUD $185/700ml; the Eagle, AUD $175/1000 ml. Maybe some of the extra cost of the 15 is the sherry cask and ceramic bottle? Maybe the 15 is better stock? I’m not sure, but this Eagle probably does fly somewhere between the 12 and 15 in my books. Should you use your duty free allowance to buy it; no, just pick up the 12 and a Woodford Double Oaked, you’ll be taken care of across two drams for similar cost. [Pictured here with this drams viking themed rock a 1.6 to 0.93 billion year old rhodolite-quartz-biotite schist from near Akland in southern Norway. This beautiful rock is from a 30 km wide section of very high grade metamorphic rocks that represent very high temperatures associated with a major episode of mountain building at the time]. Price is for 1000 ml bottle Distiller whisky taste #140 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.25 Loyalty of the Wolf: 2.75 Wings of the Eagle: 4175.0 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park Loyalty of the Wolf 14 Year
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed January 2, 2023 (edited January 5, 2023)Part of a three part duty free exclusive series inspired by iconic animals in Viking culture. The marketing team have done their best to pack some stories into these TREs. Or so I thought, they got very lazy on this one: “We created this single malt in honour of the wolf and the Viking. Both are fiercely determined and single-minded, yet both understand that true strength is found in cooperation”. Presumably this is the same cooperation of sherry seasoned American oak ex-bourbon and refill casks that HP use in all their bottlings? See, lazy. N: A little bit ethanol forward but not so much as to be overpowering. Malty and a little bitter like marmalade, there is a little minerality too and some apple cider crispness. The peat is notable but its different to what I expect of HP. It feels earthy and a little spicy with only vague herby or vegetal notes. While this has sat in the glass it has become sweeter and perhaps more wooded and towards vanillin scents. P: Creamy to verging on viscous. Malted barely is obvious with a beautiful building smoke presence that develops into a peppery dominance. Herbal (like thyme and rosemary?), a little honey and then pepper turned up to 11. Everyone and again a creamy toffee slips through. F: Long. As pepper subsides a nuttiness comes through with some cinnamon or clove spice and an astringent peat smoke. At the very end there is a suggestion of salinity. Oh dear. HP did a disservice to themselves with this. The nose and palate are unbalanced, confused, and somewhat dirty. Ultimately I feel like I’m drinking raw spirit mixed with what are likely excellent barrel reserves. There are some good things in here though, the bitter marmalade when its found is lovely and the nutty to smoky finish with the very late salinity work well. This is below average, and I expect more from HP not a step down from the Spirit of Bear. Very much feels like peddling crap to unknowledgeable travellers with spare cash under the guise of clever marketing, an attractive bottle, and a good age statement. [Pictured here with this drams Viking themed rock a 1.1 billion year old metagabbro from Lom, Norway. Here a foliated gneissic fabric is created from black hornblende and white scapolite that formed from the original basalt at ~600-700 degrees Celcius in the Svenconorwegian orogeny] Price is for 1000 ml bottle Distiller whisky taste #139 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.25 Loyalty of the Wolf: 2.75150.0 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park Spirit of the Bear
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed January 1, 2023 (edited January 3, 2023)Part of a three part duty free exclusive series inspired by iconic animals in Viking culture. The marketing team have done their best to pack some stories into these TREs. Preparing for battle, Viking warriors believed they could harness the great bear’s mighty power and stamina by wrapping themselves in its skins. These fearless warriors became known as ‘berserkers’, their name derived from the old Norse words ‘ber’ – bear and ‘sekr ‘– skin. Apparently these bear skin warriors also believed whisky should be bottled by the litre. If you don’t bottle by the litre you’ll cop an axe to the skull. True facts here, nothing but. N: Light, but not necessarily delicate. I find this very immediately cereal driven, lots of honey and malt with a freshly baked pastry quality. But after 15 minutes or so in my glass this has opened up to give the HP heathery florals that I am coming to adore a little vanilla, and a touch of coastal sea air freshness. Im trying to convince myself some smoke is there, I’m not doing a good job of that. P: Soft, juicy and crisply refreshing arrival that is packed with malt, fresh orange peel and crystallised ginger. A creamy roundness is offered by a toffee note and some black pepper keeps it interesting. The smoke here I find is just a gentle whisper that threads everything together. Its light, and slightly herbal to perfumed. By the time my dram is done the whisper is a quiet conversation that I would like to continue. F: Medium. A little drying and warming with a pleasantly fading mix of honey and marmalade on white toast. Pepper is the last to leave. I don’t know how to feel about this. Many of the best things about HP are here, but they are all also a little short and lacking in depth. Then again, I would have no hesitation in pouring freely from the bottle and enjoying in good company. The litre bottling, when on offer at AUD $99 would be a steal worth stealing. Is it as good as perhaps the 10, probably not. Is it more easily enjoyed and just as good as my other recent NAS Dragon Legend and Raven; yes. Next time I travel allowances will be filled, that is for sure. [Pictured here with this drams Viking themed rock; a biotite-garnet amphibolite or as its locally known, cherry cake. This delectable looking chunk is from Akland in Southern Norway and represents metamorphic temperatures of over 500 degrees celsius and pressures concordant with depths of around 30-40 km. No bears needed] Price is for 1000 ml bottle. Distiller whisky taste #138 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.5144.95 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park Voyage of the Raven
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed December 31, 2022 (edited January 3, 2023)Seems that HP marketing struggled with finding more viking labels and what not, so they went with a raven and packed in as much back story about magical omens and Odins eyes as possible. None of which appears to have any bearing on the liquid other than perhaps a tenuous link to travel on the open seas and an initially travel retail exclusive release. Not sure what to expect going into this, but I am worried about the TRE and NAS bottling… N: Feels a little young and abrasive at first with a plastic-acetone prominent profile that over time turns slightly medicinal and earthy. I would not pick this as a Highland Park at all. There is perhaps a deftest touch of peat but its minor. A dark cherry is about all I take away here as a discrete note. P: OK. Now we are opening up. An oily to creamy fullness delivers a quick one-two punch combo of sherry influence and peat-smoke. Dark cherry again, stewed plum, and mocha and a little backing of leatheriness are accompanied by a soft and balanced herbal peat smoke. There is no earthiness here that the nose suggested and medicinal peat notes are absent, instead the smoke leans towards a beach bonfire. And, when I’m lucky I can dig up some preserved lemon. Much, much more interesting than the nose suggests F: Medium-long. Drying smoke and cherry with a little toffee-cream softness. Is there a little heathery-herbal touch here. The nose is the let down here, it offered me next to nothing. The palate though, and finish both offer a clear insight into the sherry casks in use at HP. Off the back of last nights Dragon Legend, which was supposed to be the balancing act of sherry and smoke, the Raven has defeated the dragon. The dragon wins on the nose, but the overall dram is slightly better executed by the Raven. Not at all bad, but still second last in my current HP exploration. [Pictured here with this drams Viking themed rock a highly evolved igneous rock containing almost exclusively elongate green aegerine and white albite. This chunk of viking homeland is from Sulitjelma, Nordhordland; Norway. Given the use of ravens by viking longboats to identify the presence of nearby land this rock was fitting. Aegerine is a mineral which gets its name from Aegir, the Scandinavian god of the sea] Distiller whisky taste #137 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5149.95 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park Dragon Legend
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed December 30, 2022 (edited December 31, 2022)According to the team at HP the Dragon Legend bottling was inspired by Sigurd the dragon slayer who licked dragon’s blood from his thumb and was granted powers of wisdom and prophesy. I think perhaps the marketing push is trying to hard. For this release HP have focussed on their classic sherry seasoned European oak casks but put with a higher proportion of Orkney peated malt than normal. Hopefully this is a build on from last nights more intensely smoky Valkyrie… N: Initially full but soft with a developing complexity. A toasty wood mixes with nutty and feinty slightly sweaty notes. There is a mulchy to teabag like quality here too. The peat smoke builds but remains in the realm of woody and slightly herbal. Working really hard I can dig up the fruit sweetness and winey notes contributed by the sherry cask, but they are not stars of this show. Not my favourite HP nose, and a little too one dimensional compared to recent HP delights. P: Immediate presence of smoke, an earthy and slightly floral smoke that fills the mouth leaving room for strong black pepper and an oily texture. Malty-cereals come next and bring salted pork, sherry fruits of dates and cherry(?), and dehydrated lemon. Oiliness develops to slightly leathery or tobacco like. Pepper remains constant, smoke builds its presence, and over time a HP floral-heathery honey develops. A lot more enticing than the nose suggested would follow. F: Medium-long. Drying smoke fades to a peppery close that slightly pushes out the malt and lemon notes. I was expecting more from the sherry casks, but the Dragon name of this bottle should have foretold me of the smoke that was to come forward. I like the restrained use of peat smoke by HP, its always delicate and intriguing. This is a much more forceful representation of their peat profile. The delicate dehydrated lemon, or maybe preserved lemon for some palates, is a nice brightness and the malty flavours along with some of the feinty leathery or sweaty notes are quite nice counterparts to the smokiness. I don’t mind this in the slightest. But, where I have been finding HP to be a ‘bright’ exploration of peat, the dragon legend feels comparatively ‘dark’. If I want darkness I can’t help but feel that Ardbeg 10 or Talisker 10 would be better places to go as this is, to me at least; a little one dimensional and in need of some more character befitting such an ambitious name. [Pictured here with this drams Viking themed rock, a 450-400 million year old garnet bearing olivine-websterite from Holsnøy, Norway. This rock is an incredible representative of our upper mantle at depths of up to 185 km. Rather than being a typical olivine rich peridotite this rock is enriched in vibrant green chromium-pyroxene] Distiller whisky taste #136 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.2599.99 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park Valkyrie
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed December 29, 2022 (edited January 3, 2023)Back in October @cascode was gracious enough to send me a dram of the Valknut. I enjoyed that intense and complex pour greatly. I was excited then to get my hands on the first in the ‘Val’ series, the Valkyrie. Only Valfather escapes me now. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries would descend onto the battlefields to find the best and bravest warriors and give them passage to Valhalla. A little digging and I can see that these three offerings use an unlisted higher contribution of the distillery's floor-malted barley than the usual 20% floor-malted to 80% externally-sourced barley. I think everything else is typical HP; American and European oak sherry casks and American oak ex-bourbon casks, and refill casks. Right enough jabbering, time for me to be carried off by Tessa Thompson,. N: Gentle and inviting with an understated maritime character. Chocolate is the first discrete note I find along with honey and apricot. The beautiful signature HP floral smoke rolls on in and blends together creating a lovely balanced profile. With time in the glass there is some sherry presence but the smoke also builds to a pleasant forcefulness and takes on an ashiness also. Even more time an I do find some wood spice, but I have really had to work to find that, worth it though, really good; freshly waxed and polished oak. P: Thick, full and immediately thick with ashy smoke. Behind the thick smoke curtain are initially wood spice followed by chocolate and toffee with gingery tingle to peppery spice. As the smoke builds the ashy character drops away and allows some fruity sweetness to come out; dried apple rings, plum, and maybe some bitter orange or marmalade? As things develop and meld with subsequent tastes a fudgy creamy texture takes over. Can you get smoke flavoured chocolate marmalade fudge? If not, HP should make it and give me a cut of the profits; thats what this is. F: Medium-short. Creamy texture with warming pepper, chocolate, wood spice and the constance of smoke. I feel like my HP tastings are starting to be the same? Is that just me, I can’t tell any more. Perhaps, I have died at the battlefield of drams and been carried off by a Valkyrie after all? Alternately, maybe I am just dialling into the excellence at the core of a very heavily stacked set of offerings by the team on Orkney? There is much heavier weight to the smoke in Valkyrie, but it also feels different to the standard age statement smoke. Here, things feel heavy and ashy. In the core age range, things culminate at the 18 as floral, light, and delicate - it’s here where I think HP really shine. Despite smoke being heavy and ashy here in Valkyrie, it’s not overbearing. The whole pour is well balanced by the fruity and the woody\winey notes. I’m happy. I’d be happier if Tessa could come take me to the Valfather now! [Pictured here with another Viking themed rock, this time a 440-400 million year old dunite from Åheim, Norway. This green blob is almost pure olivine and representative of the upper mantle after basalt has been extracted] Distiller whisky taste #135 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25144.99 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park 18 Year Viking Pride
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed December 28, 2022 (edited February 12, 2023)Continuing the deep dive into Highland Park we arrive at the fabled 18. Tonight I pour a 30 ml sample but to my shame there was a bottle of this precious liquid on my shelf many years ago around a year into my whisky journey. I had no right having it. Back in my early days discovering distiller I saw the 99 rating (admittedly on the old bottling), and then discovered the two time winner of the accolade “worlds best spirit”. I was/am an idiot. I wasted that bottle through a lack of appreciation and undestanding of what I was drinking. Now I’m back. Rounding out my Distiller tastes of the core range age statements. Only the 21 evades me, so if anyone wants to send me 30 ml, I’d be much obliged. The 10, 12, and 15 have all been subtly different, each beautiful in their own rights. The 25 was exceptional. I now have very high expectations of the 18. N: Wow, I was not expecting such a floral explosion. Beautifully fragrant and crisp with light honey and sherry cask sweetness, and the faintest notion of smoke. A soft vanilla presence is there with a little malt cereal and a delicious orange oil. Over time a little oak tannin becomes apparent. Dare I say it, as good as the 25? The longer I sit with this the more I am drawn in. Is the best thing about Highland Park the nose? The smoke is taking on a slightly briny-maritime character and combined with the florals, just brilliant. P: Creamy and rich arrival. Sweet, spicy, and bitter; all the players are here with excellent balance. Dark cherry with syrupy consistency provides depth of sweetness, espresso-mocha adds a velvety bitterness, and peppery cinnamon and ginger add some spicy vibrancy. Behind these major players though are honey, barley, more fruitiness, and a toffee-fudge creaminess. The smoke is ever so slightly salted and as per my other HP notes, like BBQ burnt ends. F: Medium. Honied malt, orange spritz and a gentle salty-smoke. The exiting texture is gingery and lightly prickly with softening milk chocolate fullness. Oh dear. Past Robert is an absolute moron. I had no idea how good this was, a bottle wasted; never again. This is a truly delectable whisky with depth and character beyond what I was expecting. Again, so similar to the other age statement offerings but with wonderful new developments coming to the table. What I find particularly interesting is that the 25 is perhaps not as exciting. I think the added age on the 25 may have muted some of the more subtle notes I get here in the 18. The 25 definitely doesn’t have the same incredibly floral bouquet on the first nose. At 1/4 the price of the 25 the 18 gets my pick of the age statement bunch, in my opinion its as good. [Pictured here with a garnet-corona granulite from the Lindas Nappe of the Bergen Arc in Nordhordland, Norway. This is one of my pride and joy rocks, perfectly fitting for Highland Parks Viking Pride. This rock is a very high temperature metamorphic rock formed 930 million years ago that got caught up in the roots of the Caledonian Mountains that formed 420 million years ago] Distiller whisky taste #134 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25250.0 AUD per Bottle
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