Highland Park Leif Eriksson

Smooth and light smoke

A limited travel retail expression, that honours the viking Leif Eriksson, the first european who allegedly came to America, before Christopher Columbus. This was around 1000 A.D.; the Icelander Eriksson was the son of Erik the Red the conqueror of Greenland. This is not one of Highland Park's Warrior series. Bottled at 40%abv, fully matured in american white oak (because of the whole "first person to discover to america" story), golden color. On the nose, it gives you the typical Highland Park Notes. Heathery peat, oranges, creamy vanilla. Very floral. After the first sip, it gave me peaches, vanilla, banana, milk powder. More sips revealed marshmallow and salty water. It screams: "Highland Park in american white oak!" On the palate it is not very complex, nor interesting. Starts very sulphuric and spicy. Pepper and salt. A couple of sips gave me a silght hint of orange and vanilla. Mostly spicy. Aftertaste is very nice, with smoke, tobacco and a leathery finish. A little oaky, ashy, salty and dry. There is this iron / metalic sensation in the palate and aftertaste too. Overall, this is a textbook Highland Park, nothing to die for, but not a bad whisky either. It is good for begginers on this distillery, the orkney peatiness is present. My score for it is a fair 81 over 100.

Smoked and pretty good for the price