Highland Park Valknut

A very generously shared 30 ml from the Oracle @cascode . I felt like a peaty treat this evening and this has been on the wish list to try for some time. The spirit used for this HP features a small portion of Orkney-grown Tartan barley, and was matured predominantly in American oak sherry seasoned casks. Allegedly coming in slightly smokier than standard HPs. Excited to dive in… N: Beautifully gentle vanilla and herbal (thyme? rosemary?) scented smoke are wafted along with raisins and perhaps some malty chocolate and a touch of honey. More gentle than I expected, but a beautifully savoury welcome to the dram. P: This is oily up front and the first thing that hits me is fennel-aniseed and barley. Helped along by a good dose of cinnamon there is some pepper as well to the spices. Dark fruits of raisins and fig and maybe some generic orchard fruit crispness are the sweet rescuers of the spice. I find toffee here similar in depth and lusciousness to the Highland Park 25 actually. When that toffee comes through the pallet softens and rounds out to a creamy fullness and reveals the soft delicate floral orkney peat.. F: Medium. Sweet and spicy smoke, some burnt bbq ends and some bakery spice with a hint of dryness are a wonderful close. Wow. The intensity of this takes things a touch above the standard age offerings of HP. Elements of the 12 and the 25 are there as well as some aspects of what i can remember of the 18 when i had that some time ago. Clearly this speaks to a highly varied choice of barrels. Everything though is turned up a notch and brings things closer to the peat levels of Talisker or even an Islay offering. This is a complex beast, and i do like it. I am a HP fan boy though. I would criticise it to say that in my mind some of the sherry influence is taken down a notch and I’d like it a little bit more balanced between the spice, soft elements of toffee and vanilla, and the sherry fruits. Water does level things out a little but I lose the toffee and the floral note. Personally, no water for me. Great stuff, well worth a try. (Pictured here with a Devonian Old Red Sandstone the same rock that dominates the Orkney Islands and forms the natural aquifers responsible for filtering the water used by the Highland Park distillery.) Distiller whisky taste #92

Nose: Warm sherry-tinged sweet smoke, musky raisins, herbal notes, a touch of honey, leather and dark ale or stout. After a while a lemon aroma comes forward and there is a fresh, coastal quality throughout. With the addition of water I get mashed “nips and neeps” (turnip and rutabaga to you foreigners) which might sound awful but it’s a delicious vegetal note. The dry glass aroma is classic Highland Park smoky honeypot. Palate: Oily smoke with spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and pepper), developing into fruity flavours (stewed apple with cloves, dates and figs) with a hint of vanilla, salted caramel and liquorice. The texture is oily and mouth-coating. The addition of water softens the spice notes just a little and brings out sweetness. It also changes the character of the smoke, making it softer and giving it more texture and an agreeable “mouth-filling” quality. Finish: Medium/long. Fruity smoke. A little leafy walnut-skin bitterness in the aftertaste but the final impression is of ale. Water brings a hint of sherry to the aftertaste. Highland Park goes slightly Islay, and does it pretty well. This one is a little more smoky than most Highland Park expressions and the quality of the smoke is more akin to Islay maritime than Orcadian maritime, but the smoke does not overpower either the distillate or the sherry cask influences. Water is not essential but highly recommended as it reveals facets of both nose and palate that you will otherwise miss. This obviously has a foundation of younger whisky, I’d guess 5-8 years maybe, however there is clearly some older spirit in the blend as well which is contributing depth and fullness to the profile. There is certainly nothing about it that screams lack of maturity and it’s definitely better than the earlier Valkyrie release in this series. The only issue I have is with the price, which is just a little steep. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)

Nose: Vanilla, citrus, peat Palate: Citrus, peat, oak Finish: Spicy oak, peat Disappointing Highland park. I had always high regards for the distillery that started my scotch enthusiasm.

Nose: heather. Mild in smell though Taste: stronger alcohol sense. Sweet. Heather

Nose of berries, figs, cherry and a wisp of smoke. Oak, plum, smoke, black pepper and tire rubber mouth. Finish of candied fruit and dark chocolate