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: 2.75