I did it - I got a bottle of the “old” Highland Park 18. There is so much praise and gloryfication that I had to make a picture of it myself. I went through a bottle of the “new” 18 ‘Viking Pride’ earlier this year which I emptied in late summer. And that one I really liked. But I saw people claiming that the new variant also differs from the old one. So instead of grabbing another Viking Pride bottle I set out to find myself a bottle of the old version. And I finally did - for an even slightly cheaper price than the Viking themed one. So here we go. Nose: peat and sherry, berries and cookies, cold cocoa, then creamy vanilla, a fruity acidicy, later: oranges, florals, Palate: nice balance of malty sweet, fruity sour and oaky, then warm spices, a bid of fresh soil, light nuttiness (like Nutella), gets sweeter bid by bid but keeps a certain dryness Finish: the first finish I remember always being the most rewarding part of the age statement HPs - so is this. Everything comes together what on the nose and palate started to unfold. There is very prominent oak wood, a dry sensation like white wine and a prickly effervescent sensation with a nougat nuttiness in the end. In conclusion it is a really nice whisky. It has character, is very nicely balanced, it is bold with its mature bitterness, a bourbon cask dominance and a enjoyable and interesting finish. I sadly didn’t keep a sample of the previous 18y bottle from the Viking line but from my perspective I can’t really tell a difference. I think i remember the newer Viking version being a little more sherry forward but that impression can be off because it has been a while. I guess I will have to get my hands on a sample of it to compare both side by side. The neck pour didn’t fulfill my high expectations but after returning to it after some time it became an even better experience for me and I enjoyed it more. At the start of a dram it still doesn’t blow you away but after just a few sips it becomes incredibly enjoyable with its richness and boldness. I changed my 4.0 rating to 4.25