Highland Park 12 Year Old viking Honor
Highland Park quickly became my favorite Scotch distillery after I was blinded with a sample. At that point, I knew I really didn’t like Islay-style peated whiskies (which is now a statement in transition), but on a blind nose, I got none of the medicinal, iodine, or band-aid notes that turn me off from peat. Instead, it was lots of woodsmoke - what I would later learn is heather peat rather than marine vegetation peat - and a wonderful mouthfeel. This is the entry-level Highland Park (though a 10-year-old exists) and I consider it a great starting point for people interested in peat or smoke but who might not like the Islay style.
A side note: Highland Park rebranded their 12-year-old as “Viking Honour” in the past few years, but as far as I know there is no other difference from the previous 12-year-old expression.
Highland Park 12 Year Old: Specs
Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Orkney/Islands
Origin: Highland Park Distillery
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley, Peated
Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
Age: 12 YO
Location: Kirkwall, Orkney - the “Northernmost Distillery in Scotland”
Highland Park 12 Year Old Price: $36
highland Park 12 Year Old Viking honour Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Golden wheat. Medium rims don’t hold, running legs.
Nose: Light heather smoke, clear salinity. Malty sweetness underneath.
Palate: Slight tingle and honey on the sip. Sea salt and smoke explode on the swallow and finish. Light mouthfeel, mildly oily and not too full. Through the sea and smoke comes a very tempered malt sweetness.
Finish: Sea and smoke at first, sweet malt creeps in.
Overall: I don’t dislike this, it’s just that I like other Highland Parks better. Valknut, for example, is a good one-step-up comparison. But, if you’re just starting out, this is the perfect entry point. The nose could be better, but the palate is good and the finish is fantastic. Give this some time and it’ll love you back.
Final Rating: 6.0
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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