Highland Park Triskelion

May 3

The more I taste through Scotland, the more Highland Park is solidified as my favorite Scotch distillery. Whether it’s the standard releases, the special releases, the limited editions, or the single casks (especially if that cask was a sherry cask), I haven’t been disappointed by one yet. I just love it.

The Triskelion was one of those special releases - it sounds like it will become a regular release (or at least more than a one-off), but it’s not yet available in the US. I only got a sample through The Whisky Exchange - and boy am I happy I did. I LOVED this.

A triskelion is a symbol you have definitely seen but probably didn’t know the name of. Generally speaking, it is a symbol of interlocking legs, horns (specific to Norse mythology), or spirals, exhibiting rotational symmetry - meaning you can rotate it a set degree to see the same image. The symbol’s geographic and temporal range is extraordinary, showing up as early as the European neolithic age (c. 4500 BCE) in Malta, to Newgrange in Ireland (c. 3200 BCE), to Ancient Greek pottery and straight through Roman, Medieval, and Modern periods.

Highland Park has never been shy about its supposed Viking heritage, and this is leaning into that mythology once more. Instead of re-typing an already well-written summary, I’m going to quote the description done by The Campfire Dram:

“Three interlocked drinking horns is an important Norse Viking symbol. It seems to be closely related the Valknut and Triquetra and is often referred to as the Horn Triskelion. A triskelion (or triskele) is a symbol with threefold rotational symmetry (such symmetry means that a figure, which has it, looks the same after a certain amount of rotation). Translated from Greek the word triskelion means ‘three-legged’. The Horn Triskelion symbolizes Odin: to obtain the mead of poetry (skáldskaparmjöðr) he bargained three nights with the giantess Gunnlöð for three sips of the mead. However, with each sip he drank a whole horn. Since the three horns he drank contained the whole of the mead, Odin thus got all of it and fled in the shape of an eagle.The horns’ names were Óðrœrir, Boðn and Són. These three horns contained the mead since the time when the dwarves Fjalar and Galar killed a wise man called Kvasir created from the spittle of Æsir and Vanir. There were no questions Kvasir could not answer. The two dwarves killed him, mixed his blood with honey and poured the beverage into Óðrœrir, Boðn and Són. In Norse Viking mythology the mead of poetry is a symbol of wisdom and poetical inspiration. According to the Prose Edda, whoever drinks it becomes a skald or scholar."
- Emphasis from quoted author.

For this release, Highland Park brought together all three Master Whisky Makers - Gordon Motion, Max McFarlane, and John Ramsay - to create something unique. From Highland Park:

“Our 3 Master Whisky Makers hand-selected and combined three principal cask types: First-fill sherry seasoned Spanish oak butts, first-fill sherry seasoned American oak casks and first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads casks, with a small number of refill casks added to provide a degree of softness to the whisky’s final flavor.”

Sometimes, a company-provided description is plumped up and misleading. This one is just dead on. What can I say but Sköl!

Highland Park Triskelion: Specs

Classification: Scotch, Single Malt

Origin: Highland Park Distillery

Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley

Proof: 90.2 (45.1% ABV)

Age: NAS

Location: Orkney (Islands)

Highland Park Triskelion Price: $250

Official Website

Highland Park Triskelion Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Yellow straw. Medium rims hold, thick droplets.

Nose: Classic Highland Park nose - malty sweetness, salt air, a wisp of smoke from a dying fire. Salt is very light and nose is quite sweet. More salinity opens up with air.

Palate: Oily and astringent up front. God - what a fantastic mouthfeel! Lemon zest, malt, smoking meat with hints of cherry wood and dry oak. That mouthfeel is insane - so creamy, heavy, coating, and oily.

Finish: Slightly dry (yet not astringent), creamy and lasting with sweet wood fire and citrus zest. Malt sweetness lingers, too.

Overall: This is up there, even for a Highland Park for me. The mouthfeel alone warrants an “excellent”; add in a classic HP profile and some complex smoke and citrus, and you’ve got a winner here.

Final Rating: 8.2

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)