Highland Park Valknut
Highland Park Valknut- These Barbarians hail from the northernmost region in Scotland and their ancestors are Vikings ! I guess we are in for a wild ride here, so forget the subtlety…..First noted is a lack of an age statement, so I prepare for a young ( edgy) bite but it is smoother than expected. The nose is peaty and toasty, with a solid wiff of alcohol. At near 47% this is a punchy dram and a tad thin…..I found dried fruit and some sherry-like sweetness, a remnant from the selected aging barrels. The Orkney benchmark is local barley with peat roasting and we have a good amount in the palate. We have a nice mix of caramel and vanilla with a spicy fruit added in for good measure. I loved the lingering finish and the maltiness that the distillers built in. This whisky is complex and enjoyable but might be slightly overpriced , it’s not HP’s best effort. The 3 triangle graphic is a link from warrior to the afterlife , designed by an Orkney native with lineage to the first Earl of the region, a remarkable history. So the Viking spirt lives on in this malt, rough and tough, strong as hell, and worth the effort. I rate it a thundering 7 , now hide the women and children and run for cover.
The Single Malt Snob 