Highland Park 12 Year “Viking Honor” Scotch Review

Highland Park distillery is located way, way, way up north, higher than the tippy-top of Scotland. It’s in the town of Kirkwall, which is found on the Orkney Islands. Highland Park scotches are identifiable and iconic because all their whiskies have a Viking theme. This is reflected in the design of the label of each bottle.

There’s a good reason for that branding. The Orkney Islands, where the distillery is located, have a rich history of Viking occupation. (Shameless plug: I’ve learned a TON about the Vikings at Orkney in The British History Podcast. It is phenomenal if you want a really deep dive into British history.)

The Orkney Island

Now, some people might feel like the Viking brand is a little showy. Is the extra graphic design and artistry trying to cover for a lesser quality product in some way? I decided to sit down to give the scotch a try. What was my takeaway? Did the spirit inside manage to meet the graphic design excellence of the bottle?

Keep reading to find out!

A bit of history of the Highland Park Scotch distillery.

I like to nerd out on history. Especially British history. With great literature, I feel like having historical context gives me a better appreciation for the subject at hand. And whisky is no different.

Vikings occupied the Orkney Islands from about AD 875 to about 1472. The history of scotch goes way back to the early 15th century, but Highland Park Distillery’s history began in the late 18th century.  The legend goes that Magnus Eunson was a butcher and church officer by day and a distiller and whisky smuggler by night. Eunson wasn’t technically a Viking, but he reportedly was of Scandinavian descent. He was caught in 1798, illegally distilling whisky. But in 1826, Highland Park received an official license to distill whisky.

Today, the distillery sits atop a high piece of ground (hence, the “Highland Park” name). It’s in (roughly) the same location as Magnus Eunson’s first, illicit distillery. It’s worth it, and it’s cold up there. The distillery touts the 58.9847° latitude, which is roughly the same as Anchorage, Alaska. The terrain is rough, cold, barren, windy, and full of challenges. Which is probably why the Vikings loved it!

In the 2010s, the company released the Valhalla series. The success of this series pushed the Viking brand and influence, and the distillery decided to adopt the brand permanently at that point. Today, you’ll notice bottles of “Viking Pride,” “Valkyrie,” and “Sigurd” among their titled releases.

Characteristics of Orkney’s Terroir

Every area of Scotland brings its own unique thumbprint on scotches, whether it’s through the salty-sea or smoky peat flavors. Orkney is no different, and scotches that come from this region have characteristics that set them aside from other scotches.

What makes Orkney’s scotches stand out comes from the peat used in the mash. So, what is peat? Well, it’s a bit like moss, if you could imagine cutting it out of the ground in thick, brick-like chunks. It’s made up of layer upon layer of decaying dead plants, infused with salty sea or humid air. It’s layered and pressed together, with more layers of grass and moss that have been compressed to the ground. Repeat the cycle for hundreds of years. What’s caught inside are twigs, grasses, heather, flowers, mosses, pollen, and lots of other great, organic ingredients.

Naturally, it’s the wild matter that grows in the area that makes up the unique quality of the peat product.  At Highland Park, Orcadian peat heavily influences the whisky. Also, because of the salty sea area, Orkney’s peats are saltier than their southern colleagues. They are also a bit younger geologically. So when they burn off during the distilling process, the result is a smokier taste than other Scotch whiskies. Also, because of the high humidity in the area, the aging process tends to be slower than in other areas of Scotland.

Highland Park malts approximately 20 percent of its barley requirement in-house. The distillery also uses ex-sherry casks for the majority of the spirits’ maturation periods.  The casks are made of American or European oak.

Let the tasting begin!

The Color

The Highland Park 12 year has a golden amber color. It reminds me of Russian amber gemstones. You know, the kind you can picture dinosaur-carrying mosquitoes trapped inside of. The bottle has really cool embossed etchings on it. They carry that Viking artistic flair forward, without obscuring the spirit inside with a paper label.

When you pour this Scotch into your perfect whisky-drinking glass, it produces a thick, veiny residue on the inside of the glass.

The amber color would look beautiful displayed in a decanter, like Magellan’s Victoria decanter.

The Nose

Sniffing this whisky takes you on a journey. That is to say, several profiles come forward as you experience the Highland Park 12.

First, the heather that is crucial to the peat used in this spirit is noticeable from the get-go. It’s a vaguely floral and honey smell. And it automatically transports you to beautiful vistas of purple flowers, alight with bees. There are also some noticeable traces of dusty wood, dark chocolate, and something fruity. Swirling the glass again, you’ll likely pick up on something vaguely citrusy—salty lemons, perhaps, or underripe pears. The floral and citrus scents mingle with one another, transforming after another swirl. This time, some savory smells come forward—vanilla, cinnamon, orange peel, and something kind of yeasty and hearty. The experience finishes with the lingering feel of sulfur and seaweed.

The Taste

The consistency of this scotch is a little bit oily in the mouth, and it’s full and robust. Fruits, flowers, and spices come forward first: orange peels, cloves, cinnamon, honey, ginger, and heath. The importance of the sherry cask is present in the first sip. Spicy oak and green woodsmoke are present underneath evolving flavors of vanilla, hay, and cocoa. The flavors continually develop as you sip this spirit, opening up new flavors and mingling with each other playfully. 

The flavors naturally pair wonderfully with a cigar. Checkouts the Barrel Stave Glencairn and Cigar Holder.

The Finish

The Orkney Islands take over in the finish. It comes down off the crescendo with profiles of sulfur, burnt caramel, woody spice, heather, and earthy, swampy peat. There’s the hint of something fruity—raisins, perhaps—and subtle baking spices as the spirit fades.

Cost

$50 USD

Takeaways: Highland Park 12-Year “Viking Honor” Scotch
Honestly, for me, Highland Park is a little too peaty and too smoky for my personal tastes. Adding a few drops of water tones down some of the sulfur and smoke. It helps, but for someone like me who prefers smoother blends, this wouldn’t be my first pick. That being said, it’s a terrific value for what you get. It really transports you to this remote, beautiful island north of Scotland. You can practically TASTE the fields of flowers and pounding of the sea against the barren landscape. It’s a real “terroir” scotch! The bottom line is it’s a brilliant scotch for the price point. It is solid, with a good body, and very flavorful and complex.