Highland Park Whiskies I'd Love to Try

Highland Park is my favourite whisky distillery. This could be because it was their 12 year old that got me into single malts. Of course, I like other distilleries, however I think it's the safe to say that I like Highland Park. Also, I love their 'viking theme.'

Recently, the third and final of their Viking Legends series has come out here in Canada: Valfather. The second one was Valknut, and the first was Valkyrie. They have done other series like that in the past: Dark and Light, and Fire and Ice.

I'm not sure what else they have planned on the horizon, however of what's out now, these are the following I'd like to try:

CORE RANGE



18 year (Viking Pride)

Slow-burning, aromatic peat from Hobbister Moor; hand turned floor maltings, Sherry seasoned European oak casks, cool maturation in our temperate island climate and a long and unhurried harmonisation process. Like our founder, Magnus Eunson, we share our Viking ancestors’ commitment to skilled craftsmanship as well as their proud, independent spirit.

43%



Dragon Legend

For our ancestors, dragons were both feared and revered, possessing mystical powers but representing the forces of evil. According to legend, the Viking warrior Sigurd killed the evil serpent dragon Fafnir in a battle of great bravery and cunning. Licking the dragon’s blood from his thumb, Sigurd was granted powerful gifts of prophecy and wisdom and became one of the greatest heroes of the ancient Nordic sagas. In DRAGON LEGEND we’ve created single malt as bold and unconventional as Sigurd himself. Our local peat from Hobbister Moor delivers an intense aromatic smokiness that’s melded with a spicy sweetness from long, slow maturation in
sherry seasoned oak casks.

"…the earth shook all about him, and he snorted forth venom on all the way before him as he went; but Sigurd neither trembled nor was afraid at the roaring of him."
The Volsunga Saga

43.1%

SPECIAL EDITIONS



16 year (Twisted Tattoo)

Tattoos are a vital part of our cultural heritage today. They tell the world who we are, without saying a word. In collaboration with Danish tattoo artist and modern day Viking Soul, Colin Dale, we created the bold design for this whisky, which celebrates the tattoo as a mark of both standing apart and being part of a tribe – just like Highland Park. Colin’s intricate design is inspired by the free-flowing Nordic knotwork found on Viking wood carvings and reflects the Norse legend of the Midgard serpent, which grew so large it twisted round the Earth to grasp its tail in its mouth.

46.7%



Viking Tribe

As an island-based distillery, our community, friends and family in Orkney are vitally important to us and, in VIKING TRIBE, we have created a single malt Scotch whisky that celebrates togetherness and shared experiences. This is a whisky worthy of our own tribe, created to be discovered and shared with like-minded people who value authenticity, fine craftsmanship and a good story waiting to be told, just as we do at Highland Park.

The symbol on the VIKING TRIBE bottle is an interpretation of the knotwork style of 13^th century Viking art found in the Urnes Stavkirk in Norway. It means ‘together as one’. This is the legacy we proudly bring to our whisky making and share with our Highland Park tribe today.

VIKING TRIBE is available exclusively on Amazon UK, providing a new way for single malt drinkers to discover, enjoy and share Highland Park.

46%

TRAVEL RETAIL RANGE (DUTY FREE EXCLUSIVES)



Spirit of the Bear

Preparing for battle, Viking warriors believed they could harness the great bear’s mighty power and stamina by wrapping themselves in its skins. These fearless warriors became known as ‘berserkers’, their name derived from the old Norse words ‘ber’ – bear and ‘sekr ‘– skin.

Our island home on Orkney was under Viking rule for over 600 years and their myths and legends have become our own. Intensely smoky with a bold spiciness, SPIRIT OF THE BEAR is inspired by our Viking ancestors’ resilient nature and fierce independence – characteristics that sit at the heart of our whisky making today.

"… his men rushed forwards without armour… and were strong as bears… but neither fire nor iron told upon themselves. These were called Berserker."
The Ynglinga Saga, Chapter 6, Of Odin’s Accomplishments

40%



14 year (Loyalty of the Wolf)

Both wolf and Viking share the strong instinct to protect and defend family and territory, responding boldly and courageously when faced with threat or danger. Our island home on Orkney was under Viking rule for over 600 years and we are proud of the characteristics we share with our ancestors.

With 14 YEAR OLD LOYALTY OF THE WOLF we celebrate determination, co-operation and courage in a single malt whisky that is both sweet and complex, displaying a fine balance of contrasts, just like the Vikings – and the wolves – themselves.

"Where wolf’s ears are, wolf’s teeth are near."
Volsunga Saga, Chapter 19

42.3%



16 year (Wings of the Eagle)

Here, on Orkney, those earthly winds sweep across our island home too, reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour in winter. No trees survive such onslaught so our moorland peat is woodless, but rich in fragrant heather, producing the characteristic aromatic smokiness of our whisky.

16 YEAR OLD WINGS OF THE EAGLE celebrates our wild island climate. Its spicy and elegant character reveals a sophisticated combination of flavours, layered as intricately as the feathers of an eagle’s wing.

"There is much to be told. An eagle sits at the top of the ash, and it has the knowledge of many things."
Gylfaginning, The Prose Edda, Chapter 16

44.5%



Voyage of the Raven

For our Viking ancestors, the raven was a powerful symbol of victory in battle, success on a voyage and loyalty to the god, Odin.

Intelligent and resourceful, ravens were the trusted guides of those those early voyagers as they left Northern shores in search of new horizons, flying far out across the sea until they found land. Highly prized for their navigation skills, ravens became symbols of good fortune on many a longship sail.

Matured in a high proportion of first-fill sherry seasoned oak casks, VOYAGE OF THE RAVEN delivers mouth-watering flavours of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, black cherries and marzipan, overlaid with our distinctive aromatic smokiness.

The ravens sit on his shoulders and say into his ear all the tidings which they see or hear; they are called thus: Huginn and Muninn. He sends them at daybreak to fly about all the world… Therefore men call him Raven-God.
Gylfaggining, The Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson, English translation

41.3%



Svein

Predominantly matured in Sherry seasoned American oak casks, SVEIN delivers powerful notes of crème brûlée, wrapped in a gentle peat smoke.

The Warrior Series is a collection of single malts created exclusively for Duty Free to showcase the very best of Highland Park. Each expression both introduces a key figure from Orkney’s Viking history and demonstrates how the flavours of Highland Park are influenced by cask type.

40%