Highland Park Valknut - 46,8%
Photo taken somewhere in Stuttgart
Here we have one of the newest NAS vikings, released by Highland Park. As usual the Orkney guys (or should I say Edrington) have spared no effort for the bottle design. Let's check if the destillate is just as exlusive as the package. The last expressions had not exactly been that convincing.
Nose
Ahh this is nice. Sour-sweet apples dipped into vanilla and honey. Very Highland Park. We love it when the distillery character doesn't get overlayed (or killed) by the cask. Very fresh with exotic fruits like pine-apples and Physalis, which underline the distinctive sourness. The peat is noticable, but very well integrated.
Palate
Again sweet-sour notes and slight peat with christmas spices. It's mouthwatering and gentle at the same time, with all those already mentioned exotic fruits, dark honey and oak. Not so complex on the palate, but still tells a good story.
Finish
Long and nutty, with almonds and walnuts. Very intensive to be honest. Seems like there are some pretty old casks involved.
Rating
We do really appreciate this destillate driven HP. Chapeau to our orkney vikings for this dram, it's definitely one of the better NAS out there. Still: If it was depended on us, we would reduce those almost weekly "hero" releases, and bring out cask strength, long aged expressions. Means, adding more drive and complexity to the already brillant HP destillate. No offence, just the humble opinion of a few whisky lovers.
