Review #136 - Highland Park 12 Year
Up in the somewhat remote Orkney Islands, an archipelago located off the northern coast of Scotland, is the widely beloved Highland Park distillery. This is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, its roots dating back to 1798, and they have a defined style of light (but noticeable) peat, along with a decent number of releases employing sherry cask maturation.
This 12 Year bottling is the 'Viking Honor' edition, so it's been bottled after the rebrand in 2017. We still don't have the 46%+ strength that we would like, and like most of the volume bottles with these big brands, there's no mention of coloring or chill filtration. Actually, we could consider ourselves lucky here - being in the US, we get the 43% version of this whisky, while much of the rest of the world can only access it at a measly 40% ABV.
Highland Park 12 Year
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 50 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 55 (2023)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 43% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 14 months; bottles at 80%, 70%, 50% (blind tasting), and 40% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Very soft smoke, with a mildly coastal character - salt, slightly briny, maybe a hint of seaweed at times. There are nice dark fruits here: plum especially stood out, but we get red apple and white grape as well, some red wine and pears, some candied fruit rinds. Baking spices are present, in the form of vanilla, cardamom and nutmeg, and there are sweet notes of caramel and freshly baked rolls; oak is mild, and slightly musty. Pleasant and interesting, if slightly soft, overall.
Palate: Balanced between sweet and dry: some tannins from the oak, but lots of sweeter fruits like candied apple, white grape, blood orange, and prune. The peat smoke is still light, but it causes light puckering in the cheeks; later, it gives way to a slightly savory barbecue note, accented by caramel, dried grass, and heather. There's a crust of sea salt on top, and it becomes just slightly bitter at the end. Medium-thin on the mouthfeel, but with the flavor variety, it almost feels a bit decadent.
Finish: Medium length, warm, and a buttery texture. The sherry cask notes of orange fruit and wood spice hang around, while the smoke is soft, only an accent flavor. There's just a hint of musty sulfur at times, but it's mostly masked by hay, vanilla, and candied apples.
Final Note: Good whisky - well balanced and somewhat interesting despite the relatively low bottling strength. The mouthfeel does come across a little thinner than we would like, but the finish is long enough, and there are a variety of flavors packed into the different portions of the tasting experience. This could be a great introduction to peat for those who are hesitant - it just gives a light smoky flavor, nowhere near overwhelming like some of your Islay and other Highland malts. Value is quite good, too - it's $55 here, which is $10 to $15 cheaper than comparable (in our opinion) alternatives.
Our Average Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.57
