Review by: The Muskox

There comes a time in every internet Scotch reviewer’s life where he/she must confront the unassailable classic that is Highland Park 12 year old. Malty, sherry, peaty, floral… this whisky really tries to be everything. As an important note, the one I tried was the original, non-Viking version. I’ve actually tried both versions, but have very little memory of the Viking Honour. Oh well.

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Distillery: Highland Park.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islands (Orkney).

ABV: 43%.

Age: 12 years. Bottled in 2017.

Cask type: Bourbon and sherry casks.

Price: $80 CAD.

Color: Amber. Natural Color. Chill-filtered.

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Nose: What stands out right at first is an odor of struck match – somewhat sulfurous smoke. The next thing I got was actually the sherry: black cherries, raisin and prune. Then the famous floral elements came out: flowers, honey, cucumber, hay. Maybe some lime and lemongrass? Underlying everything is a big malted barley note.

Palate: Barley sugar and toffee. Oatmeal and brown sugar. Honey and light flowers. There’s not as much sherry here as the nose. Vague orange (name of my new band?). The sweetness develops first, then it does a dive into wood tannins and a touch of smoke. The sherry comes back right at the end.

Finish: Fairly long. Oak tannins and black cherry sweetness. Very “woodsy”. A touch of ash.

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Conclusion: This really does have everything. Quite an excellent introduction to whisky, as has been noted by basically everybody. I feel like this does suffer a little from the “jack of all trades, master of none” idea, where none of the flavours (except maybe the maltiness) are quite as deep as I want them to be. Recommended regardless.

Final Score: 78.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.