Highland Park 12 Year Old - Viking Honour

For the price, this is not a bad whisky at all. You have to remember it's only 40% but in many shops it's well under £30 which isn't bad. It's got a pleasant taste and not complex by any means, which makes it a nice sipper as well as a good whisky for a newcomer.

8th November 2022

Nose: Smells like good scotch. Not offensive at all.

Palate: Tasty. If there was a grilled orange lurking, it lurked well. I’ve never been to a granary, but I’ve eaten lots of toast. It didn’t taste like scotch, nor does this scotch taste like it.

Finish: Agree that it’s a bit spicy, but I tasted no wood products in any way. Not that I’ve ever eaten wood shavings, but I’ve smelled sawdust, and this does not taste like that smells.

7th October 2022

Not a great malt thin lacking in flavour better with Black Bottle Smokey island or Arran barrel reserve to name a couple few pounds cheaper

30th July 2022

Caramel notes and easy sipper

Decent introduction to the distillery

Not sure what some of the other reviews are on about, definitely not a blend, and definitely doesn't need ice

14th June 2022

Have half a dozen HP expressions, from 12 Yo to 15 Yo Cask

Very good Malt for 30 Quid. Don’t much like the 10 Yo, tastes of Burbon to me.

18 Yo is better but 3 times the price ! “Chaps at Distillery tipped the “Airports” version of the 18 Yo at 46 ABV rather than the UK 18 @ 43.

Torn over stars 4 for certain, should it be 5 as only 30 Quid ?

22nd May 2022

I've refrained a long time from buying HP since I thought the package was too commercial (nah, that can't be good). But came at a shop where there was a very limited offer in drams, so decided, why not after all these years. I looked here at the reviews before opening the bottle. Looked at the bad ones as well.
The first glass was very shallow, very watery but the "after taste" was quite nice, indeed the peppery spicy experience. I am not enjoying my second glass (no ice, room temp, no water). It's quite nice, apricot to the palate, the very spicy longevity, with a taste of lemon/citrus. I wonder if it could be a 43% or even a 46% but it might become too sharp. But still, the watery connotation bothers me a bit. I give it an average. Might buy again, but most likely will pass.

8th May 2022

Lovely nose shows promise, but just not deliver on taste mostly do to do with ABV. Would love to try a cask strength version, but this really should have been bottled at 46 not 40

7th May 2022

I’ve tried a few, but keep coming back to the Highland Park 12.

28th March 2022

I have been wanting to try this for quite some time and our local store had it on sale so I decided to grab a bottle. I never judge a book by its cover, but I must say for starters this cover (the box and bottle) are beautiful, both box and bottle have lovely Scottish/Viking scrollwork and the bottle displays very nicely in any bar. However, the bottle's beauty means nothing if its contents aren't worthy of it. The contents are not only worthy, but they do indeed honour their Viking heritage proudly.

This is a real treat of a scotch whisky and great value for the money. I enjoy trying different scotch from all of the regions, but I always find my tastes leaning towards those from the islands, mainly because of the sublime warmth of the smoky peat so often found in scotch from this region. The peat smoke in this particular scotch is subtle, not as pronounced as a Talisker or a scotch from Islay such as Ardbeg, it gently weaves its way much like the bottle's scrollwork throughout the entire taste experience.

The best way I can describe the nose is sweet spicy smoked orange marmalade. This is followed by a palate of Seville oranges and fruitcake soaked in heather flower peated honey with a medium finish that is surprisingly dry and warming and slightly peppery with just a light lingering of peat on the tail. The dryness of the finish is a really nice contrast to the sweetness of the nose and palate and gives the dram a deep complexity. 5 stars for me and I will definitely be exploring more of what this distillery has to offer in the near future. Slainte to Highland Park and the Orkneys!

26th March 2022

Very good. Slightly dry, pleasant and long finish. Not as good as Loyalty Of The Wolf, but still worth to buy. (R)

7th March 2022