Tag Archive for: Viking Whisky

Whisky Butler’s October Box – Highland Park

It is October! 3 more months to the end of the year, peeps! Isn’t that the exciting time of the year where you begin to slow down the pace, smell more flowers and drink a few more drams of whisky? Well, we are! In this post, we are introducing the Whisky Butler’s October box – one that is truly amazing.

As you can guess, October is all about Highland Park. Everyone probably knows that Highland Park released the first expression of a three-part series Viking Legend recently. Named Highland Park Valkyrie, it has received wide recognition as an exceptional whisky in the whisky community around the world. Singapore might be a little late, but better late than never!

Another special dram in this box is the Highland Park Bicentenary 1977 Vintage. This 21 Years Old is an old bottling from Highland Park back in 1998 when they celebrated their bicentenary! 200 years of history went into this bottle, so, except the unexpected!

The October box also includes the core range of Highland Park whiskies – the 12 and 18 Years Old. Known for their delicious nose and palate, these whiskies have been delighting many for decades.

Here’s a little more information about October’s offer.

  1. Highland Park Bicentenary 1977 Vintage

    This legendary expression was exclusively bottled in 1998 to honour the celebration of Highland Park’s Bicentenary. The important milestone event was a historic event in the Orkney Islands as it also celebrated their Viking past. This 21 Years Old expression received many praises from the whisky community and was sold out almost instantly. Today, it is a discontinued whisky expression and not available for sale. Whisky Butler got a special privilege to offer a dram of this whisky to its members as a special celebration of their lovely collaboration with Highland Park.

  2. Highland Park Valkyrie

    This is the first expression out of a three-part series of the Viking Legends bottled by Highland Park. The Viking Legend series is a tribute to the Viking past and bravery of the Valkyries on the battlefields of old. The whisky has won the Chairman’s Trophy in the 2017 Ultimate Spirit Challenge, scoring an impressive 99 out of 100!

  3. Highland Park 18 Years Old

    Part of the core range of Highland Park’s offering, the 18 Years Old is nothing short of exceptional. Its intense balance of flavour has won the title of Best Spirit in the World in the Spirit Journal not once, but twice! The 18 Years Old owes its successful to Highland Park’s 5 traditional keystones in their production of whisky. It represents the distillery’s commitment to skilled craftsmanship and their proud, Viking heritage.

  4. Highland Park 12 Years Old

    The entry level to the core range of Highland Park’s offering is the 12 Years Old. It is considered the heart and soul of Highland Park as it is the most commonly drank whisky from their range of delicious offering. The perfect harmony of smoky peat, sweet heather honey and rich fruit cake makes the 12 Years Old a favourite among many whisky drinkers around the world.

Whisky Butler’s members can look forward to 4 great drams this October, but if you are not yet a member, don’t fret! Contact WhiskyGeeks at slainte@whiskygeeks.sg or PM us via our Facebook page @WhiskyGeeks for more information. Alternatively, head over to Whisky Butler and tell them that you have been sent by WhiskyGeeks. Either way will get you a mystery dram on the house as long as you pick up a subscription package from Whisky Butler!

Whisky Review #43 – Highland Park Bicentenary 1977

This.is.da.bomb! Exclusively bottled in 1998 as part of the celebration for Highland Park bicentenary year, this is a vintage 21 Years Old right from the warehouses of Highland Park. The historic milestone of a bicentenary year was not taken lightly so you can imagine the good stuff that goes into the bottles of the Highland Park Bicentenary 1977 Vintage!

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Deep Gold
ABV: 40%

Nose: Maple syrup on an aromatic French toast greets the nose before old-style sherry notes waft in. Blackcurrant, peated heather and some sea salt chocolate bring it to a close. (18/20)

Palate: Honeyed peat, guava and dark chocolate open the palate with maple syrup lingering in the background. A touch of herbaceous cranberry tea can also be found in the back. (17/20)

Finish: The finish is long with floral and fruity notes. Lingering maple syrup can be found in the background, making it almost perfect for the sweet tooth. (18/20)

Body: A really well-balanced whisky well worth its price! Fully rounded with maple syrup and the right amount of peat to make it a perfect dram to be enjoyed with friends and family. (37/40)

Total Score: 90/100

Comments:

Geek Spice: “It is a privilege to get a dram of this whisky considering it is a discontinued expression from Highland Park. The balance is amazing and I know anyone who has a chance to taste this exquisite whisky will love it!”

Note: This is a discontinued whisky expression from Highland Park and is not available for sale in the primary whisky market. Our understanding is that Highland Park has given a special bottle to Whisky Butler for their collaboration on Whisky Butler’s October box. Anyone keen to try this can contact WhiskyGeeeks at slainte@whiskygeeks.sg to find out more.

Whisky Review #42 – Highland Park Valkyrie

Highland Park Valkyrie is a special edition NAS single malt whisky that enhances the smoky notes of typical Highland Park whiskies. In collaboration with renowned Danish designer Jim Lyngvild, Valkyrie is one of a three-part series of their Viking legend release. Inspired by the Orkney rich Viking history and myths surrounding the first islanders in Orkney, this expression is all about flavours of the Viking.

Valkyrie has more heathery peated malt added to its concoction as compared to the typical Highland Park expressions, delighting many peat heads globally. It also resulted in a richer flavour of honey sweetness on the palate as compared to the 12 Years Old, luring all the sweet tooth drinkers along for a ride. The maturation of Valkyrie is also interesting – a combination of first fill American oak sherry, Bourbon and Spanish oak sherry casks and a selection of refill cask!

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Gold
ABV: 45.9%

Nose: Influence of the bourbon oak sherry cask is prominent with the vanilla oak at first waft. Honey with an earthy note slip in shortly after, with dried figs, hummus, and autumn leaves rounding up the nose with some floral notes. (17/20)

Palate: Sweet notes of heather, monk fruit, dried pears and orange blossoms mixed together to create a pleasant palate. A peaty grassiness comes along towards the end to complete the drink. (18/20)

Finish: The finish is medium but powerful. A barrelful of smoke from charred oak and honeycomb come on strongly before leaving a sweet, smoky ending. (18/20)

Body: While it is perhaps not as balanced as the 18 Years Old, this expression certainly stand out as a special edition. Still a worthy dram to get the party started with its sweet peatiness that delights peat heads and non-peat heads alike. (30/40)

Total Score: 83/100

Comments:

Geek Choc: “Well, I like the mixture of the rich honey sweetness and the peaty. The proportioned increase of both makes this whisky flavourful. I enjoyed it very much! I would buy a few bottles to enjoy at home!”

 

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    Whisky Review #41 – Highland Park 18 Years Old

    Highland Park 18 Years Old is something of a special mention. It was named the Best Spirit in the World in the Spirit Journal on 2 separate occasions and has delighted many with its intense balance of the flavours found in it. Highland Park believes that the 18 Years Old is exceptional because of the 5 traditional keystones in their production. Such perfection could only come from the 220 years of experience at Highland Park distillery.

    Tasting Notes:

    Colour: Pale Gold
    ABV: 43%

    Nose: Caramel, green apples and lime custard tart come to mind with the first waft of this liquid. As it opens up, lemon peels and a tangy smokiness can also be found. The appeal comes from the well-crafted mix of sweet, sour and smoke that invites you to take a sip. (17/20)

    Palate: Spice of nutmeg and peppercorn filled the palate before opening up to burnt cinnamon sugar with hints of vanilla crème. Gingersnaps and orange chocolate (yummy) filter in as it opens up to give the 18 Years Old more complexity than what was expected. (18/20)

    Finish: The finish is medium long. Sweet and smoke come together to give a pleasant finish to this liquid. (17/20)

    Body: The 18 Years Old is well-balanced. The complexity of sweet and sour, smoke and spice brings great joy when sipping this dram. It is indeed an award-winning expression! (33/40)

    Total Score: 85/100

    Comments:

    “It fits my profile of what makes a perfect whisky. Which is to say it’s totally in harmony. There are no rough edges and everything is melded together brilliantly.” – F. Paul Pacult, Spirit Journal

    Geek Spice: “The 18 Years Old certainly deserves the special mention considering how well-balanced it is. I would encourage whisky drinkers to get a bottle for their drinking pleasure!”

     

     

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      Whisky Review #40 – Highland Park 12 Years Old

       

      Highland Park needs no introduction. It is a popular brand globally and has won the hearts of many whisky lovers with their variety of whisky. For many years, the Highland Park 12 Years Old has delighted the nose and palate of many with its perfect harmony of aromatic smoky peat, sweet heather honey and rich fruit cake.

      Tasting Notes:

      Colour: Light Amber
      ABV: 40%

      Nose: The first sniff brings you heather-honey sweetness and smoky peat. The perfect mix of sweetness and smoke builds up an anticipation for the palate, inviting you to take a sip to wet the lips. As the nose opens up, orange squash and spiced yellow raisins come into the picture to build up the heather-honeyed peat, giving it more complexity. Hay and hints of nutmeg and cardamom come last to create a complete nose. (16/20)

      Palate: A sip of this gold nectar brings a well-balanced smoky sweetness that delivers the full promise from the nose. Burnt grass with orange squash hits the palate before maltiness comes rushing in. Hints of honeyed raisins come after to round off the palate with the complexity from the nose. This is definitely good stuff from an ABV of 40%. (16/20)

      Finish: The finish is medium long, which is interesting considering the low ABV. The lingering sweet and malty smokiness add to the appeal of this expression. (16/20)

      Body: Highland Park 12 Years Old is a well-balanced expression with a good mix of sweet and smoke. Definitely a delicious dram and an easy drink. (30/40)

      Total Score: 78/100

      Comments:

      Geek Spice: The 12 Years Old is an easy drink which can be taken as an after-dinner drink. The lower ABV also adds to its appeal as an after-dinner drink. 

       

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