Viking imagery and themes are abundant at this Orkney Islands distillery located in the far, rugged, northern region of Scotland. There are some fantastic, younger, much more affordable bottles in the range, with the 18-year-old standing out in particular. But if you are in the mood to splurge, this 30-year-old single malt is worth the expense. The 2024 release is made up of whisky from just eight casks filled in 1990, 1991, and 1992, including four sherry-seasoned oak hogsheads (three European oak, one American oak) and one ex-bourbon barrel for balance. After three decades, the smoke is tempered a bit in this whisky, but it still makes its presence known as a subtle note curling underneath flavors of tropical fruit, citrus, vanilla, oak, toasted nuts, and some spice. Also of note–Highland Park does not add color to its whisky, so that lovely golden hue is entirely from the cask.
Read the full article here
