Highland Park Valkyrie

Valkyrie is the first in Highland Park's Viking Legend series in partnership with Danish designer Jim Lyngvild who can trace his lineage back to Viking times. It's made with approximately 50% fully peated stock (Highland Park's peated floor malt is usually mixed with unpeated malt that's bought in at a ratio of 1:4 before mashing), but of course with Highland Park this means Orcadian peat and classic heather smoke notes.

This edition offers a smokier Highland Park experience, but the smoke is still balanced. Highland Park Valkyrie received a score of 99 Points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, making it an "Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation".

TASTING NOTES:

Nose: Chocolate and some nutmeg off the bat before the smoke develops, balanced by dried apricot, plum and, increasingly, zesty orange too.

Palate: Plump dried fruits are complimented by vanilla, dried apple and waves of smoke and wood spice.

Finish: Liquorice and more fruit too, plus a return of some chocolatey notes.

Overall: More pronounced smoke than you’d find in a regular Highland Park, as you'd expected, but it never threatens to dominate proceedings – this is no chimney of a dram, far from it. The smoke is always balanced.