Tasting Orkney II: Highland Park 12yo

15 October 2014 0 comments Article Highland Park, Islands, Scotland, Tasting Notes

Highland Park’s 12yo expression is in my view one of the classic whiskies, not necessarily because of the quality, but mostly because of the availability, making it a very well-known whisky. Highland Park 12yo is a classic entry level whisky, which you can order in pubs and bars around the world. It’s probably among the first ten whiskies I ever tried, and I bet that a lot of people have tried this very early on in their single malt whisky adventure.

Highland Park 12yo (40%, OB)

Nose: Hmm, bacon. Gentle peat, a bit malty and some salty seaweed. After a while it gets fruitier, with pineapple leading the way.
Taste: Peat and smoke at first. Grilled meat. Then licorice, tree bark, black pepper and some spices, mostly cinnamon.
Finish: Pineapple, pepper and campfire smoke. Medium in length.

Rating: 81

This one shows a bit more depth than the 10yo I reviewed earlier. Affordable and easy to drink. Also a good one for beginners to ease their way into the peated stuff.