Tasting Orkney II: Highland Park 12yo
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.
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
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