Review: Highland Park Valkyrie
Launched in 2017, Highland Park Valkyrie was the first of three limited edition whiskies released in Highland Park’s Viking Legend series. Valkyrie was followed by Valknut in 2018, and Valfather in 2019.
Highland Park Valkyrie celebrates the brand’s Nordic ancestry in Orkney. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries would descend onto the battlefields to find the best and bravest warriors and give them passage to Valhalla.
The packaging for the Viking Legend series was created by Jim Lyngvild, a Danish designer and artist whose great grandfather 36 generations ago was Ragnvald Eysteinsson, the first Earl of the Orkney Islands.
What of the liquid inside the bottle? Highland Park Valkyrie is an NAS (No Age Statement) Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry seasoned American and European oak casks, as well as ex-bourbon casks. It contains 50% fully peated stock, making it more heavily peated than the typical Highland Park. Valkyrie was limited to “just” 250,000 bottles. Can something produced in such large quantities really be considered a limited edition?
Highland Park Valkyrie Specifications:
- Spirit: Scotch.
- Classification: Single Malt.
- Region: Island (Highland).
- Age: NAS (No Age Statement).
- ABV: 45.9% (91.8 Proof).
- Cask Type: Matured in sherry seasoned American and European oak casks, as well as ex-bourbon casks.
- Other: Natural Color.
- Price Paid: N/A (Sample from a friend).
- Average Price: $79.99 for 750 mL.
Elias’ Notes:
- Color: Gold/Amber.
- Nose: Moderate smoke. Earthy. Heather, lemon, and green apples.
- Palate: Oily mouthfeel. Green apples, vanilla, heather, smoked lemon, milk chocolate, candied ginger, and spices.
- Finish: Medium length. More smoke, lemon, green apples, milk chocolate, and ginger. Licorice makes an appearance. The lemon note lingers while the rest fade slowly.
Despite being more heavily peated than the typical Highland Park release, Valkyrie comes across as only moderately peated compared to the super heavily peated single malts from Ardbeg, Bruichladdich (Octomore), and Laphroaig. As such, Valkyrie shouldn’t be a turn off for individuals averse to extreme peat.
In terms of flavor profile, Highland Park Valkyrie drinks like a slightly less refined version of Highland Park 15 Year Old Viking Heart. If you’ve had the 15 Year Old and are looking for something similar but more affordable, you may want to give Valkyrie a shot. And yes, you can still find a bottle of Valkyrie today – six years later – because Highland Park produced 250,000 bottles.
Rating: B (83-86%).