For the second article in a row this one was started with a weird nostalgic hunger for a bottle I haven’t touched for a while. Highland Park is one of those premium brands again. The good side of them though is there is some bottles which are approachable, affordable and worthy of your time.
The Whisky
This 10 year old has the previous generation Viking style of bottling. The 10 year old is/was priced at the entry level for single malts at the £30 mark but the bottle glass is heavy and detailed, the cardboard box is thick and well designed. It feels much more expensive than it is.
There was talk a few years back that this 10 was to replace the standard 12 which has been around for decades. I don’t know if it really happened or not but the 12 lives on and the 10 looks like it’s been pulled from general circulation.
All the casks are sherried in this 10 year old at 40% abv so you have to hope it’s good.
Tasting Notes
| Colour | Pale Yellow |
| Nose | A touch of heather, cardamum pods and a tiny touch of oak |
| Palate | Feels like the watering down to 40% is doing this no favours. Marmalade and toast, a sweet kids orange squash |
| Finish | short and sweet |
Final Thoughts
I don’t think I have ever bought a full bottle of the 12 year old but other the years I have tried a glass in a bar, in a sample or in an advent calendar. All of these were before the Viking branding and I remember each one being thick, sherry forward with subtle background layers of heathery highland peat.
This 10 year old is a pale imitation sadly
Malted 
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