There was a time when the litre bottle sat on every airport shelf, and when the Highland Park label still read Orkney Islands rather than Viking Honour. This bottle belongs to that era: a full litre of the distillery's everyday 12 year old, wearing the design that came before the overhaul.
The expert's description
Highland Park 12 Year Old Version Orkney Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky 100 cl is an Orkney Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky made from barley partly dried over heather peat cut at Hobbister Moor, bottled at 40% in the litre format.
This is the older presentation of the distillery's 12 year old. The 100 cl size was for many years the standard in duty free shops and on board the ferries, where travellers could buy larger bottles than the domestic trade offered. It has become rare, which is exactly why these litre bottles tend to be set aside rather than opened.
The label is a date stamp in itself. It reads Orkney Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky, wording Highland Park used until the distillery reworked the whole range in 2017 along Norse lines and renamed the 12 year old Viking Honour. Typeface, colours and bottle shape changed at the same time, and the old label became history.
The whisky itself is the distillery's cornerstone. Highland Park has been distilling at Kirkwall since 1798 and is known for keeping its peat restrained, so the smoke runs beneath the malt and honey instead of taking charge. At 40% the result is soft and easy to approach without losing character.
Tasting notes
Nose
Heather honey and pale caramel first, then a dry, almost floral smoke closer to warm heather than to a bonfire. A twist of orange peel sits behind it.
Palate
Soft and malty, with toffee, stewed apple and a touch of cinnamon. The smoke arrives late and gently, like a thin layer of ash laid over the sweetness.
Finish
Medium. Malt and honey ebb away slowly, leaving peat and a small breath of salt at the very end.
Specifications
Name: Highland Park 12 Year Old Version Orkney Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky 100 cl 40%
Distillery: Highland Park
Region/Country: Orkney, Scotland
Type: Orkney Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 100 CL
Edition: Older release in litre format
Flavour profile
Lightly smoky · Honeyed · Malty · Soft
Investment potential
Medium. The label is discontinued, the litre format is no longer stocked for duty free, and older bottlings of Highland Park 12 Year Old now surface mainly at auction. This is not a single cask, but a piece of distillery history in a size that will not return.
Did you know?
Highland Park is one of very few Scottish distilleries still running its own floor maltings. Roughly a fifth of the barley is turned by hand on the floors at Kirkwall and dried over peat, while the rest arrives unpeated from the mainland. That blend is what keeps the smoke measured.
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