Highland Park 12 years Old version Orkney Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky 100 cl 43%

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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Frequently asked questions about Highland Park 12 Year Old Version Orkney Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky 100 cl 40%

What separates this older release from the Highland Park 12 Year Old sold today?

The label, the bottle and the name. This version carries the wording Orkney Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky from before 2017, when Highland Park reworked its range and christened the 12 year old Viking Honour. On top of that comes the litre format, a legacy of the duty free trade that has no place in the current line-up.

Is it worth collecting?

Yes, the ingredients are there. The bottle combines a discontinued label design with a size that has all but vanished from the shelves, and both point to one closed chapter of Highland Park's history. The distillery also has a steady following of collectors who track its older bottlings closely.

Why does the label say Orkney Islands?

Because that was the distillery's own way of stating origin. Orkney lies north of the Scottish mainland and belongs neither to the Highlands nor to Islay, and Highland Park put the name of the island group straight on the label for many years. The wording disappeared with the redesign.

How smoky is Highland Park 12 Year Old?

Only lightly. The smoke sits under the malt and honey sweetness as a dry undercurrent and never takes over the glass the way an Islay Single Malt Whisky can. Highland Park blends its own peated malt with unpeated malt from the mainland, which keeps the level down.

How is it best served?

Neat and at room temperature in a tulip-shaped whisky glass. At 40% it will not take much water, so a single drop is enough if you want to open up the nose. Ice shuts down both the smoke and the honey.

How should an older bottle be stored?

Upright, dark and cool. Whisky does not develop in the bottle, but lying it down lets strong spirit work on the stopper, and direct sunlight bleaches both liquid and label. Tip the bottle briefly now and then so the cork does not dry out.

What defines Highland Park as a distillery?

Its location and its maltings. The distillery stands at Kirkwall on Orkney with sea on every side, and it has malted part of its own barley on the floors since 1798. Its own peated malt, bought-in unpeated malt and maturation in sherry seasoned oak together give the recognisable balance of sweetness and smoke.