Description
Highland Park 15 Year Old Gift Box 700ml is a single malt Scotch whisky from the Highland Park distillery in Kirkwall, on Scotland’s Orkney Islands, presented in a gift box. Known as Viking Heart, it is aged for 15 years, mostly in Spanish oak sherry seasoned casks with some American oak sherry casks and a small amount of refill casks, and bottled at 44% ABV.
Buy Highland Park 15 Year Old Online in NZ
Highland Park dates back to 1798 and sits on a rise above Kirkwall, Orkney’s main town, making it one of the most northerly whisky distilleries in Scotland. It still keeps a traditional malting floor, where part of the barley for each year’s production is turned by hand.
The distillery’s signature comes from Orkney peat, cut from Hobbister Moor. Because the island has very few trees, its peat is made up largely of heather and other plants. Burned in the kiln, it gives the malt a fragrant, heathery smoke that is gentler and more aromatic than the heavier, maritime peat of many Islay whiskies.
At 15 years, the whisky sits between the core 12 and 18 year old expressions. The sherry seasoned Spanish oak brings dried fruit and spice, while bottling at 44% ABV, a little higher than the 12 year old, lets the fruit and heathery smoke come through more clearly.
Serve it neat in a tulip or Glencairn glass and give it a few minutes to open. A few drops of water will bring out the honey and citrus. It pairs well with smoked salmon, aged cheddar, crème brûlée or dark chocolate.
- Single malt from Highland Park, Kirkwall, Orkney
- Aged 15 years, mostly in Spanish oak sherry seasoned casks
- Bottled at 44% ABV, presented in a gift box
The nose opens with crème brûlée, heather honey and cinnamon, followed by brown sugar and orange oil. The palate brings pineapple and lemon zest with heather honey, vanilla, treacle and a hint of freshly baked sponge cake. The finish lets citrus and vanilla linger alongside waves of aromatic peat smoke and spicy cinnamon.
The balance between sherry fruit, honey and gentle smoke shows clearly why the distillery has such a loyal following among single malt drinkers.
A considered gift for a birthday, milestone or thank you, and a rewarding bottle for anyone who enjoys a rich, gently smoky malt.
