A distillery at the edge of Scotland
Highland Park sits in Kirkwall on Orkney, the group of islands off Scotland's far north coast. It is one of the most northerly whisky distilleries in Scotland, and its windswept island home shapes everything about the whisky made there.
Born from a smuggler
The distillery's story begins in 1798 with Magnus Eunson. By day he was a butcher and a church officer. By night he was an illicit distiller and smuggler, and that year he was caught making whisky illegally on the site where Highland Park stands today. The distillery received its official licence in 1826 and is now owned by the Edrington Group, which also owns The Macallan.
Orkney peat and sherry casks
Highland Park uses local Orkney peat, which contains more heather than the peat found in many other parts of Scotland. That gives the whisky a sweet, floral, honeyed smoke rather than a medicinal one. Most of its whisky is matured in sherry-seasoned oak casks, and Orkney's long Norse history runs through the distillery's Viking-inspired range.
A new heart for the range
Viking Heart was announced in September 2021 as a permanent new addition to Highland Park's range, sold worldwide. It was created by master whisky maker Gordon Motion, who handpicked the casks himself.
Three kinds of cask
Viking Heart is built mainly from first-fill European oak sherry casks, which bring dry, spicy notes. First-fill American oak sherry casks add vanilla and crème brûlée, and a small share of refill casks lets Highland Park's gentle heather peat and light fruit come through. It is bottled at 44% ABV, a little stronger than the classic 40%.
A bottle inspired by history
The most striking thing about Viking Heart is its bottle. Instead of glass, it comes in a heavily embossed 700ml ceramic bottle made with UK-based Wade Ceramics. The design was inspired by the old earthenware vessels used to store whisky at the distillery a century or two ago. At launch, it was priced at around £80 in the UK.
In the glass
- Lead notes: vanilla and citrus
- Sweetness: honey and crème brûlée
- Spice: dry, warming spice from the European oak
- Smoke: fragrant heather peat, with a creamy mouthfeel
New to picking out flavours like these? Our guide on how to taste whisky like a pro walks you through nose, palate and finish step by step.
More from the Vault
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