Spirit Type: Whisky

Country: Scotland

ABV: 46.8%

Bottle Size: 700ml

Description:

Nearly everything was closed on Monday and Tuesday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so I had to pass the time by writing, watching Vikings, and taking walks in a nearby nature park, which is always open from dawn to nightfall. And what could go better with Ivar the Boneless' psychopathy than some Highland Park with a Norse theme?

There is a reason why "Valknut" sounds similar to "Valkyrie," which is the word's precursor in this Highland Park sequence. The Valknut resembles three interlaced triangles, meaning "knot of those dead in the war."

It was believed that the rune would call upon Odin, the Al-Father, to act as a guide for the souls of the deceased, which was not dissimilar to his function as the master of the Valkyries, who transported the honorable dead to Valhalla.

The whiskey, known as Valknut, was aged in casks made of American oak that had been seasoned with sherry and had a minor amount of spirit produced with Tartan barley that was farmed on the Orkney Islands. ABV is 46.8% when it is bottled.

Valknut appears straw-like and pale in hue in the glass. A thick, tear-like coating and an oily layer were left behind after swishing the glass.

The nose really draws some cues from the hue since it started with straw bales before moving on to ash, pepper, and a tinge of spice. The whisky had a sweeter flavor, one that was deeply honeyed, flavored with sandalwood, and just a little bit smokey. The finish line was turned back to the field and the scent of cinnamon and heather.

Overall, it's a good dram for sipping. Although hardly a beast of a smoky whisky, it's smokier than I've come to anticipate from Highland Park and adds a pleasant twist to the distillery's personality. It's just smoky enough that if you weren't aware that it was Highland Park, you might not recognize it as such.