Highland Park 12 Year Old

Highland Park 12 is often held up as a benchmark for balanced, well-rounded Scotch. This flagship expression from Orkney's northernmost distillery is lightly peated and sherry cask matured, aiming to bridge gentle Highland style and more assertive island character. The 2024 redesign has moved away from Viking branding toward a lighter, fresher aesthetic. But at 40% ABV and chill-filtered, it doesn't quite justify the £40-45 price tag for me.