Highland Park 16 Year Old Odin Single Malt Whisky

Highland Park has been distilled since 1798, on the same site where their founder, Magnus Eunson, set up his original illicit still at High Park. Ten miles from the northernmost reaches of the Scottish Mainland lie the 70 or so islands that make up Orkney, only 20 of which are inhabited. The beautiful, yet isolated cluster of islands, is pounded relentlessly by winds that frequently reach speeds of over 100mph in the winter. No tree can survive such an onslaught, which means that their moorland peat is woodless but rich in fragrant heather, which give rise to the unique aromatic smokiness of their whisky. For over 220 years, they’ve smoked their barley over 4,000-year-old peat, hand-cut from Hobbister Moor, just 7 miles from the distillery.

The long-awaited fourth and final entry in Highland Park's ‘The Valhalla Collection’, Odin follows Thor, Loki and Freya in celebrating the distillery’s Norse heritage and it is presented in the same distinctive wooden frame resembling a traditional Viking long ship. Known as 'The Furious One' legend has it as Odin is the strongest of all the Norse gods and driven by an unquenchable thirst for wisdom. Aged for 16 years in a combination of first-fill sherry casks and refill hogsheads.

    Nose:   This intense whisky possesses a fierce spice. Cinnamon bark and nutmeg rise from Odin’s spirit. Behind the spice, toasted walnuts smoulder with pulsating explosions of smoke. Odin cuts an ominous figure and this whisky is no different.

    Taste:    A huge, powerful palate draws on the complexity of Odin’s character. Layers of peat uncover thousands of years of wisdom. Dense oak combines with rich charred walnuts.

    Finish:    Throughout is a subtle sweetness, sharing the knowledge of well-seasoned sherry wines. Plums and soft fruit disappear into the dark as the peaty embers glow into a smoky finale.