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About what you should expect from the entry level of an established distillery these days.

Tasted at WTF2017 - August 2017, later retasted

Very light HP, but it would have a potential.

Dark straw color. Fine oiliness.

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/on-location-highland-park/ Made predominantly from European oak topped up with US barrels, 40% of which is virgin oak - all sherry seasoned. N: A gentle, well rounded nose with a little peat smoke (the current 12yo is only a mere 3ppm). Nice recipe. T: Soft virgin oak - so a young tempered dram but still with some immaturity. F: Feathery-soft heathery finish, sweet saline. Again, the recipe rings true. C: Another entry level age statement HP destined for international markets. Depending on the price differential however, you may be better off jumping straight to the 12yo. The last HP 12yo i had improved significantly in the bottle over time, so there’s a fair chance this would also.Scores a C[-]

Smells and tastes like a lot of virgin oak casks were used, at least in the (unspecified) batch my sample is from.

Aroma：Delicate；Palate：81/100; Aftertaste：Medium.

On the nose, the smoky peat envelops you. It is refreshed by vanilla and lemon peel. And from the orange, you feel like you're biting into the fruit. Over time, the smoke becomes stronger and stronger. The vanilla is intense on the palate, and blends voluptuously with the peat. Citrus fruits spice everything up. Behind, we smell some hints of hay, something country. The finish lacks a little length, but it is good, still vanilla, with a zest of lemon, and the malt which takes over. It's interesting, we clearly recognize the markers of the distillery. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2020/05/highland-park-10-yo-viking-scars-40.html

Absolutely inarticulate, inexpressive, boring whisky. It lacks color and strength. The distinctive features of HP are recognized with great difficulty. This is just a shadow of the brand I once loved. If it weren't for the tempting promotional price in KB, I wouldn't even buy this whisky. The negative dynamics of development of the basic line of HP is extremely clear. Even the previous ten (before the latest Viking rebranding) were much more interesting.

This should probably become the new entry level HP, since the current batches of the 12yo are not good at all anymore (based on a current 5cl mini I tried recently). You shouldn't expect much from this one, but it's fairly priced for what it is.

Batch: L0209E L04 16/06 After being pretty blown away by the regular HP12 (even though I’d tried it before), I decided to grab a few more bottles from the distillery, both IBs and OBs. After sampling some of them, I can confidently say that HP is now one of my favorite distilleries. This unassuming distillery delivers one of the most sophisticated profiles on the market, in my opinion, yet it’s often categorized as lightly peated and recommended for beginners. That said, while I first tried this whisky five years ago when I was just starting to explore the incredible world of Scotch, it wasn’t until much later that I really began to appreciate its delicate and complex character. HP, much like Springbank and Benromach, is a whisky that seems to have everything—ex-bourbon, sherry, and peat—without letting any one element dominate. But what makes it stand out is its unique twist on the balanced mix (Campbeltown funk for Springbank, farmy/artisanal notes for Benromach, and heather honey for HP). Out of the HP bottles I have open, it was obvious this daily sipper would be the first to go. I picked it up because I wanted a cheap OB from them, and among all the chaos of their lineup, this is the only one that isn’t a NAS… and it’s also one of the cheapest. Less than €35. Let’s see what it brings to the table. Nose: Bright citrus, sweet, gently toasted, floral, and slightly peated. The nose, while showing some weakness, is still pretty nice and surprisingly layered: soft citrus notes, sweet toffee, heather honey, buttery pastries, young malt, generic tropical fruits, a subtle but ever-present sweet peat, damp earth, a touch of salt, cinnamon, a little funk, herbs, dates, and flowers. Palate: Citrusy, bitter, sweet, toasted, salty, slightly peated. Right away, there’s a mix of bitter lemon and toffee, with hints of heather and a subtle, almost coastal salinity. Vanilla. Pineapple and a bit of smoky yet sweet mango. Some roasted nuts. A touch of bonfire smoke and gentle, sweet peat that complements the bitterness. The faintest note of marzipan and buttery cake. Finish: Short and unspectacular, but still pleasant. Bitter, citrusy lemon takes the lead, backed by sweet toffee and floral peat. A bit of ash, orange, nuts, and some organic and coastal notes. No off notes, which is always a plus. Surprisingly complex for the price, but underwhelming for a 10-year-old. The nose is nuanced, layered, and honestly quite charming, but the rest of it is just a decent, easygoing whisky, pleasant but a bit boring and middle-of-the-road at best. It’s a Highland Park that wears its youth on its sleeve, with citrus notes that don’t quite mesh with the usual delicate balance of sweet and salty toffee, gentle sherry, and floral peat that HP is known for. Too much ex-bourbon cask influence here. That said, I really enjoy HP’s profile, and even this bottle, one of the least ambitious they offer, is still a decent pour when you’re not looking to overanalyze. That’s pretty much how I finished it: pouring drams while doing other things. But unless you’re a die-hard HP fan curious about how the distillery fares in a lower-quality bottling than the 12-year-old, I wouldn’t really recommend it. The 12-year-old is simply way more enjoyable and does a much better job showcasing what Highland Park is all about. This 10-year-old isn’t the best example of what the distillery is capable of, but it still delivers HP’s signature profile in a reasonably competent way, which I can respect. If you’re interested in the distillery but haven’t tried it yet, I’d definitely recommend starting with the 12-year-old (it’s only €4 or €5 more in my market). If you think HP is overrated and their better offerings are overpriced, I’d suggest looking into IBs, especially refill sherry-matured ones like Whitlaw. Even better if you can find a cask strength version. I’ve yet to try one that wasn’t fantastic. But to be honest, I still can’t quite put my finger on what makes a Highland Park truly great. I’m still figuring this distillery out.

clearly fruity in the nose than in the taste. A good 10-year-old beginner or EveryDayDram without being overwhelmed. [A banana aroma surprises me in the nose, but still fits harmoniously into the overall picture. Interesting that the taste and the finish differ more].

Immediately after pouring out honey and orange, hardly any peat. Salty and herbal notes come with a little oxygen. First sweet in the mouth then strong spicy. Despite 40% vol. pushes the malt properly and lasts a long time. Wow, what a pleasant surprise. + 1 PER point

Originally I gave it 83 points because I've had it at a friends place from a tumbler and had no time to normally "analyze" this whisky. But I did remember to pick one up when the time is right and it might be in a promotion. And that day came, quickly picked up a 10 year old and a 12 year old. Thankfully as all of Edrington Group's Single Malts, this one comes in with natural color. Unfortunately it's bottled at 40% and is chill-filtered. But oh well? If it works this way why not? Using the whisky.de glasses for this that was created by the one and only Horst Luening. N: Now this is very nice. You get that beautiful Highland Park DNA. Heather honey with citrus zest and a soft aromatic peat smoke. Ripe fruits, apples, pears and a touch of spiciness. A hint of vanilla. Great introduction to what Highland Park is all about. (87) P: Citrus thang, ripe fruits again, apples, pears and some slight raisin note. Heather honey with vanilla and aromatic peat smoke with some coastal elements. This is great. (85) F: Medium at best. Here the 40% holds it back a bit as expected. Says goodbye with vanilla and a touch of peat. (84) Overall a nice malt from Orkney. Great introduction to Highland Park and a nice daily dram. 87 / 85 / 84 = 85.333 --> 85 pts / 100

I'm a fan of the HP brand, but this whisky was a real disappointment. Overall watery, indistinct and I could hardly find the characteristic aromas of the brand in it....

To flat for my taste, a really minimal version of the 12 year old.

A simple ligth highland park, im nor impressed by the 40abv. IMHO

Delicious whisky to drink for a good price

The aroma is quite indistinct, the damp earthiness of peat, gradually slightly spicy roasted fruit, a little heather honey, flowers appear. But it's all in the background, so in the end it seems indistinct and rather boring. The taste is fruity sweetness, a little honey, spiciness, ripe fruit, a little roasted fruit. The taste is a little more pronounced than in the aroma. In the finish, I can hear green apples and light peat. Overall, it's quite indistinct, it feels like an attempt to make a lighter version, but I can't think of anyone for it. It's so uninteresting that it can't entice anyone to explore further. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's also nothing that makes me want to drink it again. It's a weaker concoction of the 12-year-old Viking Honour, and that one isn't particularly interesting either.

Whisky spent 10 years in sherry oloroso barrels before it was poured into bottles. About 10% of the content is distillates, which matured in barrels of the first filling. It is a slightly peat whisky containing about 20 PPM phenols. Interestingly, it comes in two versions with 40% and 43% power.

Nose: Light smoke. Hint of new make but in a nice way. Mild toffee and heather honey. Highland Park allright, but a little light. Mouth: Fits the nose. Sweet and honeyed at first. Then a light spicy kick. Even some hint of dried fruits and fresh white fruits like honey melon. Slight smoke and bitterness towards the end. Finish: Rather short. A little spiciness lingers on for a short while.  Then some bitter notes that are neither pleasant nor unpleasant. All in all a rather acceptable entry malt, but nothing you will remember for long. I will properly use this to warm up my taste buds for more challenging and interesting malts.

RATING: 80pts – |80 – 82 (B-) → Okay| — No major flaws, worth tasting.

A solid entry-level whisky that displays the typical Highland Park characteristics.

Simple but nice Highland Park with a nice peppery note on the palate and finish.

One of my favorite entry level whiskies from any distillery. A close second to the Springbank 10 IMHO. An honest distillate forward dram that works beautifully even at 40%. Great balance of spirit and wood, with Highland Park DNA on full display, heather, honey, some dried fruit, wood spice, and a nice mild dose of peat. The only Scottish malt I buy when in Canada.

This whisky offers both sweetness, sweetness and a little overripe fruit in aroma and taste. Compared to the older 12y version, which offered something from everything, this paradoxically seems like trying to please as many customers as possible. I liked the older 12y bottling more.

Good whisky. It just could use more power. 46 abv would be just right.

I went through a few bottles of this six years ago from the old livery and found them a decent budget option. Nose - light peat and honey, but all very light with little jumping out at me. On the palette, you get those trademark HP notes of heather, honey and light peat. It’s all very clear and straight as an arrow, with minimal sherry influence. The finish has some surprising heft of dry smoke and sweet honey. I have to say I am enjoying this more than a recent bottle I had of HP12, which I found very discordant (perhaps a bad batch?) in its sherry/peat mix. It’s a shame this 10yo is only bottled at 40% abv, though it certainly punches above its weight a bit. For a budget single malt, you could do a lot worse than this. Frankly between this bottle and the rather enjoyable Magnus, Highland Park is doing a fine job of putting solid budget options on the market. Well done!

Spirit oriented with the age just suiting the spirit. Matured in European and American oak sherry seasoned casks. Chill-filtered. Coloured. Mid-size fast, slowly forming primary legs. Mid-size slow secondary legs. Thick trailing droplets.

It is a little thinner and lighter than Haty 12

Fresh and bright Highland Park. Good and solid 10 year old, but nothing spectacular. Bottle seems to improve as it sits. Review on the last third of a bottle open for +6 months.