Highland Park Loyalty of the Wolf 14 Year

Part of a three-part duty-free exclusive collection. The marketing team tried hard to imbue these TREs with narratives. However, they got lazy on this one. The justification states this single malt honors the wolf and the Viking, noting their shared determination and understanding of collective strength. This likely refers to the usual combination of sherry-seasoned American oak ex-bourbon and refill casks that this distillery employs in all its bottlings. It feels like a lazy excuse. Nose: Slightly sharp with ethanol, but not excessively so. It offers malty and slightly bitter notes akin to marmalade, with a touch of minerality and the crispness of apple cider. The peat is noticeable but distinct from the usual style of this distillery. It presents as earthy and a bit spicy, with only faint herbal or vegetal undertones. As it sat, it became sweeter, possibly more woody, with hints of vanillin. Palate: Smooth, bordering on thick. Malted barley is evident, accompanied by a pleasing, developing smokiness that intensifies into a peppery character. There are herbal notes (like thyme and rosemary?), a hint of honey, and then a strong peppery punch. Occasionally, a creamy toffee note emerges. Finish: Lingering. Once the pepper fades, nuttiness appears, along with cinnamon or clove spice and an astringent peaty smoke. A subtle touch of salinity is present at the very end. Regrettably, this release does a disservice to the distillery. The nose and palate seem unbalanced, muddled, and somewhat unrefined. It feels like drinking raw spirit mixed with what are probably excellent barrel reserves. There are some redeeming qualities, though; the bitter marmalade note, when present, is delightful, and the nutty to smoky finish with the late salinity works well. This is below average, and I expect better from this distillery, not a step down from the Spirit of the Bear. It strongly suggests pushing subpar product onto unsuspecting travelers with disposable income, masked by clever marketing, an attractive bottle, and a good age statement. [Pictured with this drink is a 1.1 billion-year-old metagabbro from Lom, Norway, part of its Viking-themed rock collection. This foliated gneissic fabric, formed from black hornblende and white scapolite at ~600-700 degrees Celsius during the Svenconorwegian orogeny, originated from basalt.] Price is for a 1000 ml bottle. Distillery whisky review #139 Distillery current ranking (primarily for personal reference): 10 years: 3.75 12 years: 4 15 years: 4.25 18 years: 4.75 25 years: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.25 Loyalty of the Wolf: 2.75

Similar to how Kilchoman STR didn't stand a chance against Ardbeg 19 Year Old when tasted back-to-back (damn it Ardbeg, I really want to dislike you due to your ridiculous pricing and trendy status, but you execute so well... sigh), this was overpowered by the Springbank 21 that came before it. In summary, another HP NAS that isn't actually NAS. I would cry over what HP has become if I still cared, but I'm long past that and in the acceptance stage, especially since I have an old 18-year batch waiting to be enjoyed. Drink it if it's free; don't go out of your way to find it, because honestly, would you even remember its name... so many ridiculous variations.

I liked it up to that point. It was a bit disappointing because the finish is very short. I enjoyed the HP 12 Year Old (Viking Honour) much more, which is why I bought this bottle. It doesn't taste like it's 14 years old, and I can't justify the price for this bottle (though I'll finish it, ha).

Nose: Immediate sherry notes (dried fruits, orange marmalade), a hint of smoke, cinnamon. It's not an overpowering sherry, but definitely present, along with vanilla. Palate: Surprising pepper notes at the start, followed by plum and nuts. Finish: Long and lingering, with nuts, tobacco, and dark chocolate. Purchased a 0.35L bottle for around 30 euros.

This particular bottling feels generic, like it could be from anywhere. It lacks character and distinction. It doesn't taste bad, but it's certainly not what I expect from Highland Park. EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING. You'd be much better off with the standard 12-year-old than this one...

It’s comparable to HP, but with balanced flavors where nothing stands out. There’s a bit more toffee from the bourbon barrel scent and less fruit. Of the travel series, this is likely my least preferred. 91