Highland Park Voyage of the Raven

This distillery is a favorite of mine, and it's part of the same group as Macallan. This is significant because they seem to be employing a similar strategy: launching numerous new releases, predominantly NAS, with excellent presentation and high collectibility. The true test is crafting good whiskies, and they succeeded here. This particular expression recounts the tale of Odin's ravens, Huginn and Muninn, who served as his informants. It also touches on how Vikings navigated by them to discover new territories and find their way home. The narrative is compelling, and the bottle is attractive. It presents as a very dark, tawny liquid at 41.3% ABV. THE NOSE: Absolutely stunning. Notes of figs, raisins, and blackberry jam are present, with an underlying earthy peat. It's highly aromatic. A red fruit syrup impression, smelling rich. After a couple of minutes, the earthy peat evolves into a glue-like scent. It then shifts to a winey character, with a note of chocolate-covered raisins emerging. The raisin note is spot-on; incredibly pleasing. Remarkable! A clear lemon aroma appears unexpectedly after about five minutes. Bitter coffee beans are also detected. These scents unfold sequentially, not simultaneously, showcasing its complexity. The aromas are very distinct: now it's dusty, with the peat intensifying. Hints of hay and lemon appear. Upon the initial taste, an artificial sugary orange note surfaces, reminiscent of cough syrup. Pecans are present, astonishingly clear – a novel experience for me in a whisky. The orange aroma becomes more natural, less artificial. After a second taste, a melted milk chocolate aroma is introduced. It's fantastic. Oranges are present. THE PALATE: It begins quite dry and woody. It transforms into a winey, spicy drink, with abundant black pepper, which is enjoyable though a bit intense. After five seconds on the palate, it becomes grassy and peaty. The second taste is more defined; it's somewhat thin, featuring a strong peat flavor with pepper, but it's pleasant. The orange flavor is subtle. It's a satisfying dram on the palate, though not as intricate as the nose suggested. A third taste revealed creamy vanilla notes. THE FINISH: Quite pleasing. Simple new wood, very dry. It leaves a pleasant yet sharp spiciness on the lips. No fruitiness is detectable after the initial taste. The second taste provided a brief, delightful puff of smoke, very dry, but exceptionally enjoyable – I loved it. It's nice, with a lasting impression. I appreciate the straightforward, peaty, burnt new wood finish; it's rewarding even without great complexity. Overall, this is a superb and reasonably priced dram. The peat and sherry notes harmonize exceptionally well, particularly on the nose. My rating is a strong 93 out of 100. For $56, it's an absolute must-buy. Cheers!

Nose: Not the most robust, but it carries some of the typical Highland Park character. Smoke, grass, subtle apricot, light minerals with a touch of sea spray. And sulphur. Palate: On the lighter side with sweetness and a spicy (cinnamon, dry ginger) burn emerging most prominently before hints of grass and a little sea spray appear. It lacks significant complexity. Any apricot is quite faint; mostly obscured by the sweetness. A little vanilla is present. There's a subtle dry smoky undertone that blends well with the maritime character. This exhibits less sulphur than the 12 but also considerably less personality. It shows more alcohol and oil, but I suspect the increased oiliness is due to other flavors being filtered out. The spicy burn is more noticeable, and there's a greater tartness. More grass and grain are evident. Finish: Not the most powerful of finishes. Sweetness persists along with faint smoke and occasional lightly salty minerals. Conclusion: A rather bland, unobjectionable offering. It's not bad, but it's entirely forgettable and not something I'd care to finish a glass of. I anticipate a score between 10 and 14, likely within the 11 to 13 range. Given the lack of distinct character, 13 feels like a stretch. My overall impression is that this is a young Highland Park with less sulphur (and other compounds). This approach seems logical for a spirit intended for shorter aging periods. Without the sulphur issue, Highland Park 12 (rated 12) would be significantly better than this. However, that sulphur is a major drawback. When compared side-by-side with Highland Park Cask Strength Edition 1 after adding water (rated 13), this is substantially less complex and engaging, but it also contains less sulphur than the Cask Strength (which itself has slightly less than the 12). I'm not confident in stating this is superior to the Cask Strength. I was considering a score from 11 to 14, but a comparison with Westland Peated (rated 14) revealed the Westland to be considerably better. I still lean towards believing this is preferable to Highland Park 12. This places me in the 12 or 13 range. After much deliberation, I'll settle on 12, though I nearly chose 13.

The marketing team at HP apparently had trouble finding more Viking-themed labels, so they opted for a raven and included an extensive backstory about magical omens and Odin's eyes. This narrative seems to have no influence on the liquid itself, aside from a potential, weak connection to sea travel and its initial release as a travel retail exclusive. Unsure of what to anticipate, I'm concerned about the travel retail exclusive and non-age-statement bottling. Nose: Initially, it comes across as a bit young and harsh, with a strong plastic-acetone aroma that eventually shifts to a slightly medicinal and earthy scent. I wouldn't identify this as a Highland Park at all. There might be a subtle hint of peat, but it's minor. The only distinct note I detect is dark cherry. Palate: Okay, this is much better. An oily, creamy fullness delivers a rapid combination of sherry influence and peat smoke. Dark cherry reappears, along with stewed plum and mocha, backed by a subtle leathery quality. The earthiness from the nose is absent, and medicinal peat notes are missing; instead, the smoke evokes a beach bonfire. Occasionally, I can find notes of preserved lemon. This is far more engaging than the nose suggested. Finish: Medium-long. Drying smoke and cherry with a touch of toffee-cream softness. Is there a faint herbal, heathery note here? The nose is a disappointment, offering very little. However, the palate and finish clearly reveal the influence of the sherry casks used by HP. Following last night's Dragon Legend, which was meant to balance sherry and smoke, the Raven has outperformed it. While the Dragon Legend wins on the nose, the Raven delivers a slightly more refined overall dram. It's not bad at all, but it ranks second to last in my current exploration of HP expressions. [Pictured with this dram is a Viking-themed rock, a highly evolved igneous rock composed primarily of elongated green aegerine and white albite. This fragment from Viking territory originates from Sulitjelma, Nordhordland, Norway. Given that Vikings used ravens to locate land, this rock was a fitting accompaniment. Aegerine derives its name from Aegir, the Norse god of the sea] A distiller whisky tasting #137 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5

This travel retail exclusive, NAS bottling from Highland Park aims to highlight sherry influence over smoke. This bottle primarily contains first-fill, sherry whisky and is diluted to just over 41% ABV. I added this bottle to an international order last winter and it's been sitting on the bar for a while. To be honest, the low ABV hasn't really excited me. It has a rich copper color, indicating first-fill cask aging. It's oily with large water droplets forming quickly and creating heavy, undefined legs in the Glencairn. The nose is intensely sherried. A light, chocolatey smoke is present, but there's no sign of heat, wood, or ABV. This is about as close to a Speyside-style malt as I've ever had from HP. The palate heavily relies on the sherry again, but this time the smokiness is replaced by a sharp, salty note that makes the palate seem overly harsh, despite the low ABV. This was quite surprising compared to the nosing, and the two aspects don't align well. The finish is medium length and warming, with a spicy oak bite and noticeable signs of youthful spirit. At no point is there any heat, and only a hint of spiciness remains. Yawn. Overall, this is the most inconsistent HP I believe I've encountered. It aims for a sherry finish but sacrifices the smoke and most of the Island characteristics typically found in Highland Park. I think reducing the ABV shortened this one. It seems like they are prioritizing product quantity over quality. Which, as we all know, is the goal for most non-age statement whiskies. They should have saved the stock and let it age for use in something better later on. Considering a price point above $80, I can only give it a maximum of 2.5-2.75 stars. HP fans should seek alternatives. Cheers.

The sherry cask is immediately apparent. As a dedicated peat enthusiast, I wouldn't immediately associate this with smoke/peat, but that's not unusual for me with Highland Park. There's an indefinable, vegetation-like scent hidden within (it's irritating that I can't place it), almost like moss or mud (but not in an unpleasant way!). The flavor is much thinner than the nose suggests, with notes of raisins and caramel. Incredibly approachable. Call it the power of suggestion, but the taste feels light, as if it's floating or flying... I can see how some might describe it as watery, but there's a valid point to that. The flavor emerges in the finish (a 'dragon effect,' where it feels like smoke is rolling up your esophagus, but a baby dragon). I genuinely appreciate this; it has lovely sherry aromas that 'color' the whisky, but the taste is like floating on clouds—you feel free, light, and powerful, yet you feel the resistance of the wind you're battling. A beautiful execution! If you're a true peathead or love cask strength, you should pass on this. Peat is an added nuance and incredibly approachable.

Thin with a mineral quality on the finish. Lots of wood, toffee, and dark fruits, but definitely not on par with the regular Highland Park versions. Only purchase this if you are a true Highland Park enthusiast, regardless of the outcome.