Saturday 31 March 2012

Whisky Discovery #69

Highland Park Thor 16 Year Old (52.1% abv OB Bottled 2012)
Island Single Malt Whisky
Circa £115 70cl

A wee Mighty Thor Tweet Tasting
Thor is the first release in the Highland Park Valhalla Collection and like its namesake, shares many of the legendary Norse god’s larger-than-life characteristics. 

So who is Thor?
The eldest son of Odin and Frigg, Thor is the god of thunder and war. Tall and strong, with a red beard, Thor is an idealised warrior and uses a mighty hammer as his weapon, which when thrown returns back to him, like a boomerang. Married to the golden-haired goddess Sif, Thor dies in a mighty battle with the evil serpent Jörmungandr. Thursday is named after Thor (Thor’s day)

The most renowned of all the Norse gods, Thor was the protector of Asgard and was feared by his enemies and other gods alike. His powerful hammer, Mjolnir, which has depicted on the bottle, was said to create a thunderous and terrifying sound when used in battle; legend has it that Thor’s handiwork can be witnessed first hand on Orkney.

Distilled where sea turns to ocean, Highland Park Thor is a meeting point of nature’s forces, resulting in a perfect marriage of classic fragrant Highland Park smoke, balanced with a beguiling inner complexity and natural strength. Aged for 16 years and b ottled at a robust 52.1% ABV this limited edition whisky comes housed in a unique wooden frame, which echoes the fearsome contours of a traditional Viking long ship Thor is limited to 23,000 bottles worldwide.

Favourite tweet during the Thor tasting came from @jasonbstanding: "I always mix up Asgard and Asda. Shouldn't. There are no heroes in Asda, fallen or otherwise"

So what did I think?

Colour: Rich amber

Nose: Fresh and zesty, especially after the 25 and 30 year old which I would have expected. Aromatic smoke, pungent fresh ginger, antique copper, stewed plums, and golden syrup. With water, earthy notes emerge, like a garden after a heavy rain shower.

Palate: Initially dry, with Jamaican ginger cake then vanilla, some fruit, peach and mango with a spiciness underlying

Finish: A sweet peppery finish that was very enjoyable.

This was a very enjoyable dram to finish off with, but I think this may have been geared more towards the collector. The packaging for the limited edition bottling is stunning, but for the price tag I could get a bottle of each of the 15 and 18 year old expressions.

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