Highland Park ‘Valfather’

Bought: Master of Malt, 17^th March 2020

Ratings:

84.27/100 – Whiskybase (average from 162 member votes)

The Highland Park (HP) ‘Valfather’ is the third and final bottle of the ‘Viking Legend’ series, which kicked off with the Valkyrie in 2017, then the Valknut in 2018. Valfather makes reference to the Norse god Odin. His strength is reflected in the extra peatiness of the Valfather, which has been a highlight of this whisky for a number of reviewers. Presented at 47% with natural colour, you have to feel that HP kept the best for last.

Danish designer Jim Lyngvild provided his artistic skills for the presentation of the Viking Legend series. Did you know that Jim Lyngvild appeared on the TV show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in 2009? No, neither did I but it’s on his Wikipedia page. Apparently he’s known for his ability to eat things very quickly, which has earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. If this skill also includes drinking, perhaps it’s best to keep him away from the Highland Park distillery!

Valfather’s score of 84.27/100 on Whiskybase is very good. It’s slightly less than the Valknut (85/100) but slightly more than the Valkyrie (83.7). Comments for the Valfather include “I was disappointed with the nose but give it a moment then wow”, “the flavours are intense yet amazingly balanced” and “smokey notes, fruity after taste with hints of vanilla, what’s not to like!”. Valfather also scores an excellent 4.7/5 stars on Amazon from 211 reviewers, although a lot of the 5 star reviews say “I gave it to a friend and they’re still speaking to me”.

Tasting notes from Master of Malt:

Nose: Robust, but refined smoke fills the nose initially followed by delicate vanilla, Conference pears, green apple skins and a heady, heavy floral richness. Underneath there’s cedarwood, honeycomb, spice from black pepper and nutmeg, as well as salted caramel before the heathery peat makes itself known. A sprightly sea breeze note emerges with time.

Palate: Simultaneously huge and yet elegant, the palate is beautifully integrated. Layers of creamy vanilla, apricot yoghurt and a helping of crème brûlée interplay with notes of incense burners, iron and salted almonds. Then there’s bitter orange marmalade, charred wood and dried earth among touches of cacao powder, toffee apples and smoked paprika.

Finish: Long and confident. The floral smoke lingers for an age but is offset by tropical fruit and black pepper.

Here’s Ben and Horst Luening with their thoughts about the HP Valfather on YouTube, August 2019:

Eden Mill, Hip Flask Series #6 & #7

Bought: Eden Mill Online Shop, 15^th May 2018

Hip Flask no.6 ‘Oloroso Sherry Hogshead’

Ratings:
84/100 – Whiskybase (average from 6 member votes)

Hip Flask no.7 ‘PX Sherry Hogshead’

Ratings:
83.33/100 – Whiskybase (average from 5 member votes)

Almost a year since I bought these 20cl bottles from the new Eden Mill distillery in St. Andrews and they’re still available from their online shop along with 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 in the series, all for £25 each. Sadly numbers 1 to 5 have long since sold out. But these little bottles are a cracking way for any whisky enthusiast to get an inexpensive taste of this new Lowland distillery. Some of the first 5 hip flasks were quite experimental in their cask use but numbers 6 and 7 follow a more traditional sherry wood maturation. I tried no.6 and it was a very pleasant experience, much like the tasting notes below from the distillery but I didn’t pick up the “subtle peat smoke”. Perhaps it all floated away when I popped the cork. But it certainly tasted older than 3 years. For such youth and at a potent 47% it felt very mellow and easy to drink with plenty of complexity.

I personally know Eden Mill more for its gin, which is testament to how good their marketing has been for a company only founded in 2012. They also make beer and have the claim to fame of being Scotland’s first combined brewery and distillery. Eden Mill also believe in supporting national pastimes as they sponsor Scottish Rugby, Hibernian Football Club and Celtic FC women’s team to name but three. That answers the question about what goes in the drink bottles for half time refreshments!

Anyway, less of my rambling. Here are the tasting notes provided on the Eden Mill website:

Series 6 – Oloroso Sherry tasting notes from Eden Mill website:

Nose: Darker in appearance, this scotch whisky leads with sweet icing sugar notes on the nose combined with a rum raisines creating a full-bodied flavour like no other. In combination, notes of honeycomb and coffee work hand in hand to create the perfect balance.

Taste: With a subtle peat smoke underneath, Hip Flask No. 6 is rich on the palate yet leaves a caramel latte sweetness.

Finish: Expect a short, dry, finish with a hint of sweetness. Maturation in a Sherry cask is most noticeable on the finish – dried-berry notes with a heavy, spice underneath.

Series 7 – PX Sherry tasting notes from Eden Mill website:

Hip Flask Series No. 7. Only 1,350 bottles have been lovingly handcrafted for your pleasure.

Noise: The Maturation in PX Sherry Hogshead Casks imparts a rich, demerara-like profile, with plum, raisin, date fruit notes alongside.

Taste: On the nose, a real juicyness from the green apple is present apace with a light sweetness from the honey. A subtle hint of delicate floral notes leads to a light, sweet and sherried character, which progresses to a rich, earthy spice.

Finish: With sweet sultanas alongside a hint of dry christmas spice, leaving the palate with a malty sweetness that is both short and spicey to finish.

Flóki ‘Malt Spirit’ Barrel No.7

Bought: Online Whisky Auction, 9^th December 2015

Ratings:
76/100 – Whiskybase (from 1 member vote)

Icelandic whisky is coming – brace yourself! Two distilleries that I’m aware of were established in 2009, the Eimverk Distillery that produces ‘Flóki’ and Thoran distillery where it’s possible to purchase your own cask. Admittedly I wasn’t aware of either distillery until I spotted this bottle of Flóki in a UK auction. At the moment it’s the only place to find it in the UK and I’d never seen it in any previous online auctions.

This young spirit isn’t officially whisky yet as it’s been bottled up before its 3^rd birthday. Young distilleries sometimes do this to whet the appetites of future whisky customers but there’s always a risk that the lack of maturity puts tasters off. 76/100 from one voter on Whiskybase is a reasonable score though and I was fortunate to find a review by Ted of Whisky Waffle. In it he says of the nose “really curious; it’s really, really floral and fruity (pineapple, mandarin, pear) with a slightly salted caramel edge that keeps you sniffing” and describes the taste “the Flóki is sharp, slightly bitter and prickly. It pretty much jumps off its longship and starts jabbing away with its spear, although part of the reason for that is probably the 47% strength. The finish coats the tongue with that raw, grassy, hay-like quality that seems common amongst very young whiskies, followed by a lick of spicy fruitiness.” Ted’s complete thoughts and review can be found here.

Here’s Ben Bowers of ‘A Dram a Day’ with his review on You Tube (June 2016):

Elijah Craig 12-year-old

Bought – Marks & Spencer, 16^th September 2014

Ratings:
79/100 – Whisky Bible 2014
91/100 – Ralfy – Elijah Craig 12yo – YouTube (October 2010)
– In Ian Buxton’s book “101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die”

You might be wondering why I have two bottles in the picture below. So am I. Marks & Spencer were selling it for £5 less than anywhere else, even online. When I bought a bottle they gave me a ‘£5 Off’ voucher if I spent £25 or more so I got another bottle, this time £10 less than anywhere else. 2015 was meant to be my bourbon year but it looks like I’ve started early. Perhaps a lucky friend or relative will be getting my second bottle for Christmas.

I need to get the Whisky Bible 2011, which will include bourbons the author (Jim Murray) tried in 2010 when Ralfy also reviewed the Elijah Craig. In 1996, the distillery that produce Elijah Craig was mostly destroyed in a fire. The 12yo reviewed in the 2009 bible gets 86/100 but the author is suspicious that this is old stock, rather than an example of post-fire production. By 2014 Jim Murray knows the bourbon is from the new distillery and he’s not exactly complimentary. I’d be interested to know what Ralfy would think if it now.

The good news is that the majority of recent reviews for this bourbon on ‘Master of Malt’ are 5/5 stars. I adore the bottle shape, and the 47% is a good strength to give the drink some depth. I also see that the last reviewer for this bourbon on Whiskybase gives it 93/100. Perhaps I’ll be keeping that second bottle after all!

Update (22nd Dec 2014). I’ve tried this bourbon over several months, with various amounts of water. My conclusion is, add something! Coke, ginger ale, whatever. I think the Whisky Bible mark of 79/100 is generous. There’s no way of hiding the ‘burnt’ element of this spirit without a stronger, sweet mixer, with good masking skills. I wish I’d had a chance to experience the old version of Elijah Craig because this version is, sadly, terrible. If you get a bottle, I’d recommend drinking it at the end of the night when better drink has numbed your taste buds!