Highland Park Valknut Single Malt 46.8%

Highland Park Valknut Single Malt

Valknut has a higher proportion of Highland Park local smoked malt, and is predominantly matured in used oak sherry casks. This gives this whiskey its smoky, sweet taste.

VALKNUT is the second whiskey in Highland Park's Viking Legend series, celebrating the great influence of Norse connections on Orkney. The first is called Valkyrie and the last one coming in 2020 is called Valfather. The labels were designed by the Dane Jim Lyngvild.

Valknut means "knot of those killed in battle", and its symbol of three interlocking triangles appears on several Viking Age artifacts. The symbol is closely associated with the Norse god Odin, who led the spirits of the dead to the underworld and back to the world of the living, and is believed to represent the transition from life to death or the connection between earthly life and heavenly life.

About the distillery:

The Highland Park distillery, located on the northernmost part of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, proudly bears its heritage and connection to the history and culture of the Vikings. These islands, formerly inhabited by Vikings, have left their deep mark on Highland Park's identity and products.

The story begins with the Viking settlement of the Orkney Islands, which later led to a transfer to Scotland as a pledge for a dowry. This history and the influence of the Vikings is still present in the area, and Highland Park dedicates a number of their whiskeys to the traveling Viking pioneers.

The distillery is unique in several ways. It uses peat from the island in whiskey production, which gives their whiskeys a distinctive aroma and taste, thanks to the island's harsh nature and wind conditions. They also benefit from the Gulf Stream, which ensures a slow and controlled maturation of their whiskies.

Highland Park's history can be traced back to Magnus Eunson, a churchman and smuggler who distilled spirits illegally on the site where the distillery now stands. This is linked to the influence of the Vikings, as Eunson is also said to have had Viking blood in him. Captured in 1798 and forced to pay taxes, he is considered the founder of the distillery.

Today, Highland Park is part of Erdrington, an international whiskey company, and they are known for their high quality single malt whiskies. Their whiskeys vary in age and flavor profile and include series that draw inspiration from Viking history and mythology.

The Highland Park distillery is not only a producer of whisky, but also a guardian of Viking heritage. They make use of its unique location and rich history to produce some of the world's most acclaimed whiskies. They celebrate not only their own history, but also the history woven into the DNA of the Orkney Islands. A story that continues to shape their unique and valuable whiskies.