Highland Park 12 year old Saint Magnus
Review by Highland Park
- Colour
Copper toned honey, clear and bright.
- Nose
At natural strength there is terrific intensity with classic dried fruits and honey sweetness. Thereafter glorious notes of cinnamon, dried apple and hints of exotic fruits emerge, followed by a whiff of aromatic smoke
- Palate
Immediately intense and rich, the whisky lingers on the palate emphasizing the perfect balance between sweetness and aromatic smoke.
- Finish
Long and gently smoky.
- Note
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Released in September 2010, this bottling celebrates Saint Magnus, one of the six canonized Norsemen born in the 11th and 12th centuries when the Orkney Islands belonged to Norway. He is described in Orkneyinga Saga as “a man of extraordinary distinction, tall, with a fine, intelligent look about him. He was a man of strict virtue, successful in war, wise, eloquent, generous and magnanimous, open-handed with money and sound with advice, and altogether the most popular of men.”
Saint Magnus was a man of peace, contemplation and scholarly learning; spiritual intensity is more a feature of Magnus’ Saga than violence and cruelty. It is a life story of Christian devotion and forgiveness, qualities that are not usually associated with the Vikings, and includes the healing of the sick, crippled, blind and insane. Saint Magnus was murdered by his treacherous cousin Haakon and was canonized only 20 years later.
Bottled at a natural strength of 55% abv, this limited edition 12 year old is drawn from casks laid down in 1998 and earlier years. Only 11,994 bottles are available.
