Highland Park Freya 15 Year Old

Valhalla Collection

There’s strength and power enough, to be sure, in this pale gold whisky. A fifteen year old single malt scotch that carries 51.2% alcohol by volume (that’s 102.4 Proof) is not a puling weakling; yet it doesn’t overtly show the power of proof. The fires are banked on Freya’s hearth, and fruit and flower and earthiness are the hallmarks of this spirit.

The fruit is abundant, lavish with fresh apricots, green apple and an almost-sweet pear, lively on the nose and tongue; there’s a soft, honeyed note as well, and the peat is subtle, underplayed, a lovely background note that is more about flowers and earth than smoke. In mid-palate the spice starts to register, and in keeping with the theme, it’s warm spice, dusty cinnamon and pungent clove, spice of the winter hearth. And only at the finish is there any impression of heat, a final burst of Freya’s fire that reminds you of the power she carries.