The Orkney single malt takes its name from the legendary creatures that would descend from the heavens on horseback to comb the battlefields for the bravest of the fallen warriors, taking the worthy few to enter Valhalla, the hall of Norse god, Odin. The whisky celebrates Highland Park’s Nordic ancestry, with Orkney once forming part of the vast Viking kingdom. The striking packaging was designed by Jim Lyngvild, a Danish designer with Viking lineage – his 36th great grandfather was Ragnvald Eysteinsson, the 1st Earl of Orkney – taking inspiration from the ancient hammer stone of Gotland and a Viking pendant from Upland, Sweden.Created by Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, Valkyrie has a richer level of honey sweetness on the palate than the Highland Park 12 Year Old, a result of increased levels of Orkney peat. Matured in a combination of first-fill American oak sherry, bourbon and Spanish oak sherry casks as well as a selection of refill casks, Valkyrie is already an award-winning addition to the Highland Park line-up, receiving the Chairman’s Trophy at the 2017 Ultimate Spirits Challenge in New York.I may not be a slain Viking warrior, but I wouldn’t mind a visit from this Valkyrie!
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