Time for another whisky review I think. There four whiskies that I have reviewed so far have all been ones that I really like and if you have read them you will also know that they are Islay whiskies. An Islay whisky is made in a distillery on the small island of Islay of the West coast of Scotland and the Islay whiskies are usually very peaty and very smokey, these are the ones I like. In fact I very rarely drink whisky that is not made in Islay. However, there is an exception to the rule and that comes in the form of Highland Park which is what I will be reviewing today.

Highland Park is made in the distillery on Kirkwall which is one of the Orkney Islands located north of Scotland. This is quite unusual as there are not that many distilleries to be found that far north. Highland Park comes in many different forms but the standard version that you are likely to find in the Supermarket is the 12 year version and this is the version I will be reviewing today.

I have tried many different whiskies over the years and usually when I am looking for a peaty flavour I don't look anywhere else than Islay. The fact is though that there are a few other whiskies that have that lovely peat taste, Highland Park is one of these. It would be easy to mistake this for an Islay as much about it is very similar, that probably the main reason why I enjoy it so much.

So first of all something that does not affect the taste but is in some ways important. The box it comes in. This one is black and oval rather than the usual circular or square box, that makes it a little bit more interesting and of all the whisky containers you see I think it is one of my favourites.

The important bit next, the whisky itself. The colour is quite dark, very dark in fact. When you smell it you get subtle hints of spice and even flowers. Then when you take a sip you are hit with the heavy peat flavour, this one is not a smoky as some but that is still in evidence. The finish is not as smooth as I would like but it certainly still very good, long and peaty with lots of complex flavours coming through. This is one that leaves you feeling very satisfied.

Highland Park comes in at 40% so it's not overly strong compared to some others you can get. When it comes to price it's not usually bad value, I had a look online and it seems to go for around the £26 mark, although I have bought it as cheap as £22 when it been on offer in the supermarket. So when it comes to price and value Highland Park certainly gets a big thumbs up.

So overall I would say this is a very nice whisky indeed. It makes it into my top ten which takes some doing and it is one that I've bought a few times already and will probably buy again in the future. If you are into your Islay whiskies and have not tried this one then I urge you to give it a go as you will pleasantly surprised. For all round price and value it's good and the taste is excellent, so overall a very good whisky.