Highland Park 12 vs. Highland Park 12 Viking Honour - Whisky Review #68

[@anthonyc3561]

Thanks, I'm glad to see your review on this, I too think it's a great "daily" dram. I've had plenty and I did not feel there was significant enough difference to be an issue. I did not do a side by side though I suspected they had some older whisky or maybe older barrels in the now discontinued 12. I suspect they discontinued their 15 to try to maintain the 12. Either way the difference has not affected my purchasing, I would not spend much more on the older 12 (maybe $2 or $3) because I like the Viking Honor about the same.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

100% agreed, the difference was minor, and I wouldn't spend too much time hunting older versions or paying more for them. This is one that, regardless of version, i like to keep stocked for the same reason you mention; it's a great daily! Thanks for checking out the vid.

[@meesterfrench6261]

I found some variation too but not enough to make a big difference. Cool video!

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Cheers!

[@jimidrammer4187]

I didn't notice as much of a difference between these two, now the old stumpy round bottle, I believe had older stock in it as it was just the 12, 18 & 25 then. When they came out with the 15 the 12 got a little easier on the palate. Then when the 15 didn't sell well they dropped it to use in the special releases. All my opinion but it sure looks like how it worked out. Then when the boom really hit they went with a lot of NAS bottling to fill the gaps. Still love Highland Park, the 12 and 18 are always in my cabinet and I'm still working through my last 25yo I got before prices quadrupled. A very accurate comparison you've done here.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Cheers! thanks for sharing this. Based on what you’re saying here and my comparison of the two it makes total sense that this is how it may have went down. It also could be batch variation, but I think that’s not likely as HP are quite consistent.

[@DonnerPassWhisky]

Recently have been enjoying a discontinued Highland Park 15 that I found dusty on the shelf of a local liquor store. Also got a old red box Macallan 12 too. Would like to run into one of these old HP 12s to check out as well. Cheers Eric

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

they are still around but you'll have to hunt! :)

[@jackthepickledhound]

Just hooked up with an older bottle of 12 to round out my collection. Thanks for the nudge. It's a nice dram, but it's only the neck pour. We'll see. $50 for 43% colored etc is better than the 62 I paid but that'll be the Viking Honor. I think I grabbed the last old bottling for miles around

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Great video Eric and I'm not sure why I just found your channel! We've chatted a bit online and just yesterday on Quig's channel I noticed I had not subbed. Well I have now! Thanks for your thoughts on these. I do not have a head to head, but I still like the Viking Honour and love the price I can pick it up for. Cheers!

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Whisky Neighbour cheers, bud! And yeah you can’t really go wrong with HP 12. A great everyday dram. 🥃✊

[@SilverWatcher.]

I dont have the other one only the viking honour. But sippin along with ya thanks for the review.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Cheers! I love HP 12 as a great everyday sipper.

[@mgalvao6]

Great comparison! Cheers!

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Thanks glad you enjoyed it! 🥃👍

[@xafi2768]

Its the same whisky absolutely. Maybe the differences some people detect are down to that first experience of a whisky is new. Your sense are heightened and were probably having a good time or had a lovely dinner. Then you have an emotional attachments to it. Any change can affect that and you approach the 'new' whisky in a different frame of mind. Sense less heightened. Its a common phenomenon..

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

👍

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Interesting, Erik, I haven't tried that Viking Honour yet (& missed all the travel retail range from around 2019 a lot of buzz was made around, not always positively though). I do love the previous 12 yo (note that this is not the "former" packaging, there has been at least 2 different ones, and I still have one of those, your bottle is from 2007 to 2017 packaging style apparently. Some markets had that one at 43 %, alas not in France. This expression appeared first in 1992, btw, and there was older content before, on times of less demand than supply...Same for the pre 2007 HP 18 yo (again I save a bottle in advance of it) which I know for sure had also some older content in it, which gave him more depth than the current one. They stopped colouring the whisky in late 2006, for the rebranding. More recent 12 yo (V.H.) isn't encouraging hearing you...but it seems you still liked it (not sure I'll get me one though). Cheers !

[@BV-nx6vq]

Cool review Greg...you may want to try a comparison as i did a few days ago w/ 2007 - 2017 & the new VH (older stocks allowing)...if anything i think it confirms HP's more marketing heavy & perhaps qualitatively different direction...

[@TheReal_DeanD]

Sweet!! I can still find the older label HP12 for $55. For me the newer HP12 had this bitter finish that wasn’t to my liking. It’s $43 at Costco but I may pay the difference for the older one.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Nice! I would grab it !

[@k.l.3205]

Hi thank you for the review! may I know are they both in 40%? or 43%? thank you very much.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Hey, thanks for checking it out! In the USA they are both 43%, and in the UK they are both 40%.

[@k.l.3205]

@@MaltMuserWhisky thanks very much for the reply, so this two were compared in same ABV right?

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

@@k.l.3205 yep that's correct

[@BV-nx6vq]

Excellent review...I agree that, also having had these 2 side-by-side, the HPVH12 doesn't have the harmony, creamy balance & reductive perfume (to me, reminiscent of a French Sauternes or German Auslese) of the previous HP12 bottling...wondering if HP is using more re-used barrels? (where you get more oak & tannin) for this current 12 yr while increasing production...the new viking thing is cool, but obviously a marketing move to increase sales...I give the current HPVH12 86+/100 w/it's oakier, chocolatey, darker profile & attenuated finish (this is indeed lighter in color than older HP12...very interesting), but i give the previous HP12 an outstanding 91+/100...not even close IMO...honestly i would just skip the VH12 altogether for this earlier bottling that, for me, has those additional expansive dimensions and a noticeably longer, more intense finish...

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

That's a great question, i suppose it is possible that is what they did! I would love to do this again, adding a third, new bottle to see if that is even more noticeable now.

[@BV-nx6vq]

Thx Eric...yeah, try these 2 again & post!

[@Themilkmanskid.]

Would get equivalent or more enjoyment out of a candy cane and a cigar comparing to HP12 Viking.

[@Themilkmanskid.]

Oh except for the drunk part lol.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Hahaha

[@meesterfrench6261]

I just looked at my bottles again and also see the same color difference

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Out of curiosity, do you remember when you picked up your bottle of the old label?

[@meesterfrench6261]

Rabbit in Red Whisky Reviews it was in early 2017. I know because I keep receipts haha.

[@sergeifunt5281]

This comparison is Sergei approved! I wish they would have stuck with the older labeling.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

haha well thanks, Sergei.

[@VaryingViewpoint]

Great H2H review! The volume is a little too low on this and your last video.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Thanks for the heads up! I will make sure to adjust that.

[@foodquig]

Good job on this one, Eric! I enjoyed Highland Park before all this Viking folderol...

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Hey cheers Quig! Thanks for checking it out. I agree the Viking marketing is quite the gimmick, but I do still love some HP 12. Hopefully I can grab a few more of the older bottles for the bunker :)

[@MegaSkullFREAK]

What do you mean? Highland Park has always been the "viking" whisky. Now they just go full length instead.

[@jimmyjonesthegoodrev2287]

Sounds like good drink!

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Can't go wrong with HP 12. A nice "all-arounder."

[@TheDriveDemo]

To me I much prefer the old Highland Park 12. Agree with the description: richer and more well rounded. The old 12 was a perfection of balance.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

100% agree. I think the 12 is near perfect and would love to try that at CS sometime.

[@WhiskyJason1]

NICE!

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

WhiskyJason cheers, Jason! And happy 2020 bud. 🥃👍

[@kobuserasmus2934]

I much prefer the old HP12, I am thoroughly disappointed by the newer Viking Honor. I find it a lot less smoky than the original HP12.

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Thanks for sharing this! I’ve also heard this from and while I didn’t notice a huge difference in the two bottles I reviewed my sense is that the difference you mention may show up with newer bottles.

[@kobuserasmus2934]

@@MaltMuserWhisky Our local bottlestore still has 2 bottles of the old HP 12's in stock. We were not allowed to buy any alcohol until yesterday so my plan is to go and get them both - then I can compare like you did but my memory of the old one is a far more rounded product with that lovely hint of peatiness which I am missing in the new one.

[@nicholasmartin1881]

So just had a bottle of the new viking honor bottling 2 days ago and had a old 12 bottling yesterday. Viking honour bottling is thin and sharp with the prominent feature being the the big smoke finish. The old 12 bottling is thicker, richer and more rounded and does not finished in a heavy smoke but a gentle whisp of smoke.

[@nicholasmartin1881]

@@kobuserasmus2934 I manged to find 2 old bottling 12 gift packs at Picardi Rebel at willowbridge and 1 old bottling 18 in Somerset West Liqour City yesterday. The Old bottling 18 year old is my number 1 favourite whiskey. Its even better than the new bottling 25 year old.

[@juliannavarro7833]

I don't understand how y'all get so much flavors from whiskey

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Hey Julian! Great question. The short answer is: it takes time. This is a great place to learn the basics, and consider a notebook to write down what you notice with your 5 senses, then go from there. www.masterofmalt.com/c/guides/how-to-taste-whisky/

[@Dhitter445]

the whiskey is the same, only the labels change in honor of the noble virtues of the Viking community👍👌🥃slainte

[@MaltMuserWhisky]

Cheers bud! Thanks for checking it out 🥃🥃