After checking out the entry level Spirit of the Bear and getting disappointed from it due to the thinness and watery feeling, we’re moving up to the next level with Loyality of the Wolf which thankfully:

1. Carries an age statement – Distilleries shouldn’t be afraid to expose ages for whiskies with young casks in the mix – Be transparent! Even if there’s a 6 Year Old whisky inside!
2. Was bottled at a higher ABV of 42.3% which hopefully will provide more substance.

Highland Park Loyality of the Wolf 14 Year Old (42.3%, 1L, €64.90)

Nose: More sherry casks in the mix and therefor it’s a bit more sherried here with more dried fruit, milk chocolate, cinnamon, very clean and somewhat thin (chill filtered?), subtle vanilla. After a few minutes there are plums and sultanas compote, also soursweet fruitiness and canned pineapple. All in all not too bad!

Palate: Fruitier, vanilla, dried berries mix, pineapple juice and sour vanilla, smoke, toffee, nutmeg, oak spice bitterness, drying.

Finish: Medium length, pineapple juice, vanilla , subtle smoke, lots of oak spice and bitterness, caramel, nuttiness, drying.

Thoughts: Well, this went far better than Spirit of the Bear. The casks mix and resulted flavors are more to my likeness and there’s more substance. However, while the nose is good with delicate fruitiness, the palate lags behind with too strong showing of spiciness and bitterness. Despite its shortcomings, it’s a whisky I can consider as a recommendation to whisky newbie passing through airport with a limited budget.