“There is much to be told. An eagle sits at the top of the ash, and it has the knowledge of many things.”
— Gylfaginning, The Prose Edda, Chapter 16
Today we’re about to review one of the latest Travel Retail edition by Highland park. This is the oldest of the 3 new TR editions named after animals in the Viking Lore ; (including : Spirit of the Bear, and Loyalty of the Wolf). Wings of the eagle is aged 16 years in sherry-seasoned American and European oak casks and bottled at 44.5% ABV and priced at €90 .
Highland Park Wings of the Eagle, 16 yo, 44.5% abv, €90 (Duty Free)
Nose: Very nice start with orange peel , candied oranges as well, quite a lot of oak wood (like!), and more sweet apricot , and a touch of dried fruit, mainly fig and date, that work quite well with pine resin sort of notes in the background, as well as heather honey , and vanilla. I tried looking for some smoke, or peat but there’s almost none of that…
Palate: Good mouthfeel, with more dried fruit, vanilla and spice. Hints of Marzipan, and quite a lot of yummy oak, pepper, and nutmeg, all well-integrated indeed, a hint of bitter cocoa and peat on the end notes, which adds a nice dimension (and yes, we’re in HP land).
Finish: Cocoa ,bitter chocolate, wood and some more earthy peat.
Conclusion:
This is a very good Travel Retail edition and quite worthy of the HP title. It offers a nice balance of wood, sherry influence and fruit, with a bit of peat and heather honey, all I am looking in a Highland Park. It might not be the BEST HP around, and still not as good as the quintessential 18 year-old, but If you’re traveling and looking for a good duty-free options, this is just that!