Is this the whisky that Vikings and Norse gods drank?

Highland Park’s core range (from left) Dark Origins, 12 Year Old, and 18 Year Old. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

Off the coast of the northernmost point of Scotland are the Orkney Islands. There, in the city of Kirkwall, is the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland – Highland Park.

If you’re a regular visitor to airport duty free liquor stores, you might have seen a range of Highland Park whiskies that bear the names of Nordic gods like Thor, Odin, Loki, and Freya, as well as warriors such as Sigurd, Harald, and Einar. Those are from Highland Park’s Valhalla Collection and Warrior series, which the distillery released to pay tribute to the Orkney Islands’ heritage.