By Vanessa Lee

Highland Park Distillery, the northern most distillery of Scotland, has unveiled in Singapore a new package design for its core range expressions.

Orkney Island, home of Highland Park, was under the ruling of Viking Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway until 1468 when the island joined Scotland. Taking inspiration from its Viking history as well as Norse mythology, Highland Park has given a facelift to its age-stated expressions.

Highland Park 10 Year Old will be known as Viking Scars, Highland Park 12 Year Old becomes Viking Honor and Highland Park 18 Year Old takes on the nomer of Viking Pride.

All three feature a full-embossed bottle design, with markings drawn from the wood panelling’s of the 12th century Urnes Stave Church in Norway. The markings depict the legend of a lion locked in enduring battle with the forces of evil in the form of serpent-like dragons and is a common art style found on many Viking artefacts.

Brand director for the distillery, Jason R. Craig explains"For whisky fans, their first point of contact with any brand is the bottle and carton on a shop shelf or on a back bar. So, we had to create a new bottle and carton design which would explain our Viking bloodline and why we are ‘The Orkney Single Malt with Viking Soul’.

"The inspiration for the design came from an ancient ‘Stavkirke’ (wooden church), a world Heritage site in the tiny Norwegian village of Ornes. The wooden church is heavily decorated with extensive and ornate wood carvings which we thought would look amazing on a glass bottle. The result is a beautiful, heavily embossed bottle featuring an illustration which depicts an ancient Viking legend of a lion locked in an enduring battle with the forces of evil in the form of serpent-like dragons."

"The new packaging includes a new, wider bottle, a metallic label design that complements the glass, embossed with a contemporary looking logo as well as a premium 'Torq' closure to keep the whisky safe. All of which, we believe, will add consumer interest and excitement around the brand."

Highland Park Valkyrie

Alongside the launch is a new NAS (Non-Age Statement) expression, the Highland Park Valkyrie, which replaces the current Highland Park Dark Origins expression.

Designed in partnership with renowned Danish designer Jim Lynvgild, Valkyrie is the first in a series of three Viking Legend releases. Other editions, which will be named 'Valknut' and 'Valhalla' will become available over the next couple of years.

The blended whisky is inspired by the Valkyries, Norse mythological creatures who would descend from the dark heavens like avenging angels on horseback to comb the battlefields for the bravest of the fallen warriors, heroes fit to enter the great Norse god Odin's hall, Valhalla.

Valkyrie was awarded 99/100 and the Chairman’s Trophy for Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky by the 2017 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Highland Park Valkyrie is priced at S$165 (before taxes).