Single Cask from Highland Park
Located in Kirkwall, Orkney, Highland Park distillery announces the release of a new edition of its whisky in the most coveted single cask form by connoisseurs.
Highland Park 18yo Single Cask Series (57.4% vol.) was bottled exclusively for The Single Malt Shop. This is a whisky distilled in 2002 and matured in a refill butt cask. The contents of this barrel were enough to fill 515 bottles of.
In its bouquet we find notes of heather honey, lemon peel, fresh oak, pecans, accompanied by a whiff of peat smoke. On the palate, expect notes of roasted oak, vanilla fudge, roasted almonds, violets, Orkney's signature peat smoke with vegetal character, cinnamon bark and spice accents.
According to Gordon Motion, who serves as Highland Park's Master Whisky Maker, Highland Park's warehouses are melting down stocks of barrels 18 years old and older, which means that each barrel is selected extremely carefully and the most exceptional specimens are chosen for bottling. Many refill casks have only been in contact with whisky for a short period, he adds, which means they still have a great deal to give to the next batches of distillate that are stored in them.
Highland Park 18yo Single Cask from barrel No. 900001 will cost £440 per bottle at retail.
Despite the unprecedented growth of the distilling industry in Scotland in recent years and the establishment of dozens of new whisky factories, the Highland Park distillery is still the northernmost distillery in Scotland. Founded in 1798, the plant is also one of the oldest. There are only a handful of distilleries operating in Scotland, established long before the introduction of the Excise Act 1823, and literally few that can trace their lineage back to the 18th century. Highland Park's early history is linked to one of the more picturesque figures in the Scottish distilling industry, Magnus Eunson, a local pastor and moonshiner for whom the church often provided a refuge from the inspections of royal tax collectors.
One of the distinctive features of the whisky produced in Highland Park is the specific aroma of peat smoke, over which the barley malt used in the production of the. Peat mined in different places in Scotland has different characteristics, related to the vegetation on the basis of which it was created over the centuries. While the building blocks of Highlands peat were primarily trees, and Islay peat has a significant proportion of marine organisms, Orkney peat was formed primarily from deposits of moss and heather. As a result, the peat smoke used in the production of Highland Park whisky has more aromatic characteristics, often evoking associations with flowering moors. This type of smokiness is a characteristic of Highland Park, distinguishing this whisky among many other Scotch spirits with more or less smoky, peaty character.
The House of Whisky Online offers a range of editions whisky from Highland Park distillery, including old, rare and collectible bottles, including those from independent distributors. We invite you to visit and learn more about our offer.
[26.09.2023 / photo: Highland Park]