Orkney Single Malt 40YO Bottling
⏳ Drinking Window
As a highly aged spirit bottled at its peak maturity, this single malt does not develop further in the bottle. It is ready to be savored immediately and, if stored correctly away from direct sunlight, will maintain its exceptional character indefinitely. Once opened, it is best enjoyed within 1 to 2 years.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Artisanal dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage, mature blue cheeses such as Stilton, and slow-roasted wild game or smoked meats.
✨ Technical Specifications
Highland Park, established in 1798 on the windswept Orkney Islands, is deeply intertwined with Viking heritage and legendary smuggling lore, famously associated with its founder Magnus Eunson. This ultra-rare 40-year-old single malt, bottled in 2019, represents the pinnacle of the distillery's craft. Orkney's unique terroir shines through its hand-cut peat, which is rich in decomposed heather rather than forest wood, imparting a distinctively sweet, aromatic floral smoke. Matured patiently over four decades in a selection of refill casks alongside first-fill sherry-seasoned Spanish and American oak casks, this expression delivers an extraordinarily complex profile of dark chocolate, sun-dried orange peel, aromatic peat smoke, and warm winter spices, shaped by the cool, maritime climate of the far north.
🍾 About the Producer
Perched on the windswept Orkney archipelago off Scotland's northern coast, Highland Park was founded in 1798 by illicit distiller Magnus Eunson before securing official licensing in 1826. Owned by Edrington and directed by Master Whisky Maker Marc Watson, the distillery remains one of the few in Scotland to maintain traditional floor maltings for a portion of its barley. Terroir here is inextricably linked to the island's environment: Orkney's tree-deficient landscape yields heather-rich peat harvested from nearby Hobbister Moor, imparting an aromatic, floral smoke fundamentally distinct from the medicinal iodine of Islay. Distillation occurs in copper pot stills, followed by patient maturation predominantly in sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks within maritime dunnage warehouses. Celebrated benchmark expressions include the flagship 12, 18, and 21 Year Old releases, as well as ultra-aged rarities such as the Orcadian Vintage Series and landmark 40- and 50-year-old single malts.