Orkney Single Malt Hjarta 12YO
⏳ Drinking Window
As a high-proof distilled spirit, this single malt does not mature further in the bottle. It is ready to drink upon release and, if stored upright in a cool, dark place, will maintain its exceptional character and complexity indefinitely over several decades.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Rich blue cheeses like Stilton, artisanal dark chocolate with a high cacao percentage, and slow-roasted venison or smoked game meats.
✨ Technical Specifications
Highland Park, located on the windswept Orkney Islands of Scotland, is steeped in Viking history and folklore. 'Hjarta'—meaning 'heart' in Old Norse—is a tribute to this Nordic heritage. Crafted at one of the world's most northerly distilleries, this robust 12-year-old single malt is shaped by Orkney's unique elements. The distillery uses hand-cut peat from Hobbister Moor, packed with decomposing heather, which imparts a distinctively sweet, floral smokiness rather than the medicinal peat found in Islay malts. Matured in Spanish oak sherry casks and bottled at cask strength, Hjarta showcases a deep golden hue and a complex profile of rich dried fruits, warm winter spices, and a whisper of salty sea spray from the surrounding Atlantic winds.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1798 in Kirkwall on the remote archipelago of Orkney, Highland Park stands as one of Scotland's most historic and northernmost single malt distilleries. Owned by the Edrington Group, the distillery fiercely guards traditional whisky-making practices, still conducting its own hand-turned floor maltings and cutting dense, heather-rich peat from nearby Hobbister Moor. Maturation takes place predominantly in premium sherry-seasoned oak casks within Orkney's cool, windswept maritime climate. This unique convergence of terroir and technique yields Highland Park's internationally revered signature style, distinguished by gentle aromatic peat smoke, luscious heather-honey sweetness, and rich, complex spice.