Orkney Single Malt Refill Bourbon Barrel 'Full Cask' No 222
⏳ Drinking Window
As a distilled spirit, this single malt does not mature further in the bottle and is ready to enjoy upon release. It will remain in peak condition indefinitely if stored upright away from direct light, though once opened, it is best consumed within 1 to 3 years to preserve its complex aromatic profile.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Smoked salmon or gravlax, mature blue cheeses such as Stilton, and high-quality dark chocolate or chocolate-based desserts.
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted at the legendary Highland Park distillery in Kirkwall, Orkney—where Viking heritage runs deep and the windswept, treeless landscape shapes the spirit—this single cask bottling represents a pure expression of island distillation. Established in 1798, Highland Park is famed for using local peat cut from Hobbister Moor, which is packed with decomposed heather, yielding a sweet, aromatic, and floral smoke rather than the medicinal phenols found in Islay malts. Cask No 222, a refill bourbon barrel, offers a window into the distillery's true character. Unlike first-fill casks or heavy sherry butts, a refill bourbon barrel gently coaxes out the spirit's natural profile over time, imparting delicate vanilla, citrus, and toasted oak notes while allowing the signature Orkney heather-honey sweetness and soft coastal brine to remain front and center.
🍾 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.