Orkney Single Malt Single Cask Bottling - Vintage Release (((Bottled 2023)))
⏳ Drinking Window
As a distilled single malt whisky, this bottle is fully matured and ready to be enjoyed immediately upon release. It does not age further in the bottle and can be preserved indefinitely when stored upright in a cool, dark place.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Mature blue cheeses such as Stilton, high-quality dark chocolate with sea salt, and smoked wild game or artisanal charcuterie.
✨ Technical Specifications
Highland Park, established in 1798 by the legendary smuggler and vestryman Magnus Eunson, stands as one of Scotland's most remote distilleries on the windswept Orkney Islands. This Single Cask Bottling, bottled in 2023, represents the pinnacle of Orkney's unique terroir. The island's lack of trees means the peat harvested from Hobbister Moor is packed with decomposed heather, imparting a distinctive, aromatic floral smoke rather than the medicinal notes found in Islay malts. Using traditional floor maltings and aged in a single hand-selected oak cask, this vintage release captures a singular moment in time, offering a complex tapestry of heather honey, rich dried fruits, warm spices, and a whisper of sweet peat smoke.
🍾 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.