Orkney Single Malt Single Cask Series Hong Kong Edition 4 Refill Hogshead Cask No 2585 18YO (((Bottled 2020)))
⏳ Drinking Window
As a distilled spirit, this single malt does not mature further in the bottle and can be preserved indefinitely if stored properly. Once opened, it is best enjoyed within 1 to 3 years to experience its complex aromatic profile at its peak.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Smoked salmon or gravlax, mature blue cheeses such as Stilton, and high-quality dark chocolate or chocolate-based desserts.
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the wind-swept, legendary Orkney Islands, Highland Park is one of Scotland's most remote and historic distilleries, founded in 1798 by the legendary smuggler Magnus Eunson. This rare single cask release, the Hong Kong Edition 4, was matured for 18 years in a single refill hogshead (Cask No. 2585) before being bottled in 2020. The use of a refill hogshead allows the true distillery character to take center stage, marrying Highland Park's signature aromatic heather-honey sweetness with gentle, heathery peat smoke, coastal salinity, and delicate orchard fruits. The unique Orkney peat, composed almost entirely of decomposed heather rather than wood, imparts a distinctively floral, sweet smokiness that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.
🍾 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.