Orkney Single Malt The Dark 17YO
⏳ Drinking Window
As a fully matured premium single malt whisky bottled at its optimal peak, it is ready to be enjoyed immediately upon release and will remain in pristine condition for decades when stored upright and away from direct light.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Rich blue cheeses such as Stilton, high-quality dark chocolate desserts, and slow-roasted game meats or smoked duck breast.
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the wind-swept Orkney Islands at the northern edge of Scotland, Highland Park's 'The Dark' 17 Year Old is a celebratory tribute to the dramatic autumn and winter seasons of its Norse-influenced homeland. This expression is deeply shaped by Orkney's unique terroir, where treeless, heather-rich peat is hand-cut from the Hobbister Moor to smoke the malted barley, imparting a distinctively sweet, floral smokiness. Matured for 17 years exclusively in sherry-seasoned European oak casks, this single malt captures the essence of long, cold island nights. It delivers a rich, deeply complex profile of dried dark fruits, warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, toasted oak, and a whisper of peat smoke, reflecting a distilling heritage that dates back to 1798 and is steeped in Viking lore.
🍾 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.