Single Malt The First Editions Authors Series George Sand Refill Hogshead HL 14265 21YO (((Bottled 2017)))
⏳ Drinking Window
As a mature, high-strength 21-year-old single malt, this bottle is fully matured and ready to be enjoyed now. It will remain in peak condition indefinitely if stored properly away from direct light and temperature fluctuations.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Rich blue cheeses, dark chocolate desserts, or slow-roasted game meats.
✨ Technical Specifications
This rare independent bottling from Hunter Laing's 'Authors Series' pays tribute to the rebellious French novelist George Sand. Distilled at Orkney's legendary Highland Park distillery, this 21-year-old single malt was matured in a single refill hogshead (HL 14265) before being bottled in 2017. Highland Park's remote northern terroir shines through, characterized by the unique Hobbister Moor peat, which infuses the spirit with a floral, heather-honeyed smoke rather than the medicinal peat of the Islay region. The refill hogshead aging allows the distillery's coastal, maritime character and delicate orchard fruit notes to remain front and center, creating a complex, literary-inspired dram that is both elegant and deeply layered.
🍾 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.