The story of this exceptional single malt Scotch whisky begins 54 years ago in Orkney. Although Orkney has been home to the Highland Park Distillery for 225 years, Orkney’s own story is some 400 million years older and the detailed and complex strata found in the Cliffs of Yesnaby, dating right back to the Devonian period, are the inspiration for the design of this whisky’s stunning decanter and presentation case. And it’s to the outstanding skills of the Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, that this remarkable whisky owes its flavour and character.
The distillery’s oldest and rarest release to date, 54 Year Old is intensely rich, sweet and complex. Intriguing aromas of exotic lychee and aromatic camphor, vintage oak and delicate peat, herald the exquisitely balanced flavours that follow. Warm spices – crushed cumin and coriander seeds – emerge and subside to reveal fragrant notes of summer rose and jasmine, with just a hint of honeyed kiwi fruit and pistachio biscotti. Sweet and spicy at the end, woody notes give way to a lingering whisper of sweet fenugreek and heathery peat smoke.
Back in 2008, Gordon selected 10 refill casks laid down 40 years earlier, in 1968. He discovered a beautiful light-coloured spirit, with the ethereal and fragrant character that belongs to only the oldest and finest whiskies. He tipped the 10 casks into first-fill sherry seasoned casks, selected specifically for the character he knew they would produce, and nurtured the maturing whisky carefully for a further 14 years until it reached the flavour and character he was looking for. Only 225 bottles have been released – representing every year of production in Highland Park’s 225-year history – each one steeped in the magic of the Orkney Islands.
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more information: highlandparkwhisky.com
