THAT HIGHLAND PARK!

 HIGHLAND PARK - TRISKELION
SPECIAL EDITION WHISKY | 70cl | 45.1% ABV

Highland Park has never been shy about its supposed Viking heritage, and their bottlings lean into that mythology with renewed force.

Highland Park Triskelion is named after the triangular shape that represents wisdom and inspiration, used in the Norse / Viking symbolism. Generally speaking, it is a symbol of interlocking legs, horns (specific to Norse mythology), or spirals, exhibiting rotational symmetry - meaning you can rotate it a set degree to see the same image. The symbol’s geographic and temporal range is extraordinary, showing up as early as the European neolithic age (c. 4500 BCE) in Malta, to Newgrange in Ireland (c. 3200 BCE), to Ancient Greek pottery and straight through Roman, Medieval, and Modern periods.

Translated from Greek, the word 'triskelion' means ‘three-legged’. The Horn Triskelion symbolizes Odin: to obtain the mead of poetry (skáldskaparmjöðr) he bargained three nights with the giantess Gunnlöð for three sips of the mead. However, with each sip he drank a whole horn. Since the three horns he drank contained the whole of the mead, Odin thus got all of it and fled in the shape of an eagle.The horns’ names were Óðrœrir, Boðn and Són. These three horns contained the mead since the time when the dwarves Fjalar and Galar killed a wise man called Kvasir created from the spittle of Æsir and Vanir. There were no questions Kvasir could not answer. The two dwarves killed him, mixed his blood with honey and poured the beverage into Óðrœrir, Boðn and Són. In Norse Viking mythology the mead of poetry is a symbol of wisdom and poetical inspiration. According to the Prose Edda, whoever drinks it becomes a skald or scholar. An extremely set of unique circumstances, even if mythological.

As for the whisky, this is a very special edition created, for the first and only time, by three legendary Highland Park Whisky Makers – Gordon Motion, Max McFarlane and John Ramsay. Three principal cask types – first-fill sherry seasoned Spanish oak butts, first-fill sherry seasoned American oak casks and first-fill bourbon barrels and hogsheads – were hand selected and combined to explore the influence of wood and cask seasoning on the flavour and character of Highland Park Single Malt Scoth Whisky. A small quantity of refill casks was also added to provided a degree of softness to the whisky’s final flavour.

Bottled at 45.1%, Triskelion is straw coloured, thick, complex and full-bodied, revealing delicious notes of Seville oranges, sultanas, raisins and sweet apricots with hints of vanilla-laden crème brûlée and cloudy heather honey. A suggestion of crushed coriander seed provides aromatic warmth and Highland Park's signature light peat smoke unites each layer of flavour. That mouthfeel is insane - creamy, heavy, coating, and oily. The finish is slightly dry (but not astringent), creamy and lasting with sweet wood fire and citrus zest.

This vibrant union of rich fruit, creamy sweetness and aromatic spice is as chockfull of character as its three makers.

DISTILLERY	HIGHLAND PARK	£126.95
Series / Description	Triskelion Special Edition
Year Bottled	2019
Alcohol ABV	45.1 %
Cask Strength	No
Cask Wood Type	Bourbon & Sherry Oak
Single Cask	No
Packaging	Original Box
Bottler	Distillery
Country Origin	Scotland
Stopper	Cork
Bottle Type	Dumpy
Bottle Size	70cl
Neck Level	Full Level

HIGHLAND PARK - SINGLE MALT 15-YEAR-OLD WHISKY
VIKING HEART | 70cl | 44% | 2021

Highland Park makes a big deal of its Viking heritage, even though the last Vikings on the Scottish island of Orkney, where its whisky is made, disappeared long before the distillery opened in 1798. Whether or not it reminds you of medieval times and Norse mythology, it’s a delicious, if pricey, whisky.

This Highland Park 15 Year Old hit the market in 2021 as Viking Heart. It uses sherry seasoned casks predominantly, including European and American oak casks and comes  without colouring or chill-filtration.

This expression comes in off-white decanters, which gives it a special appearance. What people seem to have talked about more than the return of the whisky itself is the choice of bottle. Not satisfied with simply falling in line with the core range’s chunky glass bottle emblazoned with the lion and serpent imagery, that design has instead been embossed onto a ceramic decanter. The Orcadians have partnered with Wade Ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent, to produce a lead-free porcelain decanter, glazed inside and out, to go back to their roots and “rewind a century or two [to when] our whisky would have been stored in earthenware vessels”.

Viking Heart is a peated malt, but the peat on Orkney comes largely from decomposed heather, so the smoky notes in the whisky are much more delicate those of the briny peat bombs for which Islay is famous. Also, Orkney’s consistently cold and damp climate allows for less interaction between the whisky and wood, slowing down the aging process. The unobtrusive peat and slow maturation combine to really let the sherry influence shine through, and shine it does.

The resulting expression is beautifully balanced, with lots of fruit and vanilla notes evolving into a gentle dry smokiness on the finish. A slightly higher proof (it’s bottled at 44% ABV) might benefit it by giving the sweet notes a bit more backbone, but there’s not much to complain about here. Water or ice are certainly not needed, although the whisky is flavourful enough to stand up to both.

Nose: This is all about warming autumnal dessert type smells up front. Think Crème brûlée. Bread and butter pudding. Butter scotch. There’s some slight orchard fruit and with all that sweetness it’s more like toffee apples. A Cadbury’s Crunchie comes to mind too due to a big toasty honeycomb flavour and some gentle milk chocolate flavours. And of course – as a Highland Park – there’s a little heather honey and peat.

Palate: It’s a soft start with a delicate and pretty oily texture – it slips right over the tongue. Toffee and vanilla sweetness arrive up top and then the signature HP heathery peat makes a real appearance and it brings a peaty heat along with it. Those soft and sweet desserts are back with apple strudel springing to mind courtesy of a combo of almonds, apple, and cinnamon, which have all been laced with custard.

Finish: A slight black peppery heat prickles on the way down and lingers for a little while but afterwards there are little aftertastes of fruity zest like tart blackberries, blackcurrants, and damsons. There’s a cinnamon note too which – if I was getting romantic about it – reminds me of the final lick of the spoon after your apple strudel as you retrieve the last vestiges and crumbs from the plate.

Overall: If one was expecting more of a sherry-rich, dark fruit-led experience, it wasn’t delivered; instead it brought lighter fruits and more vanilla than expected, though still very much in the dessert category. What is unexpected is the texture. It is quite oily and silky around the mouth, without being syrupy or cloying, and then the 44% ABV and cask influences provide a black peppery spice that stops it from being a solely sickly sweet venture.

DISTILLERY	HIGHLAND PARK	£102.95
Series/Description	Single Malt
Age	15 YO
Alcohol ABV	44 %
Cask Strength	No
Cask Wood Type	American & European Oak
Single Cask	No
Packaging	Original Box
Bottler	Distillery
Country of Origin	Scotland
Stopper	Cork
Bottle Type	Embossed
Bottle Size	70cl
Neck Level	Full Level

HIGHLAND PARK: THE OCTAVE OLOROSO SHERRY MATURED
SINGLE CASK | 2008 | 14-YEAR-OLD WHISKY | 70CL | 54.3%

The Highland Park Octave cask NO: 5036613 has aged for 14 years in oak casks, then spent the final 3 months in a sherry octave cask. This release of only 87 bottles is bottled in 2022 at cask strength, non chill-filtered with natural colour.

For many years, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited has experimented in the use of differing cask sizes for the maturation of single malt Scotch whiskies. This research stemmed from the simple premises that there is more interaction between the wood and spirit over a short period of time in a small cask than in a large cask, allowing for a faster melding of wood, air and alcohol.

To great delight, the spirit that resulted from this method of maturation demonstrated a depth of quality missing from a larger cask over a similar period of storage. It had become smoother, more balanced and was bursting with character, With its rough edges removed, the taste profile was changed dramatically, becoming akin to a whisky of a much more mature nature or vintage. It was polished, bright and sparkling with intensity.

Duncan Taylor Scotch whisky Limited presented the Octave cask range, the culmination of many years spent refining this unique maturation process. The spirit in this bottle is an exclusive example of a good whisky taken beyond all expectations to become rich, complex, and wise beyond its years. It has been 'Octave Invigorated'

Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright gold.

Palate: Honey, orange juice, eucalyptus, green apples, waxy.

Finish: Luscious with sherry, citrus bursts, sugared almonds, sweet earthiness.

DISTILLERY	HIGHLAND PARK	£134.98
Series / Description	Octave - Oloroso Sherry Matured
Vintage	2008
Year Bottled	2023
Age	14 year old
Alcohol ABV	54.3 %
Cask Strength	Yes
Cask Wood Type	Oloroso Octave
Cask Number	5036613
Single Cask	Yes
Number Bottled	87
Packaging	Original Box
Bottler	Duncan Taylor
Country of Origin	Scotland
Stopper	Cork
Bottle Type	Standard
Bottle Size	70cl
Neck Level	Full Level

HIGHLAND PARK - WHITLAW CHAPTER 7
Single Cask 8 YO Whisky |70cl | 52.8%

Here we have a Whitlaw aged for its full term in a red wine barrel. Whitlaw is Highland Park's specially distilled spirit for blenders and independent bottlers. With its vibrant colour and striking notes, this dram is a crowd-pleaser for Orkney malt lovers.

In 2013, one Selim Evin made the bold decision to leave a successful business behind and pursue his true calling. He founded Chapter 7, an independent bottler that combined his passion for whisky with his love for literature. The name "Chapter 7" was inspired by the seven ages of man from Shakespeare's works. It symbolises the stages of life that whisky goes through, each stage telling a different story.

CHAPTER 7: INDIE BOTTLER OF SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

A measure of whisky is a story. It speaks of the distillery that produced it, the cask that matured it, and the experience of the people who selected it. A whisky can have the youthful exuberance of a Jane Austin character, the resonance of an Alfred Tennyson poem and the surprise finish of an Agatha Christy novel. Chapter 7 uses whisky to write an anthology, and every edition is a new chapter.

Chapter 7 Whisky is an Independent Bottler. They don’t make whisky, we discover it. They find exceptional casks that mature extraordinary whiskies. A cask of whisky is a living, breathing, thing. Air moves in and out of the cask. The whisky’s flavour evolves and changes as it matures in the oak. Ageing adds character. And they find the best characters to bottle. Selim's curiosity, commitment to quality, and pursuit of unique whiskies shine through all his whiskies.

No two casks are the same. Even whiskies distilled from the same distillery on the same day, are unique. They have their own stories to tell.

A single cask takes the stage in the Monologue Series from Chapter 7 Whisky. A Monologue whisky is a unique expression. It tells the story of the distillery that produced the whisky and the cask where it matured. There will never be a repeat performance; when all the bottles are sold there will never be any more. They usually bottle their Monologue whiskies at cask strength. Sometimes they discover a younger malt that reveals itself at a lower strength.

DISTILLERY	HIGHLAND PARK	£89.95
Series/Description	Whitlaw Chapter 7 Single Cask #177
Vintage	2006
Year Bottled	2022
Age	8 year old
Alcohol ABV	52.8 %
Cask Strength	Yes
Cask Wood Type	Wine
Cask Number	177
Single Cask	Yes
Number Bottled	314
Packaging	Original Box
Bottler	Chapter 7
Country of Origin	Scotland
Stopper	Cork
Bottle Type	Dumpy
Bottle Size	70cl

HIGHLAND PARK-ORKNEY ISLANDS SINGLE MALT
OLD BOTTLING 12 YO WHISKY 70 CL | 40%

A peat fire burns at the heart of Highland Park, an Orcadian peat fire to be precise. This is significant not just in retention of heritage, but also in terms of flavour.

Peat is made up from semi-decomposed vegetation laid down over thousands of years. That vegetation differs across Scotland depending on climatic condition all these millennia ago. When the peat is dried and then burned, the phenols (smoky aromas) released will have different aromas generated by this vegetation. Mainland peat is smokier because of there being more lignin from trees; Islay’s peat appears to have more marine vegetation and contains more creosol (picked up as tar); while Orcadian peat is composed entirely of sphagnum moss and heather. The result, once again, is a different aromatic spectrum, lightly smoky, but significantly more fragrant… heathery even.

The peat is burned in the distillery’s own kiln and the resulting heavily smoky malt makes up 20% of the barley used for each mash. The remainder, unpeated, comes from the mainland.

DISTILLERY	HIGHLAND PARK	£187.5
Series / Description	Orkney Islands Single Malt (Old Bottling)
Year Bottled	1990's
Age	12 year old
Alcohol ABV	40 %
Cask Strength	No
Cask Wood Type	Bourbon & Sherry Oak
Single Cask	No
Packaging	Cardboard Tube
Bottler	Distillery
Country of Origin	Scotland
Stopper	Cork
Bottle Type	Standard
Bottle Size	70cl
Neck Level	Full Level

HIGHLAND PARK - 2022 SINGLE MALT 25 YO 70cl | 46%

There is an honesty about Highland Park. It is a whisky, which exudes balance and complexity in every glass. It is not about fashion, trends or bandwagons, but instead about consistency and the drive for quality. Highland Park is made today with the same enduring belief and integrity, to the same exacting standards as it always has been. This philosophy accounts for the appeal of Highland Park, which is now respected by whisky lovers as one of the greatest single malts in the world. This appreciation is based on an unbroken tradition of whisky-making stretching back at Highland Park to 1798.

The Highland Park 25 year old single malt Scotch Whisky 2022 Release has been created from just 20 casks – a glorious mix of first-fill sherry seasoned European oak hogsheads, first-fill sherry seasoned American oak casks and virgin (unseasoned) American oak hogsheads, carefully hand selected and married together by the Highland Park Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion to bring out a 700ml 46% ABV range of bottles.

Laid down and matured safely within the 19 dunnage and 4 racking warehouse at The Highland Park Distillery in Kirkwall, Orkney & filtered at 6 - 9 degrees Celsius to bring out key flavours.

Rich and golden with warm hints of copper, this 25 Year Old is mature and full bodied with a vibrant sweetness with notes of warm vanilla, buttery fudge and heather honey, overlaid by soft dried fruits. Expect sweet oak-smoked coconut, honeyed violets, warm woody spices, lychees and Seville oranges, aniseed, crushed rosemary and aromatic peat smoke. Its long and smooth finish leaves hints of heathery peat smoke and a whisper of salty sea spray lingering on the palate.

DISTILLERY	HIGHLAND PARK	£569.95
Series/Description	2022 Release Single Malt
Year Bottled	2022
Age	25 year old
Alcohol ABV	46 %
Cask Strength	No
Cask Wood Type	Various Cask Wood
Single Cask	No
Packaging	Special Packaging
Bottler	Distillery
Country of Origin	Scotland
Stopper	Cork
Bottle Type	Embossed
Bottle Size	70cl
Neck Level	Full Level

NOSE: (without water) fruity, rounded, floral, apricots, ripe peaches. At first, this whisky is really gentle. It doesn't shout, it whispers. Vanilla sponge cake (delicious!). Now, there is also this subjective sensation you get out of it which is to do with sweetness. Here, it is beautifully polished, unlike the velvety kind of sweetness you get from a lot of other whiskies, if that makes sense. There is also an immature alcohol kick previously found in a few rums. With water, it becomes richer in the vanilla department, pizza crust (funnily enough), bergamot black tea leaves. 

Though this is a vatting of fewer than 20 casks including sherry seasoned European oak casks, combined with first-fill Bourbon casks and refill casks, hand selected by Gordon Motion and Laid down and matured within the 19 dunnage and 4 racking warehouse at The Highland Park Distillery in Kirkwall, Orkney, the whisky, in a holistic appraisal, doesn’t justify the price.

PALATE: Explosion of dried fruits (raisins). It needed water to really open up into fruitiness and vanilla, as well as revealing a noticeable tobacco note.

FINISH: A little bit drying with just a hint of peat. Medium length. After adding water you get a vanilla cake here as well.

OVERALL: Nothing is out of place here. Very nice and smooth. A beautiful experience, but it's not value for money.

HIGHLAND PARK - TWISTED TATTOO
Single Malt Whisky | 16 YO | 46.7% | 70cl

Highland Park 16 Year Twisted Tattoo Whisky is a rich single malt whisky with layers of sweet vanilla, sun-ripened peaches, summer berries and full-bodied red wine. You’ll also experience generous layers of heather-rich peat smoke.

Highland Park 16 Year Twisted Tattoo Whisky is the result of a unique marriage of different cask types. First-fill casks are used to impart deep complexity and richness, while refill casks give this award-winning whisky its characteristics of spicy oakiness. The result is a beautifully balanced whisky with contemporary character, much loved by whisky connoisseurs.

This 16 YO is a single malt whisky which marries two single malt whiskies together. Single malt from 153 oak casks seasoned with Spanish rioja wine and single malt from 70 first-fill bourbon casks were combined. Danish tattoo artist Colin Dale designed the image for the label and packaging.

Telling stories on skin can be traced back over thousands of years to ancient tribal traditions and remains a vital part of our cultural heritage today. Tattoos tell the world who we are, without saying a word. As unique as the DNA of the skin they decorate, they reflect both an independent attitude and a common bond - standing apart, yet part of a tribe.

In 922AD, Ibn Fadlan, an Arabian envoy from Baghdad, encountered a tribe of Viking traders on the Volga River. He described them as tattooed with patterns on trees and figures from head to toe. Thousands of miles from their Scandinavian home, our Viking ancestors stood proudly apart, just as Highland Park does today.

DISTILLERY	HIGHLAND PARK	£149.95
Series/Description	Twisted Tattoo Single Malt
Year Bottled	2019
Age	16 year old
Alcohol ABV	46.7 %
Cask Strength	No
Cask Wood Type	Wine
Single Cask	No
Packaging	Original Box
Bottler	Distillery
Country of Origin	Scotland
Stopper	Cork
Bottle Type	Standard
Bottle Size	70cl
Neck Level	Full Level

  INVERGORDON OLD PARTICULAR
SINGLE REFILL SHERRY BUTT #16274
2002 | 19 YO WHISKY 70cl | 51.5%

SINGLE GRAIN WHISKY FROM DOUGLAS LAING 

Grain distilling has long been a speciality of central Scotland. Distillers there had access to a wider selection of grains, meaning there was a different character from the earliest days. A larger market on their doorstep meant that bigger distilleries were built, while the development of trade with England – mainly for spirit to be rectified into gin – resulted in the adoption of new distillation technology, most significantly continuous stills. With most blending houses, bottling facilities, and distribution networks also based close to the central belt, it seemed unnecessary to build a grain plant elsewhere.

Discovering one in the far north-east of Scotland therefore comes as a bit of a surprise. The town of Invergordon however specialises in confounding people’s expectations of what the Highlands are about.

It was established as an ‘improved’ town by local landowner William Gordon at the start of the 18th century when the surrounding land was drained and turned over to the cultivation of arable crops. By the end of the century it was already being flagged up as an ideal situation for “a manufacturing village”. Part of its attraction was its deep water port which allowed rapid (at that time) links to the south.

The locality was already home to many malt distilleries – it sits between Dalmore and Glenmorangie – and the combination of ready access to cereal crops and its port made it an ideal site for a grain distillery. The timing was also perfect as this was also the start of the great North American Scotch boom.

In 1959, Invergordon Distillers was founded and the distillery started operations in 1961. Four years later the Ben Wyvis single malt distillery started up. This closed in 1977 (the Ben Wyvis stills are now at Glengyle, itself set up by industry legend Frank McHardy who started his career at Invergordon).

Invergordon Distillers went though a series of owners before being absorbed into Whyte & Mackay in 1993. A 10-year-old single grain, The Invergordon, was launched in 1990 and was targeted specifically at the female market. Though well-regarded it was withdrawn in the beginning of the new millennium.

Single Cask Whiskies are a unique snapshot of a distillery’s output, from a single distillation, and matured in a single cask. Every single cask is a unique expression that will differ in style and character from standard distillery bottlings. A typical cask will yield between 150 and 600 bottles, depending on the size of the cask, and the age of the Whisky. They are highly sought after by Whisky enthusiasts, and when they are gone, they are gone...

This tremendous single-cask 2002 vintage 19-year-old Invergordon single-grain whisky was bottled without colouring or chill filtration by Douglas Laing in autumn 2022 for their Old Particular series. This 19-year-old Invergordon 2002 vintage came from Cask DL16274, a refill sherry butt that turned out an impressive 684 bottles at 51.5%, roughly equivalent to the old 90 imperial proof.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Creamy vanilla, honeyed granola, and delicate spice.

Palate: Crisp apples with buttery notes of popcorn. Caramel, sweet porridge, and fruity sponge cake balance warming layers of pepper.

Finish: Vanilla cream, burnt sugar, and more patisserie sweetness, mellow oak with hints of milky, spiced chai.

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DISTILLERY	INVERGORDON	£74.95
Series/ Description	Old Particular Single Refill Sherry Butt 16274
Vintage	2002
Year Bottled	2022
Age	19 year old
Alcohol ABV	51.5 %
Cask Strength	Yes
Cask Wood Type	Refill Sherry Butt
Cask Number	16274
Single Cask	Yes
Number Bottled	684
Packaging	Cardboard Tube
Bottler	Douglas Laing Co
Country of Origin	Scotland
Stopper	Cork
Bottle Type	Standard
Bottle Size	70cl
Neck Level	Full Level

 HIGHLAND PARK’S SPONSORHIP OF ESQUIRE SINGLE CASK
Cask # 4450 | 585 bottles | Cask Strength | 60.3% ABV | 70 cl

Highland Park has become the official whisky sponsor of Esquire Townhouse with Breitling, the prestigious annual event hosted by Esquire. Esquire Townhouse is an award-winning luxury brand experience featuring a compelling programme of live celebrity interviews, panel debates and masterclasses spanning fashion, culture, food & drink, design and travel.

To celebrate the partnership, Highland Park and Esquire have collaborated to create the Highland Park Esquire Single Cask. The limited-edition single malt whisky is the first-ever single cask from Highland Park to be released in collaboration with a UK media house and will be served throughout the weekend.

Taking place between 17-19 October at Carlton House Terrace, St James’s, Martin Markvardsen, Highland Park’s global brand ambassador, hosted a series of workshops where guests were given the opportunity to learn all about the award winning brand, before indulging in some delicious whisky and food pairings.

              

A collaboration between Highland Park and UK media house Esquire, this single cask expression was distilled in 2003 and matured for 15 years in a first fill American oak butt (cask # 4450). It is one of 585 bottles, bottled at a natural cask strength of 60.3% ABV, 70 cl.

This on-request Highland Park is an interesting whisky.  It’s a bit more complex compared to the 12-year, and a little richer.  The question is whether it offers enough to justify a major premium over the 12-year-old expression.  For that money, ~£200, one may rather pick up the excellent Highland Park 18-year-old.  Still, what’s in the bottle is pretty good.

The unique expression, which has notes of heather-honey and aromatic smoky peat, is freely available online.

DISTILLERY	HIGHLAND PARK	£189.85
Series/Description	Esquire Exclusive Single Cask
Vintage	2003
Year Bottled	2019
Age	15 year old
Alcohol ABV	60.3 %
Cask Strength	Yes
Cask Wood Type	American Oak
Cask Number	4450
Single Cask	Yes
Number Bottled	585
Packaging	Hessian Bag
Bottler	Distillery
Country of Origin	Scotland
Stopper	Cork
Bottle Type	Standard