Scottish Whisky : Scotch

The first proprietary bottling of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky was as a 12 year old in 1979. It remains the core expression of the Highland Park range and is a smooth, balanced single malt, with a rich full flavour and a gentle smokey finish. Glowing amber in colour. Heather-honey sweetness; peaty smokiness Palate: Rounded smoky sweetness; full malt delivery. Take your time to appreciate the nose of Highland Park 12 and you'll discover the characteristic honey sweetness followed by fruit - maybe pineapple, apple or pear. On the palate it is drying and leaves a gentle smokey feeling and a flavour that just keeps on going.

Highland Park is one of Scotland's great distilleries. Owners, Edrington Group continue an ongoing project that exports 'ambassador' casks around the globe. Aimed at connoisseurs and collectors, most are bottled as deeply coloured, middle-aged expressions from active sherry casks. They've established Highland Park's reputation as a top-class malt for a new generation.

We have secured a small volume of this spectacular Korean Duty Free Exclusive, distilled in 2004 and bottled in 2019 from first-fill European oak sherry cask #6529. While there's been at least one equivalent Australian bottling, Korea clearly has more than a few thrill-seekers satisfied with nothing less than the most explosive malts Scotland has to offer. 

A massively complex nose, with aromas of matchbox, pickled onion, brackish water and white pepper to break through to sweeter, richer sensations of oloroso, pipe tobacco, dried fruits and nut infused dark chocolate.
The palate packs a punch; the entry is big on wood spice, climaxing in a spike of spirit heat, a rush of nutty malt, dark chocolate, ginger bread and trace sulphur, while the aftertaste lingers with bitter peels, Asian spices, match box and distant wood smoke.
It's the kind of whisky that reveals itself gradually, picking up sherry definition with each pass. Experiment with ample water to tame the peppers and draw out the honeyed tones, and allow plenty of air time to show its best.
Emptied from cask at a whopping 63.3%, we have a fraction of the original 584 bottles on offer

700mL | 63.3% ABV

This is a wonderfully rich and complex single malt. Opening with rich and spicy aromas of cr?me brulee, heather honey and crumbled cinnamon, intensely fruity notes follow - fresh pineapple dressed with a scattering of sun-kissed lemon zest. There?s a hint of freshly-baked sponge cake too, warm from the oven, and you?ll find cinnamon again, but toasted shards this time. Citrus and vanilla notes linger in the aromatic waves of peat smoke. 

To create 15 Year Old Viking Heart, Gordon Motion, Highland Park's Master Whisky Maker, selected predominantly sherry seasoned European oak casks to deliver warm, spicy notes and sherry seasoned American oak casks to provide a balance of sweet vanilla. Expertly adding just a few refill casks to soften and smooth the flavours, Gordon chose to bottle at 44% ABV to allow the whisky?s vibrant fruitiness and distinctive heathery peat smoke to shine through. Why a ceramic decanter? Rewind a century or two and Highland Park whisky would have been stored in earthenware vessels. Inspired by examples found at their distillery in Orkney, Highland Park asked Wade Ceramics if they could work with them to create a modern version. Established in 1810 and based in Stoke-on-Trent in England (known globally as the traditional home of ceramics) Wade share Highland Park's commitment to environmental responsibility, focusing on sustainable manufacturing and using locally sourced raw materials. The lead-free porcelain decanter is 100% food safe, glazed inside and out, and embossed with the lion and serpent design that appears on many of Highland Park's glass bottles. Look closely at the back of the bottle and you?ll find the heart motif that inspired this whisky?s name.

Highland Park - The 16 year old Wings of the Eagle is a celebration of Orkney?s wild island climate. Its spicy and elegant character reveals a sophisticated combination of flavours, layered as intricately as the feathers of an eagle?s wing.

Matured in sherry casks. 

44.5% ABV

Highland Park - The 16 year old Wings of the Eagle is a celebration of Orkney’s wild island climate. Its spicy and elegant character reveals a sophisticated combination of flavours, layered as intricately as the feathers of an eagle’s wing.

Matured in sherry casks. 

44.5% ABV

Highland Park 21 Year Old has been matured in a combination of first-fill European oak sherry casks, first-fill American oak sherry casks and a handful of refill casks. The palate offers notes of ripe mango, sun-dried orange peel, sweet pear, fresh ginger, nutmeg, vanilla and aromatic peat smoke.

From the distillery...

The clue is in the name really. Cask Strength Release No. 2 is bottled straight from the cask, without adding water to reduce alcohol content, to deliver an extraordinary depth, complexity and balance of flavours.

Casks have a huge influence on the flavour, character and natural colour of our whisky as it matures, so our Cask Strength series presents our whisky in its purest form, giving you the freedom to enjoy our whisky, your way. Discover the taste and strength that suits your palate by experimenting with the amount of water you add to reach your optimum flavour.

For this second release in the Cask Strength series, Gordon Motion, our Master Whisky Maker, selected mainly sherry seasoned European and American oak casks, along with just a few ex-bourbon casks. You?ll find aromas of summer rose, ripe pear and fresh coconut gathering on a wave of aromatic peat smoke, followed by a wild harmony of sweet and spicy flavours - poached pear and rich almond cake, a drizzle of cloudy honey and a twist of salty liquorice. There?s the suggestion of toasted oak and intriguing notes of orchard fruits, black pepper and sweet aniseed linger, in a satisfyingly long finish. In a word (or three) we call it ?smoky peppered praline?.

Welcome to a whole new taste adventure?why not find out more by checking out the tasting video below?

We?ve been crafting our award-winning whisky at the Highland Park Distillery in Kirkwall, Orkney, since 1798. Age, experience and respect for tradition may define our whisky, but it?s Orkney that sets it apart. Something magic happens here and the result is the wild harmony of flavours found in our whisky.

ABV : 63.9%

Bottled straight from the cask, without adding water to reduce alcohol content, delivers the extraordinary depth, complexity and balance of flavours that?s now the established hallmark of our Cask Strength series. Release No. 3 is no exception.

This third release has been created using an expertly balanced combination of three cask types ? first-fill sherry seasoned American and European oak casks and a smaller quantity of refill casks for balance and depth. Using a higher proportion of Orkney peated malt, our Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, has achieved an intensely smoky character, coming through first on the nose with aromas of smouldering peat and lightly charred oak, balanced by honey-glazed lemons and crushed aniseed.

Discover what best suits your palate by experimenting with the amount of water you add as you release this whisky?s distinctive notes of ripe mango, cloudy heather honey and whipped vanilla cream with a hint of aromatic violet. Pink grapefruit zest, freshly-baked sponge cake and a final gust of heathery peat smoke provide a long and distinctive finish.

64.1% ABV

Highland Park Cask Strength Release No. 4 opens with enticing aromas of toasted coconut, driven by the ex-bourbon casks, along with crushed lemons and cedarwood; there?s a delightful hint of Turkish Delight in the aromatic peat smoke too, thanks to the influence of the ex-port casks. Intriguing flavours of zesty pink grapefruit and fragrant rose water emerge on the palate, expertly balanced by earthier suggestions of toasted oak and heather-rich peat, while the long finish reveals exotic sun-baked spices and a ribbon of liquorice running through the final breath of floral peat smoke.

This whisky's character is predominantly driven by slow maturation in sherry seasoned European oak casks and a higher proportion of Orkney peated malt. There are notes of rich vanilla cream infused with warm winter spices, the tang of sun-ripened lemons glazed with sweet heather honey, and clouds of aromatic peat smoke.

Intensely smoky and rich, this whisky is fantastic served with lamb cutlets grilled with fresh mint or alongside a creamy blue-veined cheese.

Part of the Warriors Series originally launched for the travel retail market, Harald was matured in a mix of American and European oak casks and displays sweeter notes intermingled with spice and oak.

Released in 2013, Ragnvald is part of The Warrior Series, a collection of single malts created for Duty-Free to both introduce a key figure from Orkney?s Viking history and to demonstrate the impact of cask type on our whisky?s flavour, which is immense.

Predominantly matured in the finest sherry seasoned European oak casks, Ragnvald?s flavour is rich and succulent, with distinct yet balanced notes of dark chocolate, candied peel, and oriental spices, all rounded off with heather rich peat smoke.

Spirit of the Bear is part of a trio of Travel Retail market releases from Highland Park in 2018. This is a no-age-statement single malt that was matured in sherry seasoned American oak casks, and bottled at 40% ABV. We assume that the bear-based spirit which the name refers to is that of the strong, noble type that Vikings saw in the creature, rather than the picnic basket stealing and fedora hat wearing spirit we know bears for today.

Nose: Peat is up-front, though swiftly moves on to brioche dipped in coffee and fresh honey.

Palate: Orange peel and stem ginger. Still enjoyably smoky, though now with hints of floral barley in tow.

Finish: Sandalwood and vanilla malt.

Released in 2013, Thorfinn is part of The Warrior Series, a collection of single malts created for Duty-Free to both introduce a key figure from Orkney?s Viking history and to demonstrate the impact of cask type on our whisky?s flavour, which is immense.

Created using a high proportion of first-fill sherry seasoned European and American oak casks, Thorfinn delivers a deep and complex array of flavours. Think fiery ginger fusing with sun-dried fruits and fistfuls of spice, all emboldened by our signature smokiness.

Released in 2013, Thorfinn is part of The Warrior Series, a collection of single malts created for Duty-Free to both introduce a key figure from Orkney’s Viking history and to demonstrate the impact of cask type on our whisky’s flavour, which is immense.

Created using a high proportion of first-fill sherry seasoned European and American oak casks, Thorfinn delivers a deep and complex array of flavours. Think fiery ginger fusing with sun-dried fruits and fistfuls of spice, all emboldened by our signature smokiness.