Highland Park 16 years old Between you and I By Bjorn Frantzen Single Orkney Malt Scotch Whisky 48%

Some whiskies are made to be drunk. This one was made to be argued over. Highland Park handed cask selection to a Swedish three-star chef, then sent the bottle out with no official tasting notes at all. What comes in the box instead is a set of 16 cards and one question: what do you taste?

The expert's description

Highland Park 16 Year Old Between You and I By Björn Frantzén Single Orkney Malt Scotch Whisky 48% is a Single Orkney Malt Scotch Whisky matured in virgin Swedish oak, ex-bourbon casks and sherry-seasoned oak casks, bottled at 48%.

Björn Frantzén is the Swedish chef behind Frantzén in Stockholm, the first restaurant in Sweden to hold three Michelin stars. His cooking pulls Nordic produce through Japanese precision and French technique, and that way of thinking about flavour is exactly what Highland Park wanted inside the warehouse when the casks were chosen.

Virgin Swedish oak carries the whisky. It is the first time the distillery has matured spirit in that wood, and it brings a dry, nutty spice found nowhere else in the range. Around it sit ex-bourbon casks for sweetness and warmth, and sherry-seasoned oak casks pulling vanilla and dried fruit into the blend. Underneath everything lies Highland Park's own heather peat, dialled well down.

Every bottle ships with those 16 cards. They do not tell you what should be in the glass; they ask questions and leave the wording to you. The whisky is non-chill filtered and bottled at natural colour, so nothing of the character is planed off on the way out of the warehouse.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and pale orchard fruit lead, then a dry nuttiness from the Swedish oak — somewhere between hazelnut and freshly planed timber. The peat sits far down and reads as dried heather rather than bonfire.

Palate

A soft opening of honey, apricot and candied lemon peel. Then the oak tightens with nutmeg and a flick of black tea, and only at the very end does the smoke slide in from the side.

Finish

Medium length and on the dry side. The spice hangs on, the malt returns, and a trace of salt closes it out alongside the last of the smoke.

Specifications

Name: Highland Park 16 Year Old Between You and I By Björn Frantzén Single Orkney Malt Scotch Whisky 48%
Distillery: Highland Park
Region/Country: Orkney, Scotland
Type: Single Orkney Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 16 years
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Virgin Swedish oak, ex-bourbon and sherry-seasoned oak casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Between You and I

Flavour profile

Spicy · Fruity · Nutty · Lightly Smoky · Soft

Investment potential

High. This is the first Highland Park matured in virgin Swedish oak, the release is limited in time, and a collaboration between an old Scottish distillery and a three-star chef rarely gets a second run. A cask type that exists nowhere else in the range makes the bottle hard to replace once the shelves clear.

Did you know?

Highland Park sent Björn Frantzén the very first bottle without telling him what to look for. His own associations ran from a tropical palm beach to childhood baking in Sweden, and those responses became the starting point for the packaging design.

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Frequently asked questions about Highland Park 16 Year Old Between You and I By Björn Frantzén Single Orkney Malt Scotch Whisky 48%

What kind of release is Between You and I?

It is a limited Highland Park bottling created with Swedish chef Björn Frantzén. What sets it apart is that it goes on sale with no official tasting notes whatsoever. The box holds 16 cards instead, nudging you to put your own words to what is in the glass.

Is it worth investing in?

Yes, the groundwork is strong. This is Highland Park's first use of virgin Swedish oak, the run is limited, and partnerships of this kind seldom repeat. A 16 year old Orkney malt built on wood the rest of the range has never seen leaves little to swap it for once stock is gone.

What does the Swedish oak do to the flavour?

It lays a dry, nutty spice across the whisky. Highland Park points to that nutty spiciness as the defining trait of the release, and because the casks were virgin and had never held spirit before, the wood character goes straight into the whisky with no previous fill acting as a buffer.

How are the 16 cards meant to be used?

You draw them while you taste. Each card offers an association rather than an answer, and the point is that two people around the same glass rarely land in the same place. That is also why the bottle works best in company.

How smoky is it?

Only mildly. The peat is dialled well down here and works as a soft, earthy floor beneath the fruit and the oak spice. Smoke runs the whole length of the dram, but it is never the first thing you notice.

Does the whisky work with food?

Yes, and that sits at the heart of the idea. Björn Frantzén suggests chilled vichyssoise with smoked haddock for this one. The nutty oak spice and light smoke also handle roasted root vegetables, firm cheeses and anything built on brown butter.

Which glass suits it best?

A tulip-shaped whisky glass with a narrow rim. It gathers the pale fruit notes that a wide glass simply loses. Pour a small measure at room temperature, let it settle for five minutes, and hold the water back until you have tasted it neat.