The malt is then smoked over peat from Hobbister moorland, which is quite close to the distillery. The peat from this moor has a recognizable heather aroma that greatly influences the final expression. In my experience, this is where I recognize the taste of Highland Park immediately!
Shortly afterwards, the distillate is put into casks. These casks will typically be made from American oak and European oak respectively. Once the staves have been selected, they are sent to Jerez in southern Spain, where coopers collect the barrels according to an old tradition. The casks are then aged in sherry for around 2 years and then shipped all the way back to Orkney. Now it's time to fill the fresh distillate.
After this, only time stands between the fresh distillate and the whisky-hungry consumer. The filled casks are carefully stored in Highland Park's warehouses, which stand rock solid in the stormy island landscape where temperatures are kept between 2° and 16°. According to Highland Park, this temperature spectrum creates the right harmony in the barrel aging process.
Finally, the casks are selected and blended and the music begins. Some bottlings are a blend of up to 150 different casks, of course all from Highland Park.
A real Highland Park In addition to Highland Park's own distribution, a wide range of whiskies from the distillery are also released through independent bottlings. These bottlings are likely to be without the Highland Park brand in the form of pagan-inspired bottle designs and, in some cases, the name. In most of these cases, the bottling will instead be named Orkney. Despite a different bottle design and in some cases name, the Highland Park character never wavers as the whisky is still produced according to Highland Park's five pillars.
To prove this statement, I will test a release from an independent bottler called Signatory Vintage. Signatory Vintage is a major player in independent bottlings and I have rarely been disappointed by them.
Our sample is nothing less than a 17 year old Highland Park, bottled at full cask strength!
SIGNATORY ORKNEY 17 (HP) 2005-2023 - 55.6
The color is natural with no added elements and appears dark and amber-golden.
The aroma offers honey, red berries, BBQ, gentle smoke and a scent of dusty books.
The taste is incredibly powerful and rich with notes of apricot, gingerbread, dark chocolate, burnt wood and leather.
The aftertaste lingers long after consumption and offers notes of honey hearts, brown sugar, coconut, gentle smoke and tobacco.
After about 15 minutes in the glass and with a few drops of water, the experience intensifies and a note of chili appears on the taste buds.
All in all, this is an incredibly successful and balanced bottling from Highland Park. The 17 years in cask have rounded out the harshness of the spirit and the 55.6% does not feel overwhelming. The classic signatures of the smoky, the spicy and the sweet are all present and there is no doubt about what you have in your glass. This is a genuine and uncompromising Highland Park from an independent bottler.
HIGHLAND PARK 13 YEARS, WHISKY.DK SINGLE CASK - 55,7% - ORKNEY Only available in the shop ( Vejstruprødvej 15 )Now we return to Highland Park the distillery from the island of Orkney. This time it is a private bottling for whisky.dk which is bottled at full cask strength of 55.7%! Again, a combination of quarter-cask bourbon and sherry casks are used, along with a balanced amount of smoke.
Color: Deep amber.
Nose: Almonds, honey, oranges, dark bread and mild smoke. The aroma is very dark and deep, but also a bit sharp.
Taste: Pepper bomb! Then a wonderful flavor of plums, pipe tobacco and burnt sugar emerges. It's punchy, raw and a little bitter. Super delicious!
Finish: Apricot, leather, coffee, old wood and a little bit of campfire smoke. The aftertaste is medium long and really nice. Conclusion: The overall experience screams Highland Park. Here you get the full Highland Park experience without the velvet gloves that the 12 is happy to use! I have often experienced that Highland Park bottlings at full cask strength go crazy with the pepper flavor. This one is no exception. It is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a strong and spicy whisky.
