Cover The Highland Park 54 Years Old, the oldest expression of Highland Park to date, crafted to celebrate its 225th anniversary (Photo: Highland Park)
The Highland Park 54 Years Old, the oldest expression of Highland Park to date, crafted to celebrate its 225th anniversary (Photo: Highland Park)
1 / 1
Tatler+
Only 225 bottles have been created of the oldest Highland Park to date, crafted to celebrate the distillery's 225th anniversary
The Scottish islands of Orkney are not forgiving. A cluster of about 70 islands (of which only 20 are inhabited) about 16 kilometres away from the northernmost tip of Scotland, powerful winds batter Orkney’s cliffs and promontories. No trees survive the onslaught. For 225 years, Highland Park Distillery has braved the elements in Kirkwall, Orkney since 1798 to create exquisite whiskies from its woodless yet heather-rich peat, giving its whiskies its signature smoky-sweet expressions. Now, Highland Park has distilled Orkney’s salty sea winds, the floral character of its peat, and its finest sherry-seasoned oak casks to create Highland Park's oldest release, the 54 Year Old single malt—a limited release of only 225 bottles worldwide, marking the 225th year of the whisky house’s birth.
Don’t miss: Discover Highland Park's latest 'Flavours from the Fire' whisky pairing menu with Birds of a Feather
Above The strong winds and temperate climate at Orkney makes for woodless yet heather-rich peat, which is responsible for Highland Park's signature smoky-sweet profile
The strong winds and temperate climate at Orkney makes for woodless yet heather-rich peat, which is responsible for Highland Park's signature smoky-sweet profile
1 / 1
Crafted by master whisky maker Gordon Motion, the 54 Year Old is Highland Park’s oldest single malt scotch whisky to date—the product of four refill butts and six refill hogshead, originally laid down in 1968. Motion saw then that the whiskies possessed a beautiful light colour and the promising depth of older whiskies; he combined them in February 2008 into first fill European sherry-seasoned butts, where it matured for another 14 years. The product is a complex whisky boasting a deep natural autumnal russet colour, with the aromatic complexity and intensity to boot.
“This exceptionally rare 54 Year Old single malt scotch whisky has been nurtured through careful maturation and harmonisation,” Motion said. “Representing a quarter of Highland Park’s life, we felt it was a fitting way to mark our 225th anniversary, born and crafted in the heart of Orkney.”
In case you missed it: Liquid Assets: Singapore's Top Wine and Spirits Collectors And Their Insider Tips
Above Closer detail of the Scottish oak presentation box, carved to mimic the Yesnaby cliffs in Orkney (Photo: Highland Park)
Above Closer detail of the Highland Park 54 Year Old, whose textural designs are reminiscent of the surge of molten lava that erupted and cooled to form Orkney’s islands (Photo: Highland Park)
Closer detail of the Scottish oak presentation box, carved to mimic the Yesnaby cliffs in Orkney (Photo: Highland Park)
1 / 2
Going through the tasting notes, senior brand ambassador Martin Markvardsen points out the beautiful vintage oak and “delicate smoke” of the whisky, with hints of lychee, camphor, and jasmine profiles. The 54 Year Old comes in a bespoke embossed bottle, whose textural designs are reminiscent of the surge of molten lava that erupted and cooled to form Orkney’s islands. It comes encased in a Scottish oak presentation box designed by award-winning designer John Galvin, carved to mimic the Yesnaby cliffs in Orkney, with each piece of wood hand-blasted. No one box is the same, each with its own unique colour variations.
The new Highland Park 54 Year Old is available exclusively to selected private clients and upon request only. An invitation for a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Orkney completes the luxury package.
Please enjoy Highland Park responsibly.
Topics
Ethan Kan was Tatler Singapore’s dining writer.
