Highland Park Distillery
Scotland's Oldest Working Distillery
Go way up to the North of Scotland, and you are still not there. Take a 90 minute Ferry from Scrabster and you reach it. Orkney. Home to the oldest working distillery in Scotland. This is the Islands Region – a region that is probably least known, and least recognised. It is often bundled together with the Highland region which seems a tad unfair due to the already colossal size and distillery population of the Highlands. It almost seems ironic then, that the oldest working Distillery in Scotland is called Highland Park. But that comes from the area it was built, known as High Park. It is one of my favourites (but then they all are).
The Most Northern Distillery in Scotland
Highland Park Distillery is in Kirkwall. It dates back to 1798, when it was operated by an illicit distiller and smuggler, Magnus Eunson, a colourful character who also worked as a butcher and church officer. The reality is that the distillery was active long before that year, but it was its official founding date as that’s when Eunson got caught by the authorities and was forced to start paying taxes!
Highland Park Distillery is also Scotland’s most northerly (previously also the most northerly in the world), being almost inside the Arctic circle. It is actually closer to Oslo than it is to London! Highland Park is very proud of its Viking roots with many of its whiskies taking on Viking names or themes. Its single malts are amongst the most popular and acclaimed, regularly drawing high prices at auctions.
Highland Park is now owned by the Edrington Group who also own Macallan.
Kirkwall is also home to the most Northerly Cathedral. St Magnus Cathedral known as the ‘Light in the North’ was founded in 1137 by the Viking, Earl Rognvald, in honour of his uncle St Magnus who was martyred in Orkney. It is huge, and magnificent.
They Still Malt Their Own Barley
Highland Park is one of just a handful of distilleries in Scotland that malts its own barley. They are incredibly proud of their local source of peat from Hobbister Moor, just 7 miles from the distillery. The peat is over 9000 years old in places and up to 4 meters deep – so plenty around to keep the distillery going! Peat here is very different to peat found on Islay where many of Scotland's peaty drams come from. Sometimes attributed to the heather, the peat on Orkney results in a much milder peat taste so those of you not enamoured to Ardbeg or Laphroaig, I recommend you try a dram of Highland Park!
They have a core range of whiskies ranging from 10 years old all the way up to 50 years old. They also produce some incredible limited bottlings from selected casks – these are all given mystical or Viking names, such as Valkyrie, and Valknut.
A Real Bargain!
Edrington bought Highland Park and Macallan. And these two have dominated the high price brackets of the auction sites. So you would expect a high price recommendation here. But this just goes to show that there are gems out there that are within easy reach.
This 14-year-old Orkney is part of Signatory's Vintage 100 Proof Collection, in which the whiskies are bottled directly at a minimum of 57.1% vol cask strength. The term proof is an old unit of measurement for the alcohol content of a drink, especially whisky, which indicates the minimum alcohol content above which gunpowder soaked in the liquid can be ignited. This method was used in the heyday of seafaring so that the casks in the belly of the ship could withstand the harsh weather conditions at sea.
This Single Malt was bottled as number 59 of the 100 proof series and was refined in first fill Palo Cortado hogsheads cask and presents subtle sherry spice with maritime freshness and gentle smoky notes. Beautiful! It will dance on your tongue!
14 years in a cask, and sold at 57.1% ABV for ........ 50€! Strongly recommended!