His pedigree is irreproachable, his story inspiring, and his track record more than impressive. Winner of a host of prestigious awards, a favorite of connoisseurs and collectors, Highland Park produces some of the most award-winning whiskeys in the world. Distilled in an idyllic region of northern Scotland, its single malts owe their complexity and their very particular character to a know-how faithfully transmitted for centuries.
The Highland Park house has been producing remarkable scotches since 1798, with the greatest respect for the traditions and the very special terroir of Orkney. Its whisky, whose reputation is well established, is distinguished by its exceptional aromatic profile, dependent not only on a constant concern for excellence and a transmission of knowledge that has lasted for generations, but also on an exceptional geographical location. Because here, close to the Arctic Circle, the elements have shaped not only the steep coasts of the islands, but also the character of the inhabitants – and the distillers. This intangible nordicity is the distinctive sign that makes Highland Park whiskeys recognized worldwide.
A unique history and terroir
The Orkney archipelago stretches to the very north of Scotland, near the Arctic Circle. Swept by the wind, lashed by the waves of the North Sea, these some 70 islands at the end of the world, of which only about twenty are inhabited, benefit from a surprisingly mild climate tempered by the Gulf Stream. It is for this reason that its lands have been cultivated for millennia by a handful of irreducible people who do not fear isolation, in particular the Norwegian Vikings, who annexed the archipelago in 875 and who remained there until 1472. , when its sovereignty passed to the Kingdom of Scotland. It is on the main island, the aptly named Mainland, that the history of Highland Park whiskey begins in 1798, with the arrival of Magnus Eunson. Churchman by day, smuggler by night – you can’t make it up! – he embarked, like so many Scots, on illicit distillation in order to escape the ridiculously high taxes levied by the Crown to fill his war chests. Pursued by the excisemen, or collectors of the time, he would have hidden bottles of whiskey under the pulpit of the church, and even, during a raid, in a coffin during a fake funeral oration.
But this colorful character was more than astute: passionate about good whiskey and endowed with an excellent business sense, he developed rigorous production techniques, which are still put into practice today at the distillery he has itself founded on the heights of the town of Kirkwall. To the original buildings, which were able to withstand the onslaught of particularly violent winds for more than two centuries, new constructions have been added, including 23 warehouses and two huge ovens, the youngest of which is 100 years old. The malted barley grains are dried here over a low-temperature peat fire, which gives the whiskey delicate smoky notes. The site also hosts four imposing stills with windows, which allow visitors to observe the distillation process up close.
A success all the way
The work of Magnus Eunson and those who succeeded him paid off. Two centuries after the founding of the distillery, Highland Park whiskeys are causing a stir at international auctions.
What explains this success with amateurs and collectors? A remarkable range of whiskeys that are distinguished by a beautiful complexity combined with a clever balance of flavors. At the tasting, even if each one is distinguished by its particular character, a common thread evoking honey and fruit cake on a delicately smoky background is very present. The range includes around 20 whiskeys aged between 10 and 54 years old, as well as special limited edition editions bearing witness to the boundless imagination of master distiller Gordon Motion. Collectors can also try to get their hands on classic or rare whiskeys now out of print, which regularly appear at auctions and from private merchants.
International award-winning wines
The whiskey that can be considered as the great classic of the house remains the Highland Park 12 years old Orkney Scotch. In 2022, this single malt won two gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which is the oldest and largest competition of its kind. Additionally, the International Spirits Challenge and The Scotch Whiskey Masters competitions both awarded it a gold medal in 2020.
Aged in oak barrels that have contained sherry which give it well-balanced aromas, the Highland Park 12 Year Old is a lightly and subtly peated single malt. On tasting, it gives off warm aromas of Seville orange, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, and it reveals scents of heather honey against a background of smoky notes. It is a harmonious whisky that appeals to fans of peated Scotch whiskies as well as those who want to learn about their particular flavors. $84.75 at the SAQ.
In 2022, Highland Park 15 Year Old won two gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. This single malt generous immediately evokes crème brûlée and honey, then unfolds intensely fruity notes of pineapple, vanilla and lemon zest, which contrast with its peaty finish. A unique product, bottled in a white ceramic bottle reminiscent of the earthenware decanters originally used in Orkney to store whisky. It is a real collector’s item. $176.25 at the SAQ.
With two gold medals awarded in 2022 by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition the same year, the Highland Park 18 Year Old is not to be outdone, since he is the most awarded whiskey from the distillery. It has been designated “best spirits in the world” by an international authority on the subject, F. Paul Pacult, founder of the Spirit Journal bearing his name. In addition, the International Spirits Challenge not only awarded it the gold medal, but also gave it an almost perfect score of 96 out of 100. This refined whisky, combining notes of cherries, cocoa, honeycomb and orange peel tinged with salt spray, also distinguished himself at the Scotch Whiskey Masters (gold medal in 2020 and 2019). $231.25 at the SAQ.
THE FIVE KEYS
The maintenance of the quality of the whiskey, which has endured over time, is explained by the constancy and attention to detail, and this has always been the case. Indeed, the distillery develops its whiskeys based on fundamental principles that are closely interrelated. From the malting technique to the selection of casks in which the flavors will develop, every aspect of production meets rigorous criteria that give Highland Park whiskeys their own personality.
1 – Ground malting, done manually
Whisky, remember, is made from malt, the distillate of barley grain. Beforehand, the beans, which are still green, are dried in ovens at low temperature, a stage where the distiller develops their aromatic profile. Due to its abundance, peat has long been the fuel of choice for Scottish producers, but today it is only used to produce peated whiskeys such as Highland Park, to which it gives a unique character. At the Kirkwall distillery, special attention is paid to this crucial step. Thus, the barley is manually turned every eight hours in order to maintain an ideal airflow and humidity level allowing it to fully absorb the intense aromatic smoke emanating from the ovens. Faithful to this tradition, the Highland Park distillery is one of the last in Scotland to use this ancestral process.
2 – The aromatic peat of Hobbister Moor
Located less than 10 kilometers from the distillery – hard to be more local! – Hobbister Moor bog is 9,000 years old. The peat is harvested there by hand each spring, then naturally dried during the summer months before being burned in the ovens. Particular sign: this fuel is mainly made up of fragrant heather, trees becoming rare in Orkney due to the constant onslaught of the wind. The fresh, woody and floral scent of Scotland’s iconic shrub imparts unique aromas to whiskey upon malting.
3 – Aging in European or American oak barrels
The choice of barrels is crucial, since they give up to 80% of the flavor to the whiskey and they alone determine the color of the final product. For this reason, the Highland Park distillery relies on premium oak barrels, carefully selected from Europe and the United States. The technique of cutting the staves, that is the wooden slats forming the barrels, is similar to that used by the Vikings to seal their vessels. The staves are shipped to southern Spain, Jerez, where the barrels are blended and then filled with sherry. After maturing for two years, they are emptied, then shipped to the island of Mainland to finally receive the distillate. Note: these precious barrels are used not only for finishing the whiskey, but also for its maturation cycle.
4 – Cold ripening
It is said that whiskeys made under harsh weather conditions are the best. With long winters where the sun shines by its absence, heavy rainfall and winds often reaching 100 kilometers per hour, Orkney qualifies hands down! But it is above all the constant coolness of the weather, with average temperatures ranging between 2°C and 16°C throughout the year, which favors a slow and uniform maturation of the whisky.
5 – The harmonization of drums
Creating a well-balanced whiskey takes patience and skill, and master distiller Gordon Motion, who joined the ranks of Highland Park in 2008, has it all! For each cuvée, he selects and combines whiskeys from a large number of barrels – up to 150, in fact – in order to obtain an optimal blend, where the marriage of notes and the fine dosages play a leading role. plan. The bottling of the whiskey thus obtained takes place a month later in order to allow time for the flavors to harmonize to achieve a perfect balance. This is the key to obtaining the roundness and long finish characteristic of the products of the legendary distillery.
For more information: highlandparkwhisky.com
We’ve been crafting our award-winning whiskey at Highland Park Distillery, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, since 1798. Today, 225 years later, we’re one of Scotland’s ten oldest still-operating distilleries. Age, experience and respect for tradition may define our whisky, but Orkney is what really sets us apart.
This content was produced by Le Devoir’s special publications team in collaboration with the advertiser. Le Devoir’s editorial team had no role in the production of this content.
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