Highland Park distillery is an Island single malt Scotch whisky distillery located in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands, Scotland.
 | |
| Region: Island | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland |
| Owner | Edrington |
| Founded | 1798 |
| Status | Operational |
| No. of stills | 2 wash 2 spirit |
| Capacity | 2,500,000 litres |
| Highland Park | |
| Age(s) | (in years) NAS, 12, 14 (duty-free), 15, 16 (duty-free), 18, 21, 54 |
| Cask type(s) | Bourbon Sherry |
Is the second northernmost single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Scotland.[1][2]
History
editHighland Park distillery was founded by Magnus Eunson, a butcher and church officer by day and illicit distiller and whisky smuggler by night. In 1798 he was caught illegally distilling whisky on the site. In 1826, nearly 30 years later, Highland Park received an official licence to distill whisky.[2] The name of the distillery does not refer to the Scottish Highlands, but rather to the fact that the distillery was founded on an area called 'High Park' distinguished from a lower area nearby.[3]
In 1937, Highland Park distillery was sold to James Grant & Sons of Glasgow.[4]
In 1979, the distillery was purchased by The Edrington Group, that also owned The Macallan distillery.[5]
In February 2023, Highland Park released a 54-year-old Single Malt Scotch whisky to celebrate Highland Park's 225th anniversary.[6]
Production
editThe distilling process at Highland Park is the same as that used at other distilleries.
Highland Park uses the local peat,[7] which contains a higher proportion of heather than many other peats.[3] The whisky is aged in sherry casks made of either American or European oak, purchased from Oloroso sherry producers in Spain.[3]
Whisky
editHighland Park range:[8]
Classic collection
editHighland Park 12 Year Old
Highland Park 15 Year Old
Highland Park 18 Year Old
Highland Park 21 Year Old 2024 Release
Highland Park 25 Year Old 2023 Release
Highland Park 54 Year Old
Special Editions
editHighland Park Cask Strength Release No. 5
Highland Park Single Cask Series: Cask No. 1494
Awards
editHighland Park has been named "The Best Spirit in the World" on three occasions by F. Paul Pacult, America's foremost expert on distilled spirits. Its 25-year-old whisky was the first spirit ever to receive a perfect 100-point score at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. In 2018, two of its special distillery releases, The Light and The Dark, were each awarded a Double Gold medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.[9] In 2019 and for the fourth year running,[10][11][12] Highland Park won the Chairman's Trophy for Best in Category at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.[13]
In 2018, Highland Park ranked second, behind sister distillery The Macallan, in whisky auction sales driven by growing demand from whisky collectors for the distillery's special releases.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Compton, Natalie B. (5 September 2017). "How to Drink Scotch Like You Know What You're Doing". QC.
- ^ a b Pharms, words: Gabrielle (10 August 2018). "9 Things You Should Know About Highland Park Scotch Whisky". VinePair. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ a b c Newman, Kara. "Exploring the Whisky Islands of Scotland". Wine Enthusiast.
- ^ Helen Arthur (2002) [1997]. The single malt companion (in Dutch). Lisbeth Machielsen (trans.). Libero. ISBN 978-90-5764-236-4.
- ^ Smith, Gavin D (2012). Whisky Opus - The Definitive 21st-Century Reference to the World's Greatest Distilleries and Their Whiskies. Dorling Kindersley Limited.
- ^ Feilden, Eloise (24 February 2023). "Highland Park releases its oldest whisky expression to date". The Drinks Business. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ "Highland Park Whisky Distillery Tour". Gear Patrol. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "Highland Park | Our Whisky". Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2018 Results" (PDF).
- ^ "2018 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Results | Spirit Product Awards". www.ultimate-beverage.com. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "2017 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Results | Spirit Product Awards". www.ultimate-beverage.com. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "2016 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Results | Spirit Product Awards". www.ultimate-beverage.com. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Results | Spirit Product Awards". www.ultimate-beverage.com. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "Rare Whisky 101 2018 Report" (PDF).
Notes
edit- Buxton, Ian (2010). A Good Foundation: Highland Park, Orkney, established 1798: a 1924 account of the distillery. Kirkwall: Highland Park Distillery. OCLC 650967730.
- Jackson, Michael (2004). Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, 5th edition. Running Press. pp. 309–311. ISBN 978-0-7624-1313-3.
- Lerner, Daniel (1998). Single Malt & Scotch Whisky. Könemann. pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-3-8290-0418-3.