When Highland Park, Scotland’s northernmost distillery nestled in the Orkney Islands, filled over 10,000 casks in 1968, no one could have predicted that a select few would evolve into the distillery’s oldest release to date. Now, Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion has revealed the remarkable journey behind their new 56 Year Old whisky, a testament to patience and precision in whisky making.
“Back in 1968, Highland Park filled over 10,000 casks. In 2008 a small proportion of these casks remained, and I decided to assess them with a view to enhancing the flavour,” Motion explained via email correspondence. “Ten of these casks, (four butts and six hogsheads) had managed to maintain a fairly high strength for their age and were chosen to fill back into five new casks, mostly first fill ex-Sherry casks. The original ten had been refill casks, which meant the whisky had developed very light, ethereal notes without being overpowered by a woody character.”
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From Thousands to One: The Selection Process
Motion uses a fascinating tree analogy to describe the whisky’s development, highlighting the careful selection process that would shape this historic release. “A tree has many thousands of roots, but a much smaller number of main roots secure the trunk to the ground,” he shared. “These main roots relate to the 10 casks chosen back in 2008. The trunk of the tree represents the bringing together of these 5 casks and the progress they took over the following years, gradually going their different directions, just as trees form different branches.”
This methodical approach has already yielded several exceptional releases. “Over the last few years, whisky from some of these five new casks has been used to make our 50 Year Old releases and more recently, 54 Year Old,” Motion noted. “However, for the last 16 years, the whisky in this cask has remained undisturbed, until now.”
A Complex Character Born of Time
The whisky’s extended maturation journey has created an extraordinarily complex profile that speaks to both its age and heritage. “The fact that the whisky had spent 40 years in refill casks means that it has maintained a very delicate, ethereal character,” Motion explained. “These last 16 years in a first fill American oak ex-Sherry cask, have delivered intensely perfumed jasmine and lilac notes with sweet raisins, and cloudy honey aroma balanced with a hint of pink grapefruit, and old oak.”
The final character combines Highland Park’s signature style with decades of careful maturation, resulting in a whisky of remarkable complexity. “The flavour is rich and complex with hints of citrus, Seville orange peel and coriander seeds, mixing with a slightly smoky almost lapsang souchong tea character,” Motion added. “The after taste is one of intense woody spices, honeyed oak and fragrant peat smoke.”
Each of the casks used in this release shares the same original DNA but has developed its own distinct character over time, Motion noted, making each bottle a unique piece of Highland Park’s history. The Highland Park 56 Year Old will be available from select retailers starting January 22nd, 2025, with just 170 bottles available globally at $50,000 (£40,000).