Highland Park Unveils Its Oldest & Rarest Single Malt Scotch

The Highland Park 56 Year Old is drawn from a never-before-tasted cask, one of the rarest that the distillery has ever produced. 
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The Highland Park 56. All images credit: Highland Park

Highland Park Distillery has launched its oldest and rarest single malt scotch whisky to date – the Highland Park 56. The Highland Park 56 Year Old is drawn from a never-before-tasted cask, one of the rarest that the distillery has ever produced. 

Priced at $53,500, the whisky will be available globally from January 21st, 2025, and available in the U.S. starting this Spring. Only 170 bottles have been created. 

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The Making Of Highland Park 56 

The story of Highland Park 56 began in 2008, when the new Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, came upon ten 1968 vintage casks. The whisky was exceptional, as was Gordon’s foresight – he saw the opportunity to create something truly special. 

The whisky in these casks was given a second maturation in first-fill sherry-seasoned casks, creating incredible depth and complexity. These casks went on to produce some of Highland Park’s most prized expression. Just one was reserved for use in the Highland Park 56. 

“What excites me most about Highland Park 56 is that it has both complexity and vibrancy – even after all these years, the distinctive character of Highland Park’s Orkney heathered-peat stands out. There isn’t the intense woodiness that I’d typically expect to taste in a whisky of this age. The 56 has all the complexity and depth you’d expect of an aged whisky, but you can absolutely taste the distinctive, subtle smoke of our Orkney heathered peat which really makes this whisky remarkable.”

Gordon Motion continues: “Our oldest and rarest whiskies are the ultimate expression of Highland Park’s craft. As casks are natural products, and each of them unique, I broadly know what I’ll get from each but every now and then I find something interesting that just stops me in my tracks – and that’s exactly what I experienced with these ten. The second maturation has allowed me to push them even further and I know we’ve created something special. It’s exciting to share Highland Park 56 for the first time.”

Highland Park is well known – and awarded – for its distinctive profile, thanks to the stunning heather peat that grows on Orkney.  

The Presentation 

Highland Park Distillery has always displayed a strong tie with its Orcadian home, and this is something that the brand wished to emulate with the packaging for this expression. 

The design of the bottle and presentation case was inspired by The Standing Stones of Stenness, a World Heritage Site located on Orkney. Thought to have been erected over 5,000 years ago, The Standing Stones of Stenness “may be the earliest henge monument in the British Isles,” according to historicenvironment.scot. Although we do not know the exact purpose of the stones, it is thought that they were involved in ceremonies and activities celebrating communities past and present. 

Highland Park 56 pays tribute to these stones with the decanter and case designed to reflect the shape and texture of the stones – therefore also paying homage to ancient Orcadian communities and their connection with the island. 

Telling A Story 

Highland Park 56 marks the second collaboration between John Galvin and Michael Rudak on a Highland Park bottling, having previously worked on the presentation for Highland Park 54. The two set out to tell a story about the human relationship with nature on Orkney, and how this has influenced Highland Park. 

Master crafter, John Galvin, explains: “Highland Park 54 was all about how Orkney was created and the geological make-up of the islands. What we wanted to do for Highland Park 56 was to continue this story – to explore humanity’s fingerprint on the islands, as well as that dynamic relationship with the land and the use of all the beautiful, natural materials and resources.

“When I visited the Standing Stones of Stenness, which are ancient, incredible and a real celebration of the craft of the people who created them thousands of years ago, this heavily influenced the design of Highland Park 56. I pulled through elements and textures created with Highland Park 54 to create harmony, and I designed the presentation case to stand very proudly – the shape is almost an abstract version of two of the standing stones. I used an equal combination of precision engineering and craft to create the presentation case to respect that interaction between human and nature.”

Glass designer, Michael Rudak, added: “If Highland Park 54 was the first stage of our story, then Highland Park 56 is about evolution. So, we focused on how people began to touch and shape the land. It’s interesting with the standing stones – their stature encourages and inspires you to walk around them, exploring their texture and history. We brought that sentiment through into the decanter design. The silhouette isn’t a direct replica, but the feeling is the same. The form is purposely designed to look strong and proud, but it has been softened and dimpled to represent warmth and elegance. The organic, irregular textures evoke the powerful water that’s helped shape Orkney’s natural landscape and resources, while becoming an abstract representation of humanity’s fingerprint.

“For me, the most interesting part is the almost everlasting nature of stone. Because of this, the Standing Stones of Stenness are one of, if not the most, prominent fingerprint on the islands. I felt that the story of Orkney’s growth led us there.”

Pricing & Availability 

Only 170 bottles of Highland Park 56 have been created globally. In the U.S., the bottle will retail for $53,500 from Spring 2025. 

The whisky will be available globally starting today (January 21st, 2025). 

To find a bottle near you, visit the Find Our Spirits locator or check availability at ReserveBar.com and Caskers.com

Highland Park 56 Tasting Notes & Technical Details

Courtesy of Highland Park 

  • Nose – Jasmine, lilac, sweet raisins, cloudy honey and delicate peat smoke
  • Palate – Seville orange peel, coriander seeds and lapsang souchong tea
  • Finish – Subtle woody spices, honeyed oak and fragrant heathery peat smoke


Natural cask-driven color (no additives): Deep autumnal gold

Volume: 70cl non-chill filtered

ABV: 47.1%

Beth Squires

Beth Squires joined Mark Littler Ltd full-time in October 2020 after completing her university degree in English Literature. Since then, she has acquired extensive knowledge about all aspects of whisk(e)y and now holds the position of Deputy Editor at The Whiskey Wash. Beth is passionate about history, industry innovation, marketing, and sustainability. With a special fondness for independently bottled rare scotch, Beth also serves as a whisky bottle investment specialist.

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