Scotch

Scotch Whisky Review: Highland Park 56 Year Old Highland Park 56 Highland Park

$53,500

OVERALL
RATING

Scotch Whisky Review: Highland Park 56 Year Old

Highland Park 56 is the oldest and rarest single malt to come out of the distillery on Orkney. Phil Dwyer was lucky enough to try it.

by Phil Dwyer
February 12, 2025

Phil Dwyer is a whisky enthusiast, YouTuber, and manager of The Whisky Shop Manchester, UK.

Tasting Notes:

About:

An impressively aged single cask from Highland Park. Aged for forty years in a refill sherry cask and then transferred into a first fill sherry American oak puncheon for the final 16 years, this single cask yielded only 170 bottles for the whole world. The transfer of this liquid into the puncheon is an amazing showcase of quality vs purpose when it comes down to casks. We all love a first fill barrel of anything, but sometimes they can be very overpowering and you can lose elements of distillery character that are really important to the longevity of your distillery. The liquid that preceded this was transferred into a European oak sherry cask, giving it a deeper, more chocolate and raisin driven flavour. The movement of this whisky into a sherry cask made of American oak for the last 16 years of its life has produced this lighter, more floral, extremely complex liquid that has a lot to say. I’ve been sitting with this liquid for two hours at this point and it keeps giving me things that I wasn’t expecting.

Appearance:

Caramel Sauce

Nose:

Fresh cotton, jasmine and waxy fruit. A word used to describe this has been ‘ethereal’ and you certainly get that with this super floral approach to the flavour. There’s a floral soap quality to this which makes me think about grapefruit, lily flowers, rose water and freshly sawn wood.

You don’t get the classic notes of coffee, honey and chocolate that we see in standard Highland Park whiskies; this is much more these treble driven, higher register aromas. There are notes of mango, grapefruit and red apple dominating it.

Palate:

A wonderfully sweet start, almost brown sugar to the tongue and then you start to feel the weight and age of this whisky. It isn’t a tannic, oak dominant flavour but you start to pick up on increments of flavour in two different types of cask over nearly six decades.

More of those mango and papaya notes, a little hint of something spicy like coriander and chilli flakes. The earthier notes dominate the rest of the taste as you move this around your mouth – vanilla pod, herbal tea, Lillet Blanc, pine and lemon oil.

Finish:

Surprisingly fresh. It’s grassy, sweet, a little bitter with notes of white vermouth, more coriander and very gentle, fizzing oak notes that swell all around your tongue. It feels like a pulsating sensation that gives you brown sugar, red apples, pineapple, freshly cut grass, gentle wood notes, olive oil and tangy grapefruit.

Comments:

As a Highland Park fan, this is the exact opposite of what I thought it would be. It’s delicate, light, extremely complex and shows another style of what Highland Park can be with laser focused cask management of older liquids. It’s an honour to have tasted this and still has me thinking about those herbal bitter notes working against luscious sweet, bright fruit.

An ethereal image of the Highland Park 56 that reflects the whisky inside the bottle. — Credit: Highland Park

Highland Park 56 is the oldest and rarest single malt to come out of the distillery on Orkney. Renowned for its honeyed tones and heather peat notes, Highland Park whisky is consistently awarded. This whisky, however, is a completely different ball game with a fascinating creation story.

The Making of Highland Park 56

Highland Park 56 traces its origins back to 2008, when newly appointed Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion discovered ten casks from the 1968 vintage. Recognizing their exceptional quality, he saw the potential to craft something truly remarkable.

Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals.

By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

To enhance the whisky’s depth and complexity, these casks underwent a second maturation in first-fill sherry-seasoned casks. This process yielded some of Highland Park’s most prized expressions—yet only one cask was set aside.

At the time of release, Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion, said: “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.”

The Presentation

The bottle and presentation case for Highland Park 56 draws inspiration from the Standing Stones of Stenness, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Orkney. Believed to have been erected over 5,000 years ago, these stones “may be the earliest henge monument in the British Isles,” according to Historic Environment Scotland. While their exact purpose remains unknown, they are thought to have played a role in ceremonies celebrating both past and present communities.

Highland Park 56 pays homage to this ancient heritage through a decanter and case designed to mirror the shape and texture of the stones.

The Best Non-Kentucky Bourbon According To The World Whiskies Awards USA 2025

The Best Value Irish Whiskeys In 2025

Rare 1986 Blanton’s Bicentennial Bottle Headlines Nonprofit Raffle

The Best Bourbons According To The Whiskey Wash Awards 2025

From Mild to Wild: Understanding Peat Levels in Scotch Whisky

Johnnie Walker Colors Explained: The Complete Guide to All Six Whiskies

The Best Blended Irish Whiskey According To The World Whiskies Awards Ireland 2025

Beyond Blue Label: Johnnie Walker’s Most Expensive Releases

Bourbon Review: Wild Turkey Rare Breed

From Mild to Wild: Understanding Peat Levels in Scotch Whisky

Find Out More About Highland Park 56

The release of the Highland Park 56 was widely reported on The Whiskey Wash. You can read our initial news story – with input from the creators – here, the inside scoop from Gordon Motion here, and all about the design process with Michael Rudak here.

To enquire about purchasing the 56, get in touch with Edrington.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer's passion for whisky is undeniable. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil manages The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curates an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

All Posts

Latest On The Whiskey Wash