What is a limited edition? Well, at Highland Park it is an unusual or interesting whisky, differentiated by its packaging, numbered usually in hundreds rather than thousands and offered to whisky enthusiasts around the world.

For example, The Ambassador’s Cask was a series of five single cask bottlings at natural strength which ran from 2005 to 2008, beginning with 270 bottles of cask #43. The fifth and last Ambassador’s Cask was released in December 2008 and comprised 228 bottles of cask #8845, a refill sherry hogshead, distilled in 1974. The entire series is sold out bar the last few bottles of the final bottling.

Also, in 2008, to commemorate the first 180 years of The Spectator magazine, a limited edition of 180 bottles of Highland Park 30 year old was created. Highland Park was established 30 years before The Spectator so it made sense that the anniversary bottling should be a 30 year old, the age of the distillery when the magazine was launched. This limited edition has now sold out. Even I haven’t got one…

Then, earlier this year, we released the 1977 Repatriation bottling. The existence of a forgotten cache of 694 bottles of the Bicentenary 1977 Vintage came to light in Japan and it was decided to ‘repatriate’ the whisky, to celebrate its extended Japanese sabbatical. The Repatriation bottling was packaged as a coming together of Japanese and Orcadian culture: it is presented in a bespoke oak box the embellishment of which follows classic Japanese graphic form; the front of the box features an outline of Japan as well as 1977 depicted in Japanese characters; the use of red as an extra colour is typically Japanese. It is selling quickly but there are still some bottles of this highly regarded whisky available, but you know it will be gone soon.

Finally, we recently released a new natural strength 12 year old whisky called Hjarta, named after the old Norse word for ‘heart’. Limited to approximately 3,900 bottles, Hjarta is only available at the distillery, in our on-line shop and in Scandinavia this Autumn.

For more information about the Best Spirit in the World, or to buy one of these great limited editions, visit www.highlandpark.co.uk
 
 

Gerry
Head of Brand Education, Highland Park

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