Highland Park distillery, creators of The Best Spirit in the World*, has unveiled the  oldest ever island single malt whisky – Highland Park 50 year old – launched exclusively at Harrods, London.

With only 275 bottles produced, this prestigious edition is set to become an exclusive collectors’ item.  Each bottle is unique, encased in an intricate ‘net cage’ of hand-crafted ornate Sterling silver created by Scottish jewellery designer Maeve Gillies, who took inspiration from Orkney’s elemental forces. Maeve’s bottle design celebrates Orkney: its seas, island life, wild elements, incredible natural light and the passage of time.

In recognition of the famous St Magnus Cathedral and its medieval beauty, the front of each bottle features a single piece of circular Orkney sandstone into which is hand-carved the Highland Park amulette.  Inside the bottle, behind this sandstone, lies a Sterling silver replica of the St Magnus rose window which is revealed over time as the whisky is enjoyed.

Bottled at 44.8% abv, Highland Park 50 year old is a vatting of five refill oak casks distilled in 1960.  Its naturally burnished mahogany colour, rich and spicy tannins and muscovado sugar flavours makes this Highland Park single malt an extraordinary whisky that builds on the world-class reputation of the award-winning distillery. 

Matthew Turner, Global Controller of Highland Park, said: “The success of Highland Park’s 30 and 40 year old single malts, coupled with the distillery’s enviable position of having aged whisky stocks available, has enabled Highland Park to meet increasing demand for exclusive bottlings.  We are thrilled to be launching what we believe to be the oldest ever island single malt whisky.

“At a price breaking the £10,000 mark reflecting the super-premium nature of the product, the 50 year old combines the strong, award winning reputation of Highland Park with a unique and artistic artefact unlike anything ever seen in the single malt whisky industry.

“Furthermore this historic limited edition encapsulates Highland Park and its close connection with the land and seascape, wild elements, history and culture of Orkney.”

The bottle designer, Scottish born Maeve Gillies of MaeVona, said: “I genuinely love Highland Park, it’s a fabulous whisky and I’ve been going to Orkney since I was a child.  I felt there was a real synergy between my own philosophy and that of Highland Park with its strong character, flavours and taste.

“This bottle design is my tribute to the incredible natural beauty of Orkney and Highland Park.  The design and crafting was made to look and feel in tune with ancient artefacts that define Orkney and with every bottle being uniquely hand- finished, each is very personal and dear to my heart.  I hope people enjoy it for a lifetime, and beyond.”

Highland Park 50 year old is presented in a hand-carved Scottish oak box with softened edges as though eroded by the Orcadian elements.   Each has its individual characteristics and detailing along with a Sterling silver porthole through which one can view the Highland Park bottle and on its front the single piece of Orkney sandstone and the hand-carved amulette.

The Highland Park 50 year old is available exclusively at Harrods in London until the end of October when it will be available in the UK from specialist independent whisky retailers and globally.

*Highland Park 18 year old was named Best Spirit in the World by American drinks expert Paul Pacult in Top 115 Spirits, Spirit Journal 2009 and 2005.

Notes

Details: Highland Park 50 year old

Recommended Retail Price: £10,000.  Actual price may vary by retailer.

Strength: 44.8% alcohol by volume

Appearance: Clear and bright with burnished mahogany hues.

Aroma: Complex and multi-layered; cigar box and old tobacco pouch at first.  Slowly the emphasis moves to fruit and spices; cooked damsons, raisins and nutmeg are prevalent.

Taste: At full strength it is rich and spicy, with excellent tannins and notes of muscovado sugar to the fore, with hint of wax.  When reduced, orange peel, camphor and cloves emerge.

Aftertaste: Long and very spicy, slightly smoky remnants.

Highland Park:

Five keystones contribute to making the Best Spirit in the World:

Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
 
Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world.  For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection.   Its core range of 12, 18, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malt is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts. 

Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, including Gold’ Best in Class’ for its 18 year old and 25 year old and Silver for its 12 year old single malt at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2010. It has also won Silver for its 12 year old, 15 year old and 18 year old at the International Spirits Challenge 2010. In 2009, Highland Park was awarded ‘Best New Whisky Release’ for its 40 year old single malt and ‘Best Whisky In The World’ for its 21 year old expression in the World Whisky Awards, as well as four Double Gold awards in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky was named the ‘Best Spirit in the World’ by US author/journalist/critic F. Paul Pacult in the Top 115 Spirits in the World for 2009 in the June 2009 issue of F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal, his advertising-free, subscription-only quarterly newsletter. In 2010 he named Highland Park 18 year old single malt his ‘number one Scotch’. 

Maeve Gillies

Maeve Gillies is an internationally-renowned and multi award-winning designer of engagement rings and bridal jewellery. Raised in Edinburgh, as a young girl Maeve first connected with jewellery when she was 14; her grandparents had an art gallery in the Scottish Borders stocking the work of a local jeweller. 

After a degree in jewellery and goldsmithing from Edinburgh College of Art, Maeve took a Master’s degree at London’s Royal College of Art. Thereafter, she travelled the world teaching, designing and consulting on an international scale. She found her niche in engagement and bridal jewellery, which led her in 2005 to co-found ‘MaeVona’ based in New York City, specialising in Celtic-inspired bridal and fashion jewellery.

Maeve’s family combine nationally acclaimed artistic, literary and musical talent which has inspired inherent creativity.  Her mother Valerie was the Edinburgh Maker, poet laureate to the city, 2005 – 2008 and Maeve herself was six times champion at The Mod for her performance on the ‘clarsach’, a historic Scottish harp.

www.maevona.com