Highland Park 1988 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Signatory Bottling)

Highland Park 1988 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Signatory Bottling)

Situated in the Orkney archipelago in northern Scotland, Highland Park Distillery was founded in 1798 by Magnus Eunson. The name of the distillery is derived not from the region of Scotland known as The Highlands the Orkney islands are not a part of The Highlands but rather from the region known as High Park, where the distillery was founded. Today, over two centuries after its founding, Highland Park Distillery remains one of the few Scottish distilleries that continues to hand-turn, malt, and peat its own barley. "You have to be careful here on the malting floor," says Eric Tait, Highland Park's maltman. "You find it can get a wee bit slippery underneath. I have to turn the malt every eight hours to prevent the roots getting tangled and to get it all aerated properly. The airing also helps it to grow. The malt will be on the floor for seven days and I'm running five floors at the moment." After malting the barley, Highland Park Distillery smokes it using peat sourced from Hobbister Moor, a peat bog located approximately seven miles from the distillery. Hobbister Moor peat is sourced from floral heather bushes, which burn hotter and cleaner than the grassy peats of Islay. In addition, the peat sourced from Hobbister Moor has greater derivatives of carbohydrates and a lower concentration of lignin than peat from Islay, giving Highland Park's peat a unique chemical fingerprint. The peat sourced from Hobbister Moor is "absolutely fundamental"in understanding the flavor of Highland Park Whisky, says Russell Anderson, the distillery manager. Together with Orkney's unique environment (the temperate, moist climate of the archipelago results in an even maturation process), the peat gives Highland Park Whisky its traditional malty, coastal flavors tempered by just a subtle touch of smoke. Once the barley has been peated it is fermented and distilled twice through Highland Park's copper-pot stills. Highland Park 1988 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Signatory Bottling) was distilled on June 16, 1988 and aged for over 9,300 days in a cask that was previously used to mature bourbon (Cask# 740). On January 16, 2014 over 25 years after its initial distillation the whisky was bottled. Highland Park 1988 Single Malt Scotch Whisky has an aroma of toasted nuts, fresh dough and ripe apples. The aroma gives way to notes of citrus, vanilla and caramel on the palate. The finish is soft and slightly sweet, with a touch of mint. Only 231 bottles of this single malt whisky were ever produced. Pick one up today!