Highland Park single malt whiskey is known for its rich and long history. The first distillery was built on the Orkney Islands in 1798. This whiskey stands out among similar drinks, and this is primarily due to the unusual taste obtained due to the unique peat smoking of malt.
Origin history
Highland Park whiskey production began near Kirkwall, the largest city on the Orkney Islands. According to the legend, one church watchman - Magnus Yunson invented his recipe. The authorities had long suspected his underground business, which is why he constantly checked in with him. But the cunning watchman always deftly hid his enterprise, thereby remaining unpunished.
Once he found out that his church was going to be searched, and this would not be an ordinary check. It was necessary to do something, because the church cellar was completely clogged with an illegal drink. Then Magnus transferred his products to the house, covered it with white cloth, put the coffin lid nearby and invited his friends to visit. Thus he imitated the funeral service and again escaped punishment. At least this time.
But soon the fortune left the enterprising watchman, and in 1813 Magnus was caught. True, what ultimately happened to him is unknown. They say that he disappeared without a trace, and the profits from the alcohol business went to the people who arrested him - Robert Pringle and John Robertson.
Brand development
After that, the distillery changed owners more than once. And now the enterprise has ceased to be clandestine, and its first official co-founders in 1818 were John Robertson and his father-in-law, farmer Robert Borwick. And in 1926, Borwick, having bought a share of a relative, became the sole owner of the Highland Park brand.
When Borwick died in 1840, the distillery almost ceased to exist, since his son George, who inherited it, practically did not deal with its development. Because of this, its value has fallen dramatically. And her next owner, George’s younger brother, was not going to participate in the family business. He was a clergyman, so he decided to sell the distillery. And there were buyers on it.
Stuart & Mackay bought the distillery. She quickly revived the production of Highland Park whiskey, and after a while her high-quality product was used as a basis by many well-known companies such as Chivas, Ballantines and Dewars. All of them were regular customers of the distillery. But this whiskey received world fame a little later.
It all started from the day when one navigator decided to visit the distillery. He liked this drink so much that he decided to take several boxes with him on a trip. So we learned about the Highland Park distillery in other countries.
William Stewart passed away in 1895, so part of the production was sold to American politician James Grant. He ran the distillery until 1937, when it was bought by the Highland Distillers' holding, which already owned several distilleries by that time. True, during the war, production had to be stopped, and the premises themselves began to be used for other purposes.
And only in 1954 whiskey again smelled at the distillery. Some work was even done to expand it against the background of the fact that orders were constantly increasing. And as if everything would work out, but after 15 years, the whiskey began to disappear again. The fact is that Highland Distillers', having acquired another company, Matthew Gloag & Sons, switched to the production of another drink - Famous Grouse. And as a material for the blend used Highland Park whiskey. 10 years of this brand as an independent did not exist. Only some wholesalers had access to a forgotten product. But that was enough to be remembered again.
In 1980, the production of Highland Park whiskey increased so much that in just a few months more than 100 crates were sold. And by 1990, sales increased several times more. The success of this alcoholic drink is largely due to its rich history. Although much depends on the unique method of its production.
Mode of production
There are a lot of features in the manufacture of this whiskey. Only a small part of the necessary barley is grown independently. The rest of the malt is delivered by sea from other areas of Scotland. Moreover, one important requirement is imposed on imported malt - it should not be smoked on peat. Indeed, for this they have their own minerals, which are collected in April and dried all summer under a layer of heather branches. Of course, peat is not extracted manually, but special equipment allows you to create such a form of blocks, which is obtained as a result of manual work.
The Highland Park distillery has sufficiently large storage facilities that can accommodate several hundred tons of barley. They do not begin to dry the malt immediately, but first soak it for 48 hours. Then they leave it for a week on the floor of the malt house, and only after that they start drying.
Dry it in the smoke of peat in the old way on the roof of the distillery, which is organized in the form of a chimney. The whole process takes two days, while the temperature should not exceed 60 degrees. During this time, malt will lose a small part of its weight. After that, it remains to dry the malt until the peat is completely burned. The main thing is that the level of moisture in the malt ultimately does not exceed 25%. This is important, because the famous Highland Park whiskey aroma depends on it.
After all the procedures, it remains to properly withstand the drink. For this, two types of barrels are used: from European and American oak. By the way, the exposure of the products of the Highland Park distillery lasts from 12 to 40 years. We will give descriptions of some types of Highland Park whiskey. Reviews of many connoisseurs of this drink will help to give an idea about them.
Highland Park 12 YO
This whiskey has a mild flavor and amber color. The aroma contains honey, fruit and floral shades. This classic whiskey with a smooth and slightly sharp aroma tastes like notes of nuts, peel of oranges, oak bark and dried fruits.
And in the aftertaste, connoisseurs of Highland Park whiskey celebrate 12 years of aging with nuts and herbs.
Highland Park 18 YO
Describing this drink, its lovers talk about a delicate and golden color, about an aroma in which there are heather, smoked and oak tones, about an oily and slightly salty taste, in which shades of honey, ginger and cinnamon are felt, about a long, dry and slightly spicy aftertaste.
By the way, Highland Park whiskey 18 years of aging is considered the most popular in the world.
Highland Park 21 YO
Production of this variety began in 2007, and since then he managed to get a lot of positive ratings from well-known experts. This single malt whiskey has a dark amber color. Its rich aroma includes creamy, fruity and chocolate tones. Not only experts, but also connoisseurs of the drink note its unsurpassed quality.
The taste is felt biscuit and citrus shades. And in the aftertaste of Highland Park whiskey for 21 years, smoky and sweet notes are observed.
How to drink?
Despite the fact that traditionally whiskey is drunk from Rocks, some connoisseurs of this drink prefer tulip-shaped glasses. It is believed that the taste is better revealed. Moreover, the glass should be filled by one fifth, pre-adding ice to it or cooling the drink itself.