This limited-edition whisky represents the brand’s most pronounced expression yet of Orkney’s aromatic heathered peat. The Orkney distillery’s peat is sourced from Hobbister Moor, just a few miles down the road from it in Kirkwall. At this remote northern latitude, the landscape comes alive with a purple carpet of heather. It has infused itself into the moor resulting in peat with a floral character.

Bottled at cask strength (127.2 proof), Cask Strength: Heather is crafted using 100% Orkney peat-smoked barley and matured in first-fill European and American sherry-seasoned oak casks and select refill casks.

The packaging design of the whisky puts a heather spin on Highland Park’s new visual identity, inspired by the brand’s Orkney provenance. On the box a deep purple gradient nods to the shifting colors of the heather on Hobbister Moor in summer.

The whisky is the first of Highland Park’s refreshed Cask Strength releases, through which the brand will continue to explore expressions of its Orkney character and provenance through craftsmanship.

Highland Park Cask Strength: Heather is available exclusively at ReserveBar until January for $80.

The post Highland Park Harvests Heather For First Cask Strength appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

The launch of Cask Strength No.4 sees Orkney-based distillery use a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-port casks to the series for the first time. Matured predominantly in first-fill sherry seasoned European oak casks, along with first-fill ex-bourbon casks, first-fill sherry seasoned American oak casks, first-fill ex-port hogsheads and a small quantity of refill casks. The result is an expression that is 128 proof. These casks were all hand selected by Gordon Motion, Highland Park’s Master Whisky Maker.

“For me, a cask strength whisky really celebrates an individual’s whisky journey, best enjoyed with your own personal level of water and ice added,” said Highland Park Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion. “The peat from our home in Orkney gives the whisky a completely different character with aromatic heather smoke and unexpected contrasts in sweet and smoky flavors.”

To celebrate the launch of Cask Strength No. 4 in its 225th Anniversary year, Highland Park has partnered with UK-based woodworker Jamie Gaunt to design a commemorative piece shaped from the oak cask staves used to mature the whisky. Inspired by both the flavors of Cask Strength No. 4 and history of Highland Park, Gaunt’s sculpture will be on display in Orkney from summer 2023.

“The crafts of whisky production and woodworking draw many parallels. Just as I transform a piece of wood, wood has the same impact on whisky,” said Jamie Gaunt. “Cask Strength No. 4 is no different; each of the casks used in the whisky contribute to the complex flavors and aromas. To commemorate the launch, I have transformed the staves from the casks to create a unique design inspired by Highland Park in its purest form.”

Highland Park produces each Cask Strength whisky in batches, annually, which allows Motion the freedom to experiment with interesting and exciting styles of casks. This year, expect aromas of crushed lemons and cedar wood, along with peat smoke. On the palate, zesty pink grapefruit and fragrant rose water emerge, expertly balanced with toasted oak and heather-rich peat. A long finish gives way to sun-baked spices and a ribbon of licorice.

Highland Park Cask Strength No.4 is available now for $100. 

The post Highland Park Rolls Out Cask Strength No. 4 appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

The partnership kicked off with a series of events in Colorado, Texas and California, offering consumers the opportunity to discover curated whisky and food pairings in unexpected ways.

“Highland Park invites drinkers to explore the complex yet balanced flavors created through unexpected contrasts. Our Orkney Island home gives our whisky its unique smoky sweetness – and that contrast is also often found among grilling and BBQ techniques,” says Martin Markvardsen, Highland Park Global Senior Brand Ambassador. “Partnering with Big Green Egg is a great way for us to work together to share our love of flavor and I’m excited to see what experiences people create with Highland Park and Big Green Egg.”

Big Green Egg’s live-fire cooking methods amplify Highland Park’s flavors to offer consumers a new “flavor from the fire” experience with contrasts of smoky and sweet. With a robust community of chefs and culinary experts, Big Green Egg has a collection of recipes that pair with the whisky with consumers in the coming months.

“Big Green Egg and Highland Park have a shared love for live fire cooking, robust flavors and creating memorable experiences,” said Jon Bogle, Marketing Director, Big Green Egg. “We’re excited to partner and create unique experiences that bring fire and smoke to refined palates across the country.”

Highland Park’s campaign is about bringing together contrasts and the unexpected, finding balance in the extreme and uniting people, skills and experiences for a unique harmony on the plate and beyond.

Highland Park Whisky Global Senior Brand Ambassador, Martin Markvardsen, has curated a selection of Big Green Egg recipes to pair with three of the brand’s most popular whiskies: Highland Park 12 Year Old & Big Green Egg’s Grilled Oysters, Highland Park 15 Year Old & Big Green Egg’s Grilled Asian Mahi-Mahi and Highland Park 18 Year Old & Big Green Egg’s Beef Ribs.

The post Highland Park Heats Up Summer with Big Green Egg appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

Family-run independent bottler have released four limited-edition, single cask expressions of whisky from top distilleries across Scotland. The first range of bottlings picked up three liquid gold awards, out of four submitted, in Jim Murray’s 2020 Whisky Bible. Three Single Malts, from Highland Park, Springbank, Glen Scotia, and a Single Grain whisky from Cambus, have been selected to offer a nostalgic taste reminiscent of spirit from each distillery’s past.

The Perfect Fifth Highland Park 1987 #1531 31 Year Old Single Malt ($3,000) matured in a first fill sherry hogshead, of which 185 bottles are available; The Perfect Fifth Springbank 1993 #315 25 Year Old Single Malt ($1,500) matured in a first fill sherry hogshead, of which 522 bottles are available; The Perfect Fifth Cambus 1976 #70076 42 Year Old Single Grain ( $1,250), the oldest whisky in this range and matured in an ex-bourbon barrel, of which 138 bottles are available; and The Perfect Fifth Glen Scotia 1992 #8 27 Year Old Single Malt ($850), matured in a first fill bourbon barrel, of which 174 bottles are available. Each whisky is packaged within a miniature wooden cask, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

In honor of his family’s love of Scotch, COO Karl J. Schoen launched his independent bottling business earlier this year to curate his own unique selection of independent bottlings. Each of the whiskies in were hand-selected by Schoen, under the guidance of some of the top names in Scotch whisky connoisseurship.

“As one of the first independent bottlers in the US, we are in a position to seek out the gold among a multitude of single casks, and set high standards in our selection process,” said Perfect Fifth founder Karl J. Schoen, who hand-selected each expression. “We pride ourselves on curating and selecting the finest single cask whisky that has remained hidden or has been forgotten about over time. So when you sample a bottle of whisky from The Perfect Fifth, you really are experiencing a piece of lost whisky history.”

All four whiskies will be available from retail stores across Los Angeles.

The post The Perfect Fifth Makes Its Debut appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

Father and daughter duo Stuart and Jennifer Nickerson (along with her husband Liam Ahern) launched the boutique single malt Irish Whiskey distillery, located in rural County Tipperary. Nickerson credits her father for developing her love for whiskey and Scotch at a young age. They moved around Scotland while Stuart managed distilleries from Girvan Grain to Highland Park.

We spoke with Jennifer about getting into the “family business,” Irish whiskey and more.

The Whiskey Lifestyle: What inspired Tipperary?

Jennifer Nickerson: We spent a lot of time talking about the ideal situation we found ourselves in, with Liam’s family having grown barley in Tipperary for more than 200 years, and my dad having worked in the Scotch whisky industry for 40 years.

We wanted to diversify the farm and we felt like we had a unique set of skills and opportunities to make something truly special: our farm is located in Ireland’s “Golden Vale”, so named for its golden summer crops. Tipperary is famous for its water and Stuart has managed some of Scotland’s best whisky distilleries.

We had all the elements necessary to make a single estate farm-to-bottle Irish whiskey that was truly unique and celebrated Tipperary’s terroir.

TWL: What was hardest part about starting your own distillery?

JN: There were lots of challenges – everything was entirely new so I had to figure out how to do everything from scratch, and I really missed the support departments that I’d enjoyed in my previous role with a big international company.

However, the prevailing issue has been cash flow! Unlike large internationally owned distilleries with deep pockets, the more we sell, the more stock we need to put down for future years, tying up more of our cash. It’s a constant issue in our lives!

TWL: How has your father’s years of experience in the industry helped you all?

JN: With everything! Stuart provides all of our technical expertise and means that people take us seriously as they know that we have the knowledge to operate stills. He also has years of contacts in the industry which we avail of, both with suppliers, importers, retailers etc.  I’ve been learning about whiskey since I was born and continue to learn things from Stuart even now.

TWL: You made a very dramatic shift from finance to whiskey, what was that like?

JN: Tough! I miss the support of the immediate team, as well as secretaries, HR and IT. It’s a different kind of stress, without the pressure of trying to maintain other people’s expectations and KPIs, but with the added pressure of having to make sales and each sale being a real difference to our business. I absolutely miss a regular monthly paycheck!

TWL: What’s the most important part of running a family distillery?

JN: Getting along with each other and enjoying the support and trust that comes with that. At the start, I missed having an immediate team to support and oversee everything I did. I had to learn to trust myself and be independently resourceful, rather than second-guessing myself. Honesty is important too however – we need to be able to admit when we make mistakes and not be overly critical of each other.

We all make mistakes; it’s how we deal with them and what we learn that matters. Like everything else in life I suppose!

TWL: When we last spoke, you all had just received your stills. How has the process of building the distillery going?

JN: It’s slower than I’d hoped! Building in winter has slowed us down somewhat – we had aimed to be finished by end-December 2018. We are now aiming for end March, but I’m reluctant to guarantee that in case we have some late storms.

In all honesty, whilst I’d like to be further along, I should give credit to my husband – he’s a civil engineer and has dealt with liaising with builders, fire officers, grant agencies etc. he’s managed the entire build and I’ve just complained that it’s later than I’d like!  But he knows how grateful I am really for all of his hard work.

TWL: What’s the biggest misconception that people have about Irish Whiskey?

JN: That Irish whiskey is all smooth and easy drinking! There are some small differences in the technical files covering Irish and Scottish whiskies, and Irish pot-still is an additional category. However, there is nothing in the technical file that says Irish whiskey must be triple distilled, or that it can’t be peated. Irish Whiskey can be just as distinctive and flavorful as Scotch.

There is a huge amount of experimentation going on right now as new distilleries try to define their style, working with their stills, water and grain to determine what works for them.

TWL: What’s your favorite city to drink in?

JN: This is a really tough one. A lot of my friends live in Dublin, and I love the Dublin bar scene – from traditional pubs like Ryans on Camden Street, to cocktail bars like Chelsea Drug Store. There’s something to suit everyone.

Edinburgh will always be a favorite of mine as I went to University and met my husband here. A lot of my old friends live here, and it’s a beautiful city that comes alive during its many festivals.

Cork has some impressive bars for its diminutive size and New York is an obvious choice.  During a recent brief stay in San Francisco, I was hugely impressed by the city’s relaxed vibe. There are so many – I couldn’t choose just one!

TWL: If you could drink whiskey with one celebrity, dead or alive, who would it be? And why?

JN: Jacinda Ardern – the Prime Minister of New Zealand  – she’s an inspirational woman who appears to manage her family and running a country, while appearing relatively unstressed and with her sense of humor intact. I’d love to sit down with her over a whiskey and pick her brains to find out how she manages everything!

I would have picked Jameela Jamil as she’s hilarious and inspirational, but she doesn’t drink. 

TWL: What does “The Whiskey Lifestyle” mean to you?

JN: To me, Whiskey is a sense of place. Whiskey distilleries supported entire villages where I grew up in Scotland, and with the only ingredients being barley, water and yeast, it’s a natural drink that’s a product of its place and its people. We’re in the process of discovering exactly what Tipperary whiskey will be, searching out those flavors that are coming through from our land and will form the basis of our terroir. We can’t wait to delve into this more with our own stills, but irrespective our single estate Whiskey will be unique to us and closely related to our farm and our family.

The post The Whiskey Lifestyle Q&A: Tipperary Distillery CEO Jennifer Nickerson appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

Ingredients:

• 2 strawberries (muddled)
• 5 marjoram leaves (will work with thyme or oregano)
• 2 oz. Highland Park Magnus
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. simple syrup

Instructions:

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Double strain into a Collins or wine glass with ice. Top with 2 oz. soda water, garnish with strawberry and lemon wheel.

Let us know if you have a cocktail recipe you love or if there’s a recipe that you want us to break down on social media with the hashtag, #TWLcocktail. Please drink responsibly.

The post Cocktail of the Week: Strawberry Moon Cocktail appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

Cask 88’s the Eighty Eight Series features small batch expressions from Bunnahabhain, Highland Park, Caol Ila and Bladnoch, and offers whisky enthusiasts the opportunity to explore the impact of cask size on the maturation of the whisky.

A Bladnoch 27 Year Old (55.6% ABV; 70cl; $569.99), is the oldest whisky in the series and was originally held in an ex-sherry Hogshead before being finished in an ex-sherry quarter cask for 9 months. A Caol Ila 9 Year Old (58.9% ABV; 70cl; $239.99), was originally held in a refill Hogshead before being finished in an ex-sherry quarter cask for 9 months. A Bunnahabhain 9 Year Old (57.8% ABV; 70cl; $239.99) was originally matured in a refill ex-sherry butt before being finished in an ex-sherry quarter cask for 3 months. A Highland Park 14 Year Old (54.8% ABV; 70cl; $154.99) was originally held in an ex-bourbon Hogshead before being finished in an ex-sherry quarter cask for 7 months.

Quarter casks, at one eighth of the size of a standard cask to hold whisky, are capable of holding approximately 50 liters of whisky each. Each quarter cask yields 88 bottles of whisky. “The smaller cask size maximizes the contact between the spirit and the wood, theoretically producing a whisky with a stronger, more complex flavor,” said APAC Sales Director Patrick Costello. “Whereas the wider industry favors larger casks to produce whisky on scale, we wanted to select something a little different, and focus on producing small batch whiskies that excite the senses.”

The Eighty Eight Series is the second release of Scottish whisky independently bottled under the Cask 88 brand. The first bottling under the Edinburgh-based whisky broker and independent bottler’s brand was a 45 Year Old Ben Nevis 1972 Single Malt from the Cask 88 Scottish Folklore series, with a design inspired by the Scottish legend of the Cù-Sìth.

All four whiskies in The Eighty Eight Series will be available from Whisky Foundation for worldwide delivery and from Cask 88.

The post Cask 88 Releases Four New Quarter Casks appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

In partnership with renowned Danish designer Jim Lyngvild, Highland Park Valknut is the second in a series of three Viking Legends releases inspired by the rich Viking heritage and mythology of Highland Park’s Orkney Islands home. The first expression, Valkyrie, was released in mid-2017.

Valknut in Norse means “knot of those killed in battle” and is represented visually by three interlinked triangles. This symbol is closely associated with the Norse god Odin, who guided the spirits of the dead to Valhalla.

“The story of the Valknut is compelling and I wanted to ensure that the design feature of this packaging was a fitting match to the whisky created by Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion,” says Jim Lyngvild. “Also, as Valknut is part of a series of three expressions, I made sure that there is continuity in the style of the packaging; for example, the frieze design at top is consistent in look, but the story of the symbol has been brought to the front panel.”

“Valknut is a bolder, more intense style of Highland Park with a drier and smokier profile and a higher ABV than Valkyrie,” adds Jason Craig, Highland Park’s Global Brand Director. “It has been matured predominantly in American sherry seasoned oak casks with a slightly higher phenolic level compared to Valkyrie. We’ve also used a small amount of Orkney-grown tartan barley, which adds to its smokier edge and lingering sweet, spicy finish.”

Highland Park Valknut will be succeeded by Valfather, the final expression in the Viking Legends trilogy. Valknut is available at $80.

The post Highland Park’s Valknut Sets Sail appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon – The Louisville-based distillery brought back this expression after three years by taking their bourbon and then aging it for an additional period in a second custom barrels that are 18-month air dried wood and then toasted.

Four Roses Single Barrel D.I.Y.1 Cooper’s Hammer – Four Roses combines its five proprietary yeast strains with two separate mashbills to produce 10 distinct Bourbon recipes. A limited number of barrels from the 10 recipes present themselves to their Master Distiller, xx. After a private tasting, a selection of barrels are bottled in limited quantities of 250 or less. Bourbon connoisseur OJ Lima and 58 Wine & Liquor teamed to select their own barrel for the first D.I.Y. release.

Remus Repeal Reserve Series II – Crafted in honor of Prohibition Repeal Day (Dec. 5), this limited release features a medley of two mashbills from 2007 and 2008. The nose shows maple with vanilla, caramel, toasted oak and bold spice, with tastes of vanilla, brown spice, smoke and maple on the finish.

Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old – Master distillers and premier whiskey makers Jimmy and Eddie Russell have brought nearly 100 years of combined experience to craft this. Bottled at 90 proof, this hand selected small batch bourbon has caramel and vanilla notes and a smooth finish.

FEW American Whiskey – Distilled in Evanston, IL, this is a blend of their Bourbon and Rye, along with an experimental cherrywood-smoked Malt Whiskey. The result is sweet, spicy and tart all at the same time.

WhistlePig Rye’s Boss Hog V – Sadly, the Vermont-based distillery recently lost their Master Distiller, Dave Pickerell. His legacy lives on via the most recent Boss Hog expression — The Spirit of Mauve is a 13 Year Straight Rye Whiskey finished in Calvados casks.

Heaven’s Door 10 Year Old Straight Bourbon – Released just last week from the Bob Dylan-fronted distillery, its is mellowed right after coming off the still using charcoal columns from aged Tennessee sugar maple trees, traditionally known as the “Lincoln County Process.” The lower rye mash bill lets the best of ten years of barrel aging to shine, highlighting the smooth notes of vanilla and hints of toasted almonds. More on this next week.

Powers Three Swallow – It’s not all about American whiskies, this Irish spirit is a modern representation of what the original Single Pot Still style that Powers used hundreds of years ago. Crafted from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, then triple distilled in traditional copper pot stills, it is then matured in American bourbon barrels before finishing in aged sherry casks.

Uncle Nearest – Bring a little history to the table with this Tennessee Whiskey. Using local grains and the aforementioned Lincoln County Process, the same one that Nathan “Nearest” Green, the first African-American master distiller on record in the United States, helped perfect over 160 years ago.

Laphroaig 10 – This is the first scotch on our list because Thanksgiving is American holiday, but when we first tasted its bold, smokiness followed by a hint of seaweed and sweetness., we knew we had to include.

Highland Park 12 Year Old Viking Honor –  The second scotch on our list apparently is perfect for beer drinker. Highland Park partnered with the Minnesota Vikings for the 2018 season, where they served samples from their 30 foot Viking longship. And even if you’re boycotting the league like some of us are, you can still enjoy its balanced, malty tones and the subtle floral smoke.

Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye – The newest expression in their extensive rye portfolio, it presents the rich and savory notes signature of the brand’s classic rye, amplified by oak and warm spice notes with a touch of sweetness from the secondary barreling process.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! Please drink responsibly.

The post Whiskeys To Be Thankful For appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

As delicious as single malt scotch can be neat or with a rock or two, sometimes you want to have it in a cocktail.

Highland Park, the Scotch with Viking soul, recently created this cocktail to celebrate the longest day of the year — summer solstice — and its homeland of Orkney. Created by Lauren McDougall, Cocktail Director and Beverage Manager at THE BAR at the Great Northern Food Hall, The Orklandia is perfect for these cooler nights.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Highland Park 12 YO
• .5 oz Lillet
• .5 oz pecan syrup
• .5 oz rose hip syrup
• 2 dashes of peach bitters
• 2 dashes of chocolate bitters

Instructions:

Pour all ingredients into a tin shaker and add cubed cocktail ice. Give it a hard shake and double strain into chilled coupe.

Let us know if you have a cocktail recipe you love or if there’s a recipe that you want us to break down on social media with the hashtag, #TWLcocktail.

The post Cocktail of the Week: The Orkadia appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.