Whiskey "Highland Park": reviews

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Highland Park single m alt whiskey is known for its rich and long history. The first distillery was built in Orkney in 1798. This whiskey stands out among its peers, and this is primarily due to the unusual taste obtained through the unique peat-smoked m alt.

Origin story

The production of Highland Park whiskey began near Kirkwall, the largest city in the Orkney Islands. According to the legend, one church watchman, Magnus Junson, came up with the recipe. The authorities had long guessed about his underground business, which is why they constantly visited him with a check. But the cunning watchman always cleverly hid his enterprise, thereby remaining unpunished.

One day he found out that his church was going to be searched, and this would not be an ordinary check. Something had to be done, because the church cellar was completely filled with illegal drink. Then Magnus brought his produce into the house, covered it with a white cloth, placed the lid of the coffin next to it, andinvited his friends to visit. In this way, he simulated a funeral service and again escaped punishment. At least this time.

But soon the luck left the enterprising watchman, and in 1813 Magnus was caught. True, what ultimately happened to him is still unknown. They say 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 underground, 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 out 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 develop it. Because of this, its value has dropped significantly. 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 for it.

Stuart & Mackay bought the distillery. She quickly revived the production of Highland Park whiskey, and after a while her high-end product was used as the basis of many well-known companies such as Chivas, Ballantines and Dewars. All of them were regular customers of the distillery. But this whiskey gained worldwide fame a little later.

It all started withthe day when one navigator decided to visit the distillery. He liked this drink so much that he decided to take several cases with him on his trip. This is how they learned about the Highland Park distillery in other countries.

In 1895, William Stewart died, so part of the production was sold to the American politician James Grant. He ran the distillery until 1937, until 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.

It wasn't until 1954 that the distillery smelled of whiskey again. Some work was even done to expand it against the background of the fact that orders were constantly increasing. And everything seemed to get better, but after 15 years, the whiskey began to disappear again. The fact is that Highland Distillers', having bought another company, Matthew Gloag & Sons, switched to the production of another drink - Famous Grouse. Whiskey "Highland Park" was used as a blending material. For 10 years, this brand did not exist as an independent one. Only a few wholesalers had access to the forgotten product. But that was enough to make him remembered again.

In 1980, the production of Highland Park whiskey increased so much that in just a few months more than 100 cases were sold. And by 1990, sales had grown several times more. The success of this alcoholic drink is largely due to its rich history. Although much depends on the unique way itproduction.

Production method

There are a lot of features in the manufacture of this whiskey. Only a small part of the required barley is grown independently. The rest of the m alt is shipped by sea from other parts of Scotland. Moreover, one important requirement is imposed on imported m alt - it should not be smoked on peat. After all, for this they have their own mineral, which is collected in April and dried all summer under a layer of heather branches. Of course, peat is not mined by hand, but special equipment allows you to create such a form of blocks, which is obtained as a result of manual work.

Highland Park Distillery has a warehouse large enough to hold several hundred tons of barley. The m alt is not immediately dried, but first it is soaked for 48 hours. Then they leave it for a week on the floor of the m alt house, and only after that they begin to dry.

Dry it in peat smoke 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, the m alt will lose a small portion of its weight. After that, it remains to dry the m alt until the peat is completely burned. The main thing is that the moisture level of the m alt ultimately does not exceed 25%. This is important, because the famous flavor of Highland Park whiskey depends on it.

After all the procedures, it remains to properly age the drink. For this, two types of barrels are used: from European and American oak. By the way,aging of Highland Park distillery products lasts from 12 to 40 years. We will give descriptions of some of the Highland Park Whiskeys. Feedback from numerous connoisseurs of this drink will help to give an idea about them.

Highland Park 12 Y. O

This whiskey has a mild taste and amber color. The aroma contains honey, fruity and floral tones. This classic whiskey with a smooth and slightly sharp aroma has notes of nuts, orange peel, oak bark and dried fruit on the palate.

And in the aftertaste, connoisseurs of Highland Park whiskey 12 years old note nuts and herbs.

Highland Park 18 Y. O

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 s alty taste, in which hints of honey, ginger and cinnamon are felt, about a long, dry and slightly spicy aftertaste.

By the way, Highland Park whiskey 18 years old is considered the most popular whiskey in the world.

Highland Park 21 Y. O

The production of this variety began in 2007, and since then it has received many positive reviews from well-known experts. This single m alt 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.

Biscuit andcitrus shades. And in the aftertaste of Highland Park whiskey aged 21, there are smoky and sweet notes.

How do they drink?

Despite the fact that whiskey is traditionally drunk from rocks, some connoisseurs of this drink prefer tulip-shaped glasses. It is believed that this way the taste is better revealed. Moreover, the glass should be filled by one fifth, after adding ice to it or cooling the drink itself.