Highland Park Just Dropped a 54-Year-Old Whisky for $54,000
It can be interesting to think about the important events that occurred in the year an ultra-aged whisky was distilled. In the case of the new 54-year-old single malt from Scottish distillery Highland Park, the year was 1968 which was marked by tragedies like the assassinations of MLK and RFK, as well as inspirational events like Apollo 8 orbiting the moon and the release of the White Album. But all of these had no impact on this ultra-rare single malt.
Highland Park 54 Year Old is the oldest whisky ever released by the distillery, and comes just as it is getting to celebrate its 225th anniversary. The distillery is located in Orkney, an archipelago in the far-flung northern reaches of Scotland. The core lineup is full of Viking imagery in tribute to the Nordic heritage of the region—names like Viking Honor, Viking Heart and Viking Pride anchor the range, with special editions popping up such as Valknut and Valkyrie.
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This new whisky was distilled in 1968, as mentioned before, and was originally put into four refill sherry butts and six hogsheads. It matured in those barrels until 2008 when it was married together and refilled into first-fill European sherry butts for its final 14 years. “This exceptionally rare 54 Year Old single malt scotch whisky has been nurtured through careful maturation and harmonization,” said master whisky maker Gordon Motion in a statement. “Representing a quarter of Highland Park’s life, we felt it was a fitting way to mark our 225th anniversary—born and crafted in the heart of Orkney.”
Tasting notes describe a rich and deep whisky with peat and oak on the nose, followed by pistachio, cumin, rose, and a hint of kiwi on the palate. The bottle comes in a bespoke box made from Scottish oak, and includes an invitation for the buyer to come to Orkney to visit (which seems fair considering the price). The box was designed by John Galvin and is supposed to represent Orkney’s cliffs of Yesnaby, while the bottle is meant to evoke the red sandstone of those same cliffs and the volcanic activity that formed these rugged islands.
There are only 225 bottles of Highland Park 54 available globally, which seems awfully convenient given the approaching anniversary. Each is priced at $54,000 (also surely no coincidence), and will be available at select retailers beginning this month. And, of course, you can find a bottle of Highland Park whisky aged for much less than 54 years at ReserveBar, including the excellent new cask strength expression.
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