The 8-Year-Old Highland Park single malt in CBTD REF NO.23 was bottled in the 1970s, and released in 1979, the first official expression of single malt launched by the distillery.

ABOUT HIGHLAND PARK DISTILLERY 

The northernmost distillery in Scotland, Highland Park is located in Kirkwall the largest town in the Orkney Isles. Highland Park’s origins are mysterious, the distillery was founded in 1798 either by Magnus Eunson a priest turned smuggler who allegedly concealed illegal whisky in his pulpit, or by farmer David Robertson who may have established the first stills at a previously illicit site. In 1826, Highland Park became one of the first distilleries to be officially licenced when ownership passed to the Borwick family, and in 1895 the distillery was purchased by James Grant who would double its capacity installing two more stills. The distillery was acquired by Highland Distilleries in 1937, who would launch the first official Highland Park bottling an 8-Year-Old single malt in 1979 as previously the malt output was used exclusively for blending. In 1999, the distillery alongside the Highland Distilleries company became part of the Edrington Group following which the brand has continually developed, first with the decision in 2004 for exclusively 100 percent ex-sherry casks to be used for maturation, and secondly the creation of a core range of age-statement Highland Park expressions alongside a series of themed releases based around Orcadian history and Norse gods. Highland Park is renowned for its aromatic peaty character, a result of the Orcadian peat used in the malting process. Peat is comprised from semi-decomposed vegetation laid down over thousands of years, and when burnt releases the smoky aromas generated by this vegetation. The peat from the Scottish mainland is smokier due to the lignin from trees, while Islay peat is influenced by maritime vegetation. In contrast, Orcadian peat is derived from heather and moss resulting in a lightly smoky and fragrant heathery aroma. Highland Park’s kiln process produces a heavily smoky malt grain which accounts for 20 percent of the distillery’s requirements, with the remaining unpeated grain imported from the mainland. This gives Highland Park’s malt whisky output a lightly smoky, fragrant and fruity character.