Edrington-owned Highland Park has revealed a new 54 year old single malt, released ahead of the Orkney distillery’s 225th anniversary later this year.

Just 225 bottles will be released, available exclusively through Dufry at London Heathrow throughout March before a wider roll-out to specialist global outlets.

Laid down in 1968, four refill butts and six refill hogsheads were combined in February 2008 and refrilled into first-fill European sherry butts. 

Those final 14 years of maturation are said to have imparted a deep, rich natural colour and flavour intensity to the liquid.

Distillery tasting notes detail lychee, camphor, oak and delicate peat on the nose, with warm spices, summer rose, jasmine and pistachio on the palate. The finish brings woody notes, fenugreek, and a heathery peat smoke. 

Highland Park 54 Year Old is presented in a bespoke embossed bottle set within a presentation box made from Scottish oak, designed by renowned cabinet maker John Galvin.

The shape of the box reflects the cliffs of Yesnaby in Orkney, with each piece of wood hand-blasted. The result is that each box has unique colour variations. 

Itself inspired by the old red sandstone cliffs and the lava that once emerged from the seabed to form the Orkney islands, the bottle, glimpsed through the box, was created by Stoelzle Flaconnage Senior Designer Michael Rudak. The bottle’s conical ‘push’ shape recalls the distillery’s mash tun.

Inside each presentation is an invitation for the buyer to join the distillery team in Orkney for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

“This exceptionally rare 54 Year Old single malt Scotch whisky has been nurtured through careful maturation and harmonisation,” said Gordon Motion, Highland Park Master Whisky Maker who created the expression.

“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.” 

Highland Park 54 Year Old is bottled at 46.9% ABV and is priced at £39,000 for a 700ml format. 

Last month, Edrington Global Travel Retail (GTR) announced changes to its senior leadership team across marketing and commercial. Alessandro Felicani took on the role of Marketing Director, while Wilcy Wong stepped into the role of Commercial Director.