56
Rare. Remote. Remarkable.
Highland Park 56 is not only the oldest whisky Highland Park has ever created, but also one of the rarest. Created from a never-before tasted sherry-seasoned cask containing whisky first laid down in 1968, this is a truly remarkable whisky reflecting more than five decades of Highland Park craftsmanship with an intensely perfumed, beautifully complex flavour infused with the unmistakable essence of Orkney heathered peat.
In 2008, our Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion selected ten special casks, first laid down in 1968 that contained whiskies of an unusual flavour profile—both complex and intriguingly ethereal. Though these whiskies were already 40 years old at the time, they still seemed to be evolving in beautiful new ways, meaning they had a unique potential for further ageing.
Inspired by the unique flavours of these ten casks, Gordon decided to marry and re-rack them in a different set of first-fill, sherry-seasoned oak casks, laying them down so they could continue to develop and evolve. As each cask has its own unique fingerprint, each also aged differently, extracting its own distinct flavours from the sherry-seasoned wood. Highland Park 56 is crafted from just one of these casks—a first-fill, American oak puncheon.
Over more than half a century of cask maturation, Highland Park 56 has evolved into an aromatic, delicately spiced and almost impossibly deep whisky that sings with layers of beautifully balanced flavours, from floral notes of Jasmine and lilac on the nose to zingy citrus and black tea on the palate and wood spices and subtle peat smoke on the finish. It’s been bottled without filtering and additives, to showcase its natural deep copper colour from the cask.
The new presentation case and decanter for Highland Park 56 continue a creative partnership between master craftsperson John Galvin and glass designer Michael Rudak. Both designs, inspired by Orkney’s 5,000-year-old (and counting) Standing Stones of Stenness, explore how many generations of people have left their fingerprint on the dramatic landscapes of their island home—reflecting Highland Park’s deep connection to Orkney’s craft traditions and natural beauty.
Meet the makers
Gordon Motion, Master Whisky Maker
Gordon Motion joined Highland Park in 1998, becoming our Master Whisky Maker in 2008. It was in that same year that he employed his outstanding eye for detail and nose for flavour to identify 10 special casks from 1968—one of which, ultimately, would be used to craft Highland Park 56.
“What excites me most about Highland Park 56 is that it has both complexity and vibrancy, it has all depth you’d expect of an aged whisky, but there isn’t the intense woodiness that you’d typically find alongside it. Instead, you can absolutely taste the distinctive, subtle smoke of our Orkney heathered peat which really makes this whisky remarkable.”
John Galvin, Master Craftsperson
John Galvin’s work focuses on exploring the intricate patterns, colours and textures of different species of wood and the crafting techniques that bring them alive. His case for Highland Park 56 is an abstracted take on the Standing Stones of Stenness, with oval apertures on each side to showcase the whisky’s natural colour. Each case is unique, made over 70 hours from individually selected Scottish Oak pieces embellished with hand-carved textures.
“The Standing Stones of Stenness are ancient, incredible, and a real celebration of the craft of the people who created them thousands of years ago. I designed the presentation case to stand very proud.”
Michael Rudak, Glass Designer
Glass designer Michael Rudak is passionate about pushing the boundaries of glass design and manufacture thorough his tactile, textural work. His decanter for the 56 combines the geometry of the Standing Stones of Stenness with textures inspired by the waters of Orkney, which helped shape its landscape, and the unique “fingerprint” its inhabitants have put upon the land.
“For me the most interesting part is the almost everlasting nature of stone. Because of this, the Standing Stones of Stenness are one of, if not the most prominent fingerprint on the islands. I felt that the story of Orkney’s growth led us there.”
Sebastian Jern, Filmmaker
Swedish creative Sebastian Jern is a specialist in building epic scenes from his own hand-crafted miniature worlds. For the launch film for the 56, he created a micro-scaled version of Orkney, complete with the unique landmarks and architecture that reflect many generations of Orcadians building and crafting in their island home.
“I crafted every miniature scene of the 56 film by hand, and some of the more complex shots took weeks to produce. In some ways, my process is quite similar to how Highland Park made the whisky. It’s about taking time and paying attention to every detail to create something unique.”
