Highland Park has introduced Cask Strength Heather, a vibrant new special edition single malt crafted from 100% peat-smoked barley, delivering the most expressive embodiment yet of Orkney’s heathered peat. Bottled at its natural cask strength of 63.6% ABV, this release captures the untamed spirit of Orkney — bold, aromatic, and unmistakably Highland Park.
The Flavour
Aromatically intense and beautifully balanced, Cask Strength Heather opens with fragrant bonfire smoke, vanilla pods, and brandy butter on the nose. The palate reveals creamy marshmallow, macadamia nut, and peppery spice, all wrapped in a veil of smooth, floral smokiness. The finish lingers long with vanilla sweetness and the distillery’s signature perfumed smoke.
The Craft
To craft this edition, Highland Park’s whisky makers struck a delicate balance between Orkney peat-smoked barley and sherry-seasoned oak casks. Matured primarily in first-fill European and American oak sherry casks, the whisky’s rich sweetness is enhanced with select refill casks to achieve smoothness and harmony.
Non-chill filtered and naturally deep amber in colour, it has been bottled straight from the cask — delivering full, unrestrained flavour.
The Story
The peat that gives Cask Strength Heather its distinctive floral smoke is sustainably sourced from Hobbister Moor, just miles from Highland Park’s distillery in Kirkwall. At this northern edge of Scotland, heather thrives where trees cannot, creating a unique peat rich in fragrant, floral notes. Over millennia, this heather has shaped the very soul of Orkney’s peat — and in turn, the whisky itself. The result is a spirit that captures the essence of the islands: wild, windswept, and timeless.
Highland Park Cask Strength Heather will be available to the general public from 2026. However, as a thank you for their loyalty, Highland Park’s official website has reserved a limited number of bottles (£59.50) exclusively for members of its Inner Circle.
