Island Life

The penultimate release of the Orcadian Vintage Series, the 1971 is the 4th expression from Highland Park designed to reflect every face of life in Orkney.

Borrowing a phrase more common in the world of wine-making, “terroir” is gradually becoming more present in the whisky conversation. For some, distilling the terroir of a region - whether it’s wine or whisky - focuses on the three dimensional impact of the soil, topography and the microclimate. 
In this case, the aim for the distillery was to enhance this statement and impart more of the human element; to complement this with hard work, skill and patience. Using the distillation fundamentals, and the virtues of its people, the resulting quintet become known as the Orcadian Vintage Series; a celebration of the people who work on the island distillery.

At the beginning of its journey, renowned whisky-maker, Max MacFarlane, played a pivotal role in the founding of this entire series. A key task was to source and hand-select the 17 refill casks that would assist in the long-term maturation of this spirit in 1971. Quietly sitting in the dark corners of the island, the whisky was left for over 4 decades to mature slowly, allowing the climate to perform its own duties and enhance the rich spirit over time.

Each of the 657 bottles are showcased in a veneered wooden box, featuring the striking Highland Park amulet, hand-crafted in silver.