Cuvée presentation
Small batch Highland Park, distilled in 1977 and bottled in 1995. Cadenhead’s was founded in Aberdeen in 1842 by George Duncan. William Cadenhead later joined the company and, following Duncan’s death, took over the business and renamed it William Cadenhead Ltd. William’s nephew, Robert Duthie, expanded the business in the early 20th century, and it remained family-owned until 1969, when William Cadenhead Ltd was sold to J. & A. Mitchell and Co., owner of Springbank distillery. Hedley G. Wright, a direct descendant of Archibald and John Mitchell, subsequently became chairman of William Cadenhead Ltd. Historically, Cadenhead focused on its own brands, including Putachieside, The Hielanman, Seven Stars and its Green Label rums. Under Hedley G. Wright, however, the company increasingly turned its attention to single malts, leading to the launch of the now legendary “dumpy bottle” series in 1977. These single malts were bottled with only light filtration, no artificial colouring and at what was then a relatively high strength of 80 proof (45.7%). Their labels provided extensive details, including the month and year of distillation and bottling and whether or not sherry casks had been used. Also in 1977, the company moved to new premises in Aberdeen before eventually relocating to Campbeltown. During the 1980s, Cadenhead also supplied casks to renowned independent bottlers such as Samaroli and Corti Brothers through its subsidiary Duthie’s. Two new ranges followed in 1991 and 1992: the Original Collection, bottled at 46%, and the Authentic Collection, bottled at cask strength. Further special releases marking major Cadenhead anniversaries, including its 150th and 175th, as well as new ranges such as Small Batch and World Whiskies, have followed over the years.
The distillery Highland Park
Scotland, Isle of Orkney. Distillery operational. Owner: The Edrington Group Ltd
Owned by the Edrington Group, Highland Park remained for a long time somewhat of a niche malt reserved for connoisseurs and well-informed enthusiasts, notably due to its kinship with Macallan. The distillery drew its quintessence from this relationship and the access it afforded to perfect mastery of sherry cask ageing and beautifully sculpted casks. The rest comes from the island's natural, cultural and geographic heritage. Established in 1798 on Orkney, a wind- and wave-swept island where Viking blood continues to run through the veins of its inhabitants, Highland Park produces a traditional malt, characterized by its lightly peated barley which is malted on site. Although the bottle shape evolved at the turn of the 1980s, the style remained the same until the late 1990s. Playing on a profound sherry register in which subtle notes of iodine and peat smoke highlight its almost mystical Celtic temperament, Highland Park has today come completely out of the shadows. It is one of the most legitimate distilleries in the collectibles world due to its history, the consistent quality of its malt and the breadth of the range.
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