Highland Park – 17 Year Old John Rae Arctic Explorer

This is a 17 year old Highland Park single malt from Orkney, made in honour of the Orkney-born explorer John Rae, who mapped more than 1,750 miles of uncharted Arctic coast on foot or in a small boat. In 2019 Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion chose mainly ex-bourbon and refill casks, with smaller amounts of sherry-seasoned American and European oak. He married them and left the whisky to rest for a further two years. It has a natural golden colour, and the packaging carries illustrations commissioned from Nick Hayes. The nose is heather honey, flowering currant and a hint of charred driftwood. On the palate come whipped vanilla cream and toffee sponge, with caramelised grapefruit and citrus zest, and a sweet breath of peat smoke lingers at the end.