Highland Park 56 YO – The Distillery's Oldest Whisky Ever

On February 10, Highland Park will release its oldest whisky in Sweden to date – a 56-year-old rarity with a price tag of a whopping 500,000 kronor.

Behind the whisky is Gordon Motion, Master Whisky Maker at Highland Park, who has overseen the development of the casks for many years. The result is a limited edition of only 170 bottles globally – a milestone for the historic distillery. We recently spoke to Martin Markvardsen – Highland Park’s Senior Brand Ambassador, about this launch, and he told us how Gordon has worked to create this unique whisky.

The whisky was originally put into casks in 1968 and consisted of ten different casks. In 2008, Gordon Motion decided to move the whisky, which was already 40 years old at the time, and transferred the contents to five new casks consisting of different types of first fill sherry casks – both Spanish and American oak – to refine and deepen the flavour.

One of the casks was particularly interesting, as what was initially thought to be a European oak cask turned out to be a first fill American Oak Sherry Seasoned Puncheon. This discovery came as a surprise to the team, but contributed to a completely new flavour profile that is different from previous exclusive releases, such as the 54-year-old Highland Park that was launched a couple of years ago. This particular cask was selected and bottled as the 56-year-old edition.

“The flavours here lean much more towards what you would expect from American oak, despite the many years in sherry. There is a certain lightness and spicy fruitiness here that sets it apart from many other old sherry-aged whiskies,” explains Martin Markvardsen.

Age and dignity

Making a whisky for such a long time often means heavy, complex and deep flavours, especially when sherry casks are involved. But thanks to the whisky resting in an American oak cask since 2008, Martin says it has a lighter and more spicy fruitiness compared to many other older sherry-aged whiskies. The result is a complex and elegant dram, where layers of fruit, spice and oak tones create a completely unique experience for those who get the chance to try this rare bottling.

Three masters – a unique whole around Highland Park 56 yo

John Galvin | Michael Rudak | Sebastian Jern

This is not only an impressive whisky journey presented, but also an artistic collaboration between three creators, each a master in their field. This triad – consisting of John Galvin, Michael Rudak and Sebastian Jern – has created everything from packaging and glass decanter to a fascinating miniature world in film format. Together, they highlight Orkney’s historical heritage and the power of nature, while honouring the whisky’s long ageing period.

John Galvin has spent over 70 hours creating the unique presentation for Highland Park 56. By combining carefully selected Scottish oak pieces with hand-engraved patterns, he has recreated an abstract interpretation of the legendary Standing Stones of Stenness in Orkney. The oval shape, visible in the cutouts on the sides of the wooden-based packaging, is not only aesthetically pleasing but also showcases the whisky’s natural colour.

In addition, glass artist Michael Rudak has created a decanter that combines the geometry of the Standing Stones of Stenness with the water currents and wave formations that have shaped Orkney. Through tactile and textural elements, he wants to pay tribute to the unique “fingerprint” that the islanders have left on their home throughout history.

To immortalize and visualize the collaboration around Highland Park 56, Swedish filmmaker Sebastian Jern was hired. He is known for building detailed miniature worlds to create magnificent scenes. In the launch film for the 56-year-old whisky, he built a microscopic version of Orkney, complete with architectural landmarks and environments that reflect generations of craftsmanship on the island.

Patience and waiting

Highland Park 56 yo is undoubtedly a historic launch for the distillery. Behind the high price tag and extremely limited volumes lies a story of old casks, new discoveries and long-term aging. In a world where the whisky industry is currently in a somewhat unstable situation, with declining sales in some places, this bottling shows how the whisky world still works in cycles. Historically, there are troughs about every twenty years, which makes these long-aged whiskies even more fascinating. Despite headwinds in the market, they have chosen to keep these casks for the future – because that is basically what the whole whisky industry is about: patience and waiting.