Simon Wittenberg takes a look at the latest news from Highland Park, Midleton Very Rare, and The Macallan.

Highland Park unveils its 54 Year Old single malt whisky
Highland Park, the Orkney-based distillery, has unveiled its 54 Year Old single malt, created by the brand’s Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion (main image). This is the oldest-ever release from Highland Park, and only 225 bottles have been created ahead of the distillery’s 225th Anniversary.

Priced at £39,000 per bottle and coming with an invitation to attend a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Orkney, this expression was originally laid down in 1968, before four refill butts and six refill hogsheads were combined in February 2008 and refilled into first-fill European sherry butts, where the whisky continued to mature.

The final 14 years of being laid down in ex-sherry casks, from 2008 onwards, has delivered a whisky boasting a deep, rich and natural colour.

The stunning bespoke and embossed Highland Park 54 Year Old bottle, conceived by Michael Rudak, Senior Designer at Stoelzle Flaconnage in Yorkshire, is housed in a beautiful presentation box crafted from the finest Scottish oak wood and draws its inspiration from the cliffs of Yesnaby in Orkney.

The new limited edition Highland Park expression will be available for purchase from Berry Bros. & Rudd and The Whisky Shop.

For more information, visit www.highlandparkwhisky.com.

Midleton Very Rare launches the one-off $130,000 Pinnacle Vintage
Midleton Very Rare has offered one whiskey enthusiast the opportunity to taste the breadth of the brand’s world-famous collection in a single expression. The one-off Midleton Very Rare Pinnacle Vintage expression has been listed for sale on BlockBar.com for $130,000.

Presented in a one-of-a-kind cut glass decanter, the physical bottle is stored in BlockBar’s state-of-the-art facility in Singapore and comes with a digital certificate of authentication, allowing the bottle to be traced back to the Midleton Distillery in Ireland.

As part of the sale, a donation has been made to The Forest Genetic Resources Trust, partners of the Midleton Very Rare team at Irish Distillers.

Bottled in January 2023 at 40% ABV, Midleton Very Rare 2023 is also now available at a comparatively more affordable RRP of £200.

For more information, visit www.midletonveryrare.com.

The Macallan partners with Harrods for James-Bond themed experience
Up until the middle of March, the famous Harrods department store in London is hosting an interactive James Bond-themed experience in partnership with The Macallan, following the unveiling of the whisky brand’s James Bond 60th Anniversary Release.

There are six limited edition bottles, housing a special single malt whisky (43.7% ABV), which mark the six decades of the Bond film franchise. Each of the bottles features original illustrations from the film archives to showcase the creative process behind some of Bond’s most iconic moments and have a distinct colour to denote the decade it represents.

The collection is presented in its entirety in a limited-edition Globe-Trotter case crafted specially to hold the six bottles. To give an idea of the current price point, at auction, the individual bottles have fetched at least £2,000 each after being released with an RRP of £700, highlighting their popularity amongst whisky aficionados and collectors.

For more information, visit www.themacallan.com.

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