Highland Park 18Y Whisky 70cl

This is the single malt you pour when you want depth, not drama. From Orkney (way up north, where the wind tastes like the sea), Highland Park 18 brings together honeyed richness, dried fruit, and a measured whisper of peat smoke that never takes over.

• Nose: Heather honey, orange peel, dried figs, a little sea spray, and a curl of soft smoke.
• Taste: Toffee and malt sweetness, dark fruit (think raisins and dates), warming cinnamon and clove, then gentle peat and oak.
• Finish: Long and drying, with lingering honey, spiced fruitcake, and a salty-smoky echo that keeps you coming back.

That 18-year age statement matters. Time in cask doesn’t just add “oak,” it knits everything together so the sweet, spicy, and smoky notes feel like one story instead of three competing playlists. The result is a whisky you can sit with, pick apart, and still find something new the next time you pour.

In the world of single malt whisky, this sits in a sweet spot: complex enough to reward slow sipping, but friendly enough that you don’t need a tasting dictionary. It’s got richness for the sherry-cask crowd, a touch of peat for the smoke-curious, and enough coastal character to make it feel unmistakably Orkney.

It also makes a killer “special bottle” for your home bar, because it covers so many cravings at once. Want something dessert-like? Honey and dried fruit. Want structure? Oak spice and a drying finish. Want a little edge? That soft peat and salty air note show up right on cue.

If you’re building a lineup, this is the bridge between big sweet sherried malts and heavier peated styles. It plays well with both camps, and it’s almost always the bottle people ask about after the first sip.

Fun Fact: Highland Park still uses Orkney peat (rich in heather) and traditionally floor-malts some of its barley, a big reason their smoke comes off fragrant and heathery instead of medicinal.