Cask Strength 2
Highland Park Release Cask Strength No.3
Highland Park Adds New Whisky to Award-winning Cask Strength Series
— Cask Strength Release No.3 celebrates the harmonious balance of traditional whisky-making and modern flavour exploration —
Orkney-based single malt distillery, Highland Park, has added a new whisky to its award-winning Cask Strength series, designed to challenge whisky drinking norms. The range strikes a harmonious balance between the traditional whisky-making craft, while encouraging flavour exploration to suit individual palates.
Launching as a permanent addition to the Highland Park range and created using the traditional ‘straight from the cask’ method, Highland Park Cask Strength Release No.3 is whisky in its purest form. No water is added after maturation which delivers a robust and intense flavour with a greater depth of finish.
Cask Strength Release No.3 uses whisky made with a higher proportion of Orkney peated malt resulting in a smokier style compared to the other single malts in the series. It has been matured predominantly in first-fill sherry seasoned American and European oak casks and a small quantity of refill casks. The result is an extraordinary combination of contrasting yet perfectly balanced flavours of charred oak, tropical fruits, aniseed, heather honey, vanilla cream, aromatic violet, sponge cake and peat smoke.
Highland Park, Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion champions this style of whisky as an opportunity for flavour discovery. Gordon explains:
“With Cask Strength, you are at a great place to start exploring the taste that best suits your palate by adding water, ice or your preferred serve. It’s your whisky and should be enjoyed your way.
“For me, a Cask Strength whisky really celebrates that balance between old and new and I look forward to seeing how consumers enjoy the new whisky.”
The Highland Park Cask Strength series, a prestige offering within the portfolio, has been created by bringing together dozens of single casks. The whisky is at full strength, straight from the cask, and has only been gently filtered before bottling.
The releases within the Cask Strength range share the same underlying character but with each batch featuring different flavours coming to the fore based on the cask make-up. The ABV will also vary from batch to batch.
Release No.1 was matured predominantly in sherry seasoned American oak casks of different ages, delivering a harmonious contrast of flavours of toffee, heather, honey, and peat smoke. Release No. 2 was matured predominantly in sherry seasoned European and American oak casks and a small quantity of ex-bourbon casks, producing tastes of pear and almond cake, toasted oak, liquorice, cracked black pepper, aromatic peat.
Highland Park Cask Strength Release No.3 will become available globally from 1st September across specialist whisky retailers, including The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, and The Whisky Shop, and from the Highland Park online shop, distillery, and Albert Street store in Orkney. The UK RRP is £65.
To find out more visit: www.highlandparkwhisky.com
Laphroaig® Unveils the Latest Release in Càirdeas Series
Introducing Laphroaig Càirdeas Triple Wood Cask Strength
14th May 2019: Beam Suntory’s Laphroaig has announced the 2019 annual release of its Càirdeas series, Càirdeas Triple Wood Cask Strength. This exclusive bottling celebrates the Friends of Laphroaig and marks the annual Feis Ile festival on Islay.
The unique expression is a special triple maturation, first matured in ex-bourbon barrels, then in quarter casks and finally in European oak casks which previously held oloroso sherry. It is then barrier filtered and bottled at cask strength to create a punchy dram with Laphroaig’s signature richness of flavour and smoky taste.
Friends Only
On Islay there is a saying; We don’t make friends easily but the ones we do are for life. Launched in 1994, Friends of Laphroaig are fans, friends and followers of the distillery from all over the world. Never short of an opinion or two they help Laphroaig explore new expressions, attend tastings and sometimes even visit the distillery at Laphroaig’s home on Islay. To reward the loyalty of its following, each year Laphroaig launches exclusive bottlings within the Càirdeas series.
Càirdeas means ‘friendship’ in Gaelic and, each year, a limited-edition bottling is crafted by distillery manager and fifth generation Islay native, John Campbell, available exclusively to Friends of Laphroaig.
Feis Ile Festival
The unique edition is launched to coincide with the Feis Ile festival, which transforms Islay for seven days each summer into a global hub of whisky lovers. Some 3000 visitors descend on the Islay distilleries to enjoy exclusive tastings, talks from key figures in the industry, and revel in a shared passion amongst likeminded strangers. Laphroaig is one of the largest and most famous distilleries on the island, and the Càirdeas release is a celebration of the people who visit.
John Campbell, Laphroaig distillery manager, comments: “Our friends are very important to us at Laphroaig. It’s a polarising whisky, so it means a great deal that our fans remain loyal to our liquid and continue to push for newer expressions. Friends of Laphroaig gives us a great opportunity to engage with our supporters and give back to them with this exclusive Càirdeas whisky.”
The whisky is available online exclusively to Friends of Laphroaig and at the distillery now for an RRP of £77
Tasting Notes
Nose:
Polished leather and tobacco leaves with spicy lemon and clementine zest. Subtle notes of golden syrup and rich heather honey, with autumn leaves, hazelnuts, vanilla fudge and a touch of white pepper and nutmeg. Dried camomile flowers and a touch of passion fruits.
Palate:
Sweet with rich toffee, with dates, maple syrup, praline and crème caramel. Grilled chestnuts with tarte Tatin, marzipan and strong black pepper. Cedar wood, a touch of furniture polish and beeswax.
Finish:
Sweet, long with caramel and spicy buttery fudge.
Colour:
Burnished gold.
Best served neat, with ice or water, given the higher ABV of this cask strength dram.
ABV:
Bottled at 51.4% ABV.
