Orkney Sponge Edition 001 ‘Highland Park Distillery’ 23 Year Old 700ml 57%

First Edition – From the warehouses of Signatory Vintage that yielded 277 bottles.

Details
700ml: 57%alc
Age: 23-year-old
Region: Orkney
Distillery: Highland Park
Cask type: Refill hogshead
Bottler: Whisky Sponge/Decadent Drinks
Distilled: 1998
Bottling Date: 2022

Description
This is the very first edition of ‘Orkney Sponge’, a new occasional series of bottlings focusing on the single malts of Orkney or as Whisky Sponge tells us; “probably various iterations of Highland Park to be honest”. Edition 001 is a 1998 refill hogshead of 23-year-old Highland Park. Bottled at natural cask strength of 57.0% ABV, it has a surprisingly peaty and almost old-style Highland Park profile with plenty dry herbal and medical notes with whisps of coastal freshness.

Whisky Sponge comments;
“Old Orkney was, of course, the brand associated with Stromness back before the distillery sadly closed in the 1920s. It was way ahead of its time in terms of funny and witty advertising and super elegant, cool branding. It has long been an inspiration for what we’ve tried to do with Sponge, which is why we went out of our way to buy the brand. Orkney Sponge is our first wee experiment at having some fun with Old Orkney.

Recommended Serve, Whisky Sponge style 😉
“Pour one large measure into a copita glass or tumbler, stand on the Cliffs of Yesnaby (west coast of Orkney) during inclement weather, and sip generous mouthfuls while gazing into the raging churn of the waves until your vision blurs with tears and your mind yields to the incalculable weight of existence”