Highland Park 2016 8 Year Old, Finn Thomson Cask #183

Cask: Madeira Finish
One of only 343 bottles

Finn Thomson first tried a sample of this whisky back in 2022 when it was just six years old. It is a core belief of his that whiskies should always be tasted in a ‘real’ environment, rather than a sterile sample room. On this occasion he found himself sipping the sample in the warm waters of the Mediterranean near Cannes, France - a far cry from the wild coastline of Highland Park’s island home of Orkney. The sample had potential but he felt it needed to be pushed in a slightly different direction.

Inspired by the sunnier setting, he looked to another island famous for making its own distinctive beverage in order to add more sweetness and complexity to the light, heathery peated style of Highland Park. Madeira wine has been used for maturing Scotch whisky for centuries and, in their own family archives, they have records of Madeira casks being part of the Thomson family blend as far back as 1897.

The result is a robust and complex whisky shaped by two iconic islands who each produce their own celebrated drink. The subtle peat of Orkney meets Madeira strawberries and cream in a cask strength Atlantic storm of flavour.