Bratty Highland Park sherry bomb by casQueteers
This week, we will feature island and/or peninsula made whisky! Welcome aboard! We are kicking off on the Orkney Islands.
While Highland Park returned to normalcy with their packaging, and the whisky has always been a great all-rounder, independent bottlers can surprise us with some nice variations. Today, we have a true sherry bomb in the glass. Let us see if it is contained within the limits of what malt Scotch whisky should be, or if we get a winesky-wood bomb. The name chosen is Orkney Malt, but I suggest bottlers to start looking for alternative ways to “secretly” tell we are drinking Highland Park. In 2018, the Orkney Distillery opened on Kirkwall’s harbour front. While initially gin was produced, since March 2024 there is also whisky production. In the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2025 we read that later in 2024 new Hoga stills from Portugal were installed and production was increased. Still of micro distillery size, the amount is 30.000 litres per year. Alright, let us return to the bottle at hand now!
Orkney Malt vintage 2016, bottled at 57,7 % abv by the casQueteers
First things first: Distilled on 22 April 2016 and bottled on 6 June 2024, this undisclosed but disclosed Highland Park single malt matured for 8 years in a fresh ex-PX quarter cask. Exactly 130 pitch black bottles with liquid were produced from this cask # 244. The casQueteers are a cask buying and bottling collective in The Netherlands.
Upon Sipping: While this is very much in your face, it is a welcome smack! The peaty spirit mingled well with the heavy cask treatment, resulting in a leathery introduction. You can pick up fizzy cherry like in my favourite cola and also some strawberries for good balance. For now, I am very, very satisfied with what I encounter. The sweet attack on the palate was to be expected but it remains that way almost all the way to the end. Upon swallowing, the finish has a strong wooded signature but there is still a lot of fruit left. Very pleasant and brilliantly balanced. I have to say this is a rare exception of a quarter cask working out, especially considering the fact it was a fresh PX cask to begin with. Drinkability is just fine without water, but let us see what a little nuance does. The nose remains subtle and closed up, but the taste turns a bit more sour, like vinegar, and the finish becomes a tad more harsh with the wood note. Diluting this Orkney Malt is not wise.
Word to the Wise: A very well-rounded bottling by the casQueteers that brings a lot of balance with the unity of Highland Park spirit, narrow wood maturation and a fresh PX element. It works like a charm, creating a feast for those who love bratty sherry bottlings.
Score: 88 points.