Highland Park Dragon Legend

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 43.1% | Chill filtration: Yes | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Dragon Legend explores the smokier side of Highland Park. It uses a higher proportion of peated malt than the classic twelve-year-old expression. Maturation takes place in sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks, bringing vanilla and warm spice notes into the interplay with aromatic peat smoke.

The name draws on the Norse legend of Sigurd, who defeated the dragon Fafnir and gained wisdom and the gift of prophecy after tasting its blood. The edition thus connects with the Norse heritage of the Orkney Islands. Its peat also comes from Orkney, from Hobbister Moor. Alongside earthy and floral smoky notes, the whisky has sweet wine and fruit notes from its maturation in sherry casks.

The single malt is bottled at 43.1%, and its colour comes entirely from the casks. The bottle contains 0.7 litres and comes in gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, freshly cut grass and toasted vanilla pods mingle with a hint of mulled wine.
• Palate: Bold, earthy smoke with hints of heather makes an immediate impression on the palate. Peppercorns, sweet little fruit cakes with a spiced dried-fruit filling and an oily malt note add to the flavour.
• Finish: Dried citrus fruit and toasted barley linger on the finish, which fades comparatively quickly.

Distillery/Bottler:

Highland Park is based in Kirkwall on Scotland's Orkney Islands, with a history stretching back to 1798. The heather-rich peat from Hobbister Moor is an important part of the distillery's style, giving its smoke an aromatic, heather-led character.

The distillery retains its own malting floors, where the barley is turned by hand. Two traditional kilns are used to dry the malt. Distillation takes place in four copper pot stills, and Highland Park also uses traditional dunnage warehouses with earth floors for maturation. This approach brings together its own malt preparation, distillation and cask storage on site.

Facts: