HIGHLAND PARK BETWEEN YOU & I 17 YEAR
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
ORKNEY, SCOTLAND
WHY BUY:
Any Highland Park is worthy of consideration just by virtue of the name — these guys have been at it since 1798, twenty-two years after the Declaration of Independence was signed — but at our recent tasting, this limited-edition 17-year-old single malt had us all buzzing. Its distinction comes from a somewhat unorthodox finishing decision (it spent 6 years in 100% new, unseasoned American oak, which is typically reserved for a much younger whisky, after sitting for 11 years in refill casks) and from Master Whisky Maker Marc Watson’s famed perfectionism (he tasted more than 80 potential casks to come up with the right one). And as always with a Highland Park bottling, every drop of color comes from the wood itself; that means no additives, no shortcuts, nothing that was engineered to achieve a desired result.
OUR TASTING NOTES:
A good part of the buzz in the room for this was the way it kept unfolding in the glass. Citrus arrived first, in the form of bright orange peel. Then, just as we were getting used to that note, in came the spice. And not a single spice, but a braid of spices. It built steadily, expanding outward. And just as that note was becoming familiar to us, vanilla emerged: but a particular vanilla, rich and resonant and musky, the kind that fills your nostrils when you skin open a pod. The new oak supports all this slow development beautifully, never overpowering these effects but amplifying them, the way a bass line adds to a song without taking over. The finish is as well-tended as everything that comes before, and leaves you feeling mellow and warm all over.
THE USE OF NEW OAK:
New oak is a bit of a gamble at this age. It can overwhelm a whisky that's earned its subtlety the slow and patient way. Watson's bet was that six years would bring out a sort of latent vibrancy in the whisky, and that bet has paid off, and in a big, big way: the citrus-and-spice character he wanted is unmistakably present, but it hasn’t come expense of the stately maturity that those 11 years in cask spent building.
THE COLLABORATION:
Laila Gohar is not a name in the whisky world. She's a conceptual artist and an event designer whose dinner parties are famed, and get written up the way other people's gallery openings do. When the folks at Highland Park first handed her a glass of this whisky, they asked her what it conjured for her. That answer gave them a name and a bottle design … and also brought them a partner.
THE STORY:
Highland Park is a distillery born of both rebellion and resourcefulness. It was founded, in 1798, as a side hustle by one Magnus "Mansie" Eunson, a church beadle with an entrepreneurial bent toward whisky smuggling. After years of hiding bottles under his pulpit (the secret distiller was a preacher on Sundays), Eunson finally obtained a proper license. More than two centuries later, Highland Park continues to follow Mansie's independent streak, maintaining craft traditions abandoned by mainland distilleries while embracing the Orkney character: a character like none other. "Far from the mainland, far from the mainstream” — that's Highland Park's ethos. Situated on Orkney at roughly the same latitude as southern Greenland, the distillery exists in a world apart, shaped by both awesome natural beauty and the creative, resourceful spirit of the island community. The constant winds are so fierce that trees can't survive, but heather thrives, dotting the landscape each summer and infusing the peat with its distinctive (and highly aromatic) signature.
OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we only buy and source directly from the distillery, so rest assured: your whisky will arrive in your hands as you deserve, with pristine provenance. Secure your bottle today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Winter 2026 (Dec. 21, 2006 - Mar. 20. 2027). All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer not valid in CO, CT, KS, MI, NC, NY, TN, VA, & WA. This offer will expire on Wednesday, October 7 2026.