Story | Leslie Yip Photography | Highland Park
Created using the traditional ‘straight from the cask’ method, Highland Park’s Cask Strength Release No.3 is whisky in its purest form. Made with a higher proportion of Orkney-peated malt, it results in a smokier style compared to the other single malts in the series. Furthermore, no water is added after maturation.
Wait, water is added in whisky-making?
Yes, most whiskies are diluted with water prior to bottling to reduce the alcohol-by-volume (ABV) strength, typically to 40% or 43%. Cask strength is a term used to describe a whisky that has not had water added after maturation in casks. The whisky is at full strength, straight from the cask and is only gently filtered prior to bottling.
The series, now a permanent edition to the distillery’s lineup, is especially appealing to those who are more adventurous with their dram. While each release shares the same underlying character, different flavours coming to the fore with each batch, based on the cask makeup. The ABV will also vary from batch to batch.
Cask Strength Release No.3 uses whisky that has been matured predominantly in first-fill, sherry-seasoned American and European oak casks and a small quantity of refill casks, delivering flavours of charred oak, tropical fruits, aniseed, heather honey, vanilla cream, aromatic violet and peat smoke.
Highland Park Cask Strength Release No. 3 is currently available in western Canada and will roll out across the country in the coming months. At a suggested retail price of $149.95/750mL, with an ABV of 64.1%, this highly collectable marque will be coveted by whisky enthusiasts who crave purity and strength.
