Highland Park has added 15 Year Old Viking Heart to its range, in a bottle that echoes the ancient earthenware vessels that the spirit would have been stored in centuries ago.

The distiller has been crafting whisky in the Orkney Islands since 1798. Now, 223 years later, it is one of the 10 oldest working distilleries in Scotland. It has created the heavily embossed ceramic bottle in partnership with renowned specialist UK based Wade Ceramics.

Committed to environmental responsibility, focusing on sustainable manufacturing and using locally sourced raw materials, the team at Highland Park decided ceramic would be a perfect vessel. The lead-free porcelain decanter is 100% food safe, glazed inside and out and embossed with the lion and serpent design that appears on many of the Highland Park glass bottles.

Created from casks hand-selected by Highland Park, Masker Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, the 15 Year Old contains a high percentage of first-fill European oak sherry seasoned casks, which delivers a warm, dry spicy note while first-fill American oak sherry seasoned casks back this up with notes of vanilla and crème brûlée. A small proportion of refill casks allow the DNA of Highland Park whisky to shine through, namely its gentle heather peat and lightly fruity character.

To make your mouth water even further, here’s how the distiller describes the liquid: “A rich and complex single malt, it opens with rich and spicy aromas of crème brulee, heather honey and crumbled cinnamon, intensely fruity notes follow – fresh pineapple dressed with a scattering of sun-kissed lemon zest. There’s a hint of freshly-baked sponge cake too, warm from the oven, and you’ll find cinnamon again, but toasted shards this time. Citrus and vanilla notes linger in the aromatic waves of peat smoke. The colour is a natural cask driven colour, light golden, clear and bright.”

Gordon Motion, Highland Park, Master Whisky Maker, added: “Our insistence on specially constructed sherry casks delivers a richness of flavour. Vanilla and citrus notes lead and combine with the unique fragrant peat and creamy mouthfeel synonymous with Highland Park.

“The hand selection of quality first-fill and refill casks for Highland Park 15 Year Old delivers a rich colour which is 100% natural.”

Bottled at 44% ABV, this retains more of the compounds which deliver a whisky with extra body and enhanced mouthfeel. It’s available to purchase at $185 a bottle at selected independent retailers, along with select on-premise venues. A list of key stockists can be found here: https://www.highlandparkwhisky.com/en/news/highland-park-15-year-old-viking-heart-stockists

And, once the whisky has been relished, the embossed ceramic bottle can be repurposed as a vase or candle holder.