There are bottles that arrive on your desk and demand a moment of quiet respect before you even crack the seal. The Highland Park 2000 / 22 Year Old, bottled by Hunter Laing for their Old & Rare series, is precisely that kind of whisky. A single malt from one of Orkney's most storied distilleries, drawn from a 2000 vintage and allowed to mature for over two decades before being bottled at a formidable 56.9% ABV — cask strength, uncompromising, and exactly the way I like my independent bottlings.
Highland Park needs little introduction. Situated in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands, it occupies a unique position in Scotch whisky — technically classified as a Highland distillery, yet island-bound in character, shaped by the fierce North Sea winds and the heather-rich peat that defines Orcadian spirit. That duality is what makes Highland Park endlessly interesting to me: it straddles the line between the honeyed refinement you expect from a well-aged Highland malt and the coastal, gently smoky backbone that its island provenance demands.
At 22 years old, this expression has had serious time in wood. The Old & Rare label from Hunter Laing has earned a reputation for selecting exceptional single casks, and they tend to favour natural colour and non-chill filtration — hallmarks of a bottler that respects what the distillery and the cask have created together. The cask strength presentation at 56.9% tells you this was bottled to preserve every ounce of character the wood and spirit developed over those two decades. That is not a trivial ABV; there is real intensity here, and it rewards patience.
Tasting Notes
I would encourage anyone fortunate enough to open this bottle to spend time with it. At this age and strength, Highland Park reveals itself in stages. What I will say is that the 2000 vintage from this distillery sits in a period many enthusiasts regard highly — a time when the distillery's floor maltings and house character were firmly intact. You should expect the signature interplay of gentle peat smoke, orchard fruit sweetness, and that distinctive heathery quality that sets Highland Park apart from mainland distilleries. Twenty-two years of maturation will have deepened the complexity considerably, adding layers of dried fruit, baking spice, and a rich, almost waxy mouthfeel that cask strength Highland Park delivers so well.
The Verdict
At £560, this is not an everyday purchase — but it was never meant to be. This is a bottle for collectors and serious drinkers who understand what a well-chosen, cask strength, 22-year-old Highland Park represents. Independent bottlings of this calibre from reputable houses like Hunter Laing offer something the official range often cannot: a single cask perspective, unfiltered and undiluted, capturing a specific moment in the distillery's history. I find that genuinely compelling. The 2000 vintage carries real credibility among enthusiasts, and the Old & Rare series has a strong track record of delivering casks that justify their price. I am scoring this 8.6 out of 10 — a whisky that earns its place on any serious shelf and one I would be proud to share with someone who appreciates craft and patience in equal measure.
Best Served
Pour it neat in a Glencairn and give it ten minutes to open. At 56.9%, a few drops of cool water will unlock it further — do not be shy about adding water to cask strength whisky of this quality; it is not a concession, it is a courtesy to the spirit. Let it breathe, let it warm, and take your time. This is not a whisky that rewards haste.
