Scotland, Isle of Orkney. Distillery operational. Owner: The Edrington Group Ltd

Owned by the Edrington Group, Highland Park remained for a long time somewhat of a niche malt reserved for connoisseurs and well-informed enthusiasts, notably due to its kinship with Macallan. The distillery drew its quintessence from this relationship and the access it afforded to perfect mastery of sherry cask ageing and beautifully sculpted casks. The rest comes from the island's natural, cultural and geographic heritage. Established in 1798 on Orkney, a wind- and wave-swept island where Viking blood continues to run through the veins of its inhabitants, Highland Park produces a traditional malt, characterized by its lightly peated barley which is malted on site. Although the bottle shape evolved at the turn of the 1980s, the style remained the same until the late 1990s. Playing on a profound sherry register in which subtle notes of iodine and peat smoke highlight its almost mystical Celtic temperament, Highland Park has today come completely out of the shadows. It is one of the most legitimate distilleries in the collectibles world due to its history, the consistent quality of its malt and the breadth of the range.

A Highland Park 12 Year Old Saint Magnus. This edition is part of a trilogy launched in 2009 with Highland Park 15 Year Old Earl Magnus, followed in 2010 by Saint Magnus, and in 2011 by Highland Park 18 Year Old Earl Haakon. The first two editions pay tribute to the 11th Earl of Orkney (born circa 1075), who was canonized 20 years after his death. He was killed on 16 April 1117 by his cousin Haakon, who lends his name to the third edition in the series. A limited edition of 11,994 bottles.