HIGHLAND PARK DRAGON 1961/36YO

[eelbrook]

Back in 1961, a single cask of Highland Park was filled into hogshead cask #4493. In 1997, this was bottled (as a 36 year old at 48.1%ABV) by S & JD Robertson of Kirkwall, Orkney. The whisky was physically bottled at Broxburn Bottlers Ltd, at the request of S & JD Robertson Ltd. Seemingly, the cask yielded just 216 bottles, which were labelled "The Dragon 1961"?. The bottles were not individually numbered.

S & JD Robertson are not an independent bottler, but rather a "finger in many pies' local company based in Kirkwall, Orkney (just a couple of kilometres from the distillery). The whisky is part of S & JD Robertson's private collection of whisky bottlings.

Relatively recently, S & JD Robertson allocated an unspecified number of the original "Dragon 1961"? bottles for sale. This was the first time that the company had released any of this vintage for public sale. The problem was that, not being in the spirits trade, S & JD Robertson didn't have an off-sales liqueur licence. So, they took advice from a company called Hebridean Liqueurs on how best to go forward. In the end, it was agreed that Hebridean Liqueurs would process sales, but that bottles would be delivered (P&P free by Special Delivery) directly to customers (from Orkney) by S & JD Robertson. The lady at S & J D Robertson who deals with sales orders placed with Hebridean Liqueurs is Fiona Bain (tel 01856 872961).

The original bottles were considered too plain to sell unpackaged in the modern market. So, they now come to sale in a mahogany lacquered linden wood box . Seemingly, only the bottles offered for general sale (ie NOT the whole 216 bottles originally filled) were so boxed. I'm told that the bottles themselves are in perfect condition with good fill levels.

Orders for "Dragon 1961"? can be placed with Roy Lewis of Hebridean Liqueurs via http://www.hebridean-liqueurs.co.uk or by phoning 01436 679935. The non-negotiable price tag is £350.

Serge did do a taste-off between "Legend 1961" and the "Highland Park 50yo"? in September 2010, in which he referred it as a "legendary"? bottling and score it 91/100. Other reviewers have also scored the expression 90+.

I've nothing whatsoever to do with any of the above-mentioned companies. However, I am the proud owner of one of the bottles. It is a stunning presentation. Also, it isn't often that Highland Park's distilled in the early 1960s come available.