Rites Of Passage Cask Selection 20 Year Old Cask Number:#742 “Highland Park Whitlaw” Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700ml

This expression, independently bottled by Rites of Passage (via the bottler Epicurean Selection LLC) under the pseudonym “Whitlaw” for the Orkney-Islands distillery Highland Park, represents a special single-cask, cask-strength release.
Key details:

• Distilled on 23 October 2003 at Highland Park (via “Whitlaw” name) on the Orkney Islands.
• Aged for over 20 years: Matured in a refill cask until 2017, then re-racked into a first-fill Oloroso sherry barrel, bottled 5 February 2024.
• Cask number 742.
• Bottled at cask strength: 54.6% ABV in the 700 mL size.
• Limited run: 176 bottles produced globally.
• Non-chill filtered, no added colour.

Tasting Notes

Nose: The bouquet opens with mature orchard fruit sweetness (ripe pear, baked apple), rich dried fruit (plum, raisin) and warm toffee. Overlaying this is honeyed malt, a delicate heather-smoke note characteristic of Highland Park, followed by polished oak and sherry spice (cinnamon, nutmeg).
Palate: Medium-to-full body with excellent integration of spirit and cask. Flavours include dark chocolate, roasted pecan, tobacco-leaf, orange peel marmalade, and a subtle briny maritime edge from the Orkney influence. The first-fill Oloroso barrel contributes deep dried-fruit and roasted-nut nuance while preserving the distillate’s honey-and-heather core.
Finish: Long and warming the sherry barrique tannins linger with toasted oak, dark cherry, gentle sea-salt echo, and late-arriving sweet spice. A complex finish that rewards attentive sipping.