highland park

Highland Park Leif Eriksson

Filed under: Spirits

Highland Park is preparing to unveil a new limited-edition single malt scotch whisky later this month. Named after Leif Eriksson, the special scotch is set to debut at the International Association of Airport Duty Free Stores (IAADFS) trade show later this month and will be exclusive to travel retail outlets.

The special bottling honors the first European to reach America. Legend has it that Leif Eriksson set out on his voyage from the Scottish Isle of Orkney, which sits in between Norway and Iceland (where Eriksson was born) and which serves as Highland Park's home.

Bottled at 40% ABV, the 700ml Highland Park Leif Eriksson will retail at $88 in the United States before being rolled out in markets around the world.

Tags: highland park, leif eriksson, scotch, single malt, whisky

First Taste: Highland Park 50 Year Old Single Malt

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

With gale-force winds that would make Mount Washington shiver, and scant winter sunlight, the northern Scottish islands of Orkney provide little reason to spend much time outside, unless it's for the annual game/riot of Ba'. But while not ideal for sunbathing, those conditions do lend themselves to other pursuits, namely, distilling whisky-which is what Highland Park has been doing since 1798. As we told you last October, Highland Park announced the release of the oldest island region single-malt yet, a 50 years old bottling housed in five kilos of hand-made silver designed by fellow Scot, Maeve Gillies.

Gillies, along with Highland Park's Martin Daraz and Gerry Tosh, were in town recently to share a dram of the precious release, which the US will only see five of this year, currently priced at $17,500.

Having spent a half-century in Sherry oak casks, the nose and palate evidenced the pleasantly expected notes of almond, clove, and candied orange. And while mellowed by age, I nonetheless picked up a healthy amount of vanilla and wood, which Daraz pointed out was most likely due to the fact that after 50 years in cask, the liquid moves beyond the portion seasoned by the Sherry and deeper into the wood staves. At just 2% peat concentration-which Highland Park still cuts by hand-the smokiness hovered at the periphery of the tongue, never feeling intrusive.

While obviously meant for the collector, both in terms of aesthetics and content, Gillies pointed out that her bottle design holds a reward for increasing the ullage: When viewed from behind, a rose window design becomes visible on the reverse of the Highland Park sandstone emblem as the level drops. "So you can pray to God for more," quipped Tosh.

Tags: Highland Park, scotch, scotland, single malt, tasting, whisky

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Highland Park Announces the World's Oldest Island Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Just what we needed: another reason to love Highland Park, and another way to spend our children's college funds on the much-lauded Orcadian single malt. This time Scotland's most northerly distillery has released what is being billed as the oldest island single malt ever produced. And at 50 years old, we have no reason to doubt it.

Distilled in 1960, Highland Park 50 is vatted from five refill oak casks and bottled at 44.8% ABV. The result is a rich mahogany color, with a tobacco nose and a rich and spicy flavor. The distillery contracted Scottish jeweler Maeve Gillies to design the bottle, which features an Orkney sandstone amulet set into the intricate sterling silver laid out in a design evocative of the famous rose window of the St Magnus Cathedral.

Sadly only 275 bottles will be produced, available initially exclusively at Harrods department store in London, after which it will be offered through other retailers. But don't go looking for a bottle at your local retailer, as the £10,000 MSRP is sure to keep out the riff-raff.

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Tags: harrods, highland park, highland park 50, maeve gillies, scotch, single malt, whisky

The New Black Grouse Whisky from Famous Grouse

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Just in time for the fall season, The Famous Grouse is coming out with a great new blended Scotch whisky with plenty of peat smoke in it, a welcome antidote to those weedy, watery blends we're usually beset with.

Deriving its name from the rare bird, Black Grouse is meant to be "the darker side of The Famous Grouse," the well-loved whisky that holds a Royal Warrant from the Queen of England.

The new bottling is a blend of Famous Grouse, which contains Macallan and Highland Park, married with some peaty, smoky Islay malts in oak casks, making for a rich, smooth spirit with plenty of character.

To celebrate the launch, Tinika Green and Andrew Duncan of New York's gourmet barbecue joint Blue Smoke have created a special cocktail dubbed the Black and Blue, which has been added to the eatery's drink menu for the season.

"The Black Grouse's flavor profile pairs well with the hints of sweetness in different barbecue rubs and sauces," notes Jason Krantz, Blue Smoke's Chef de Cuisine. "As we head into the fall, the smoky flavor combination of The Black Grouse and succulent barbecue will really warm the soul."

Check out the drink recipe and image after the jump, but be sure to try the whisky, which is priced at $28.99 for a 750ml bottle, with just a little ice or water as well for the full effect.

Tags: Blue Smoke, cocktails, Famous Grouse, Highland Park, Macallan, Queen of England, Royal Warrant, Scotch, whisky

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Highland Park Saint Magnus Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Whisky connoisseurs know Highland Park for its virtually unsurpassed richness and complexity of flavor, consistently rated among the best single malts to come from Scotland. Last year Hebridean distillery released the Earl Magnus, a particularly strong expression celebrating the legendary Earl of Orkney – the 11th century ruler of the archipelago which Highland Park calls home.

Now Highland Park is following up with the much-anticipated second release in the Magnus collection – itself a homage to the distillery's founder Magnus Eunson. Called Saint Magnus, this latest expression is named after one of the six canonized Norsemen during Orkney's Norwegian rule in the 11th and 12th centuries. More than 20 churches bear his name, and now the second in a series of three special Highland Park expressions bares his name.

The Highland Park Saint Magnus is bottled at an exceptionally strong 55% abv, matured in Spanish oak casks for over twelve years. Only 11,994 bottles will be produced, and offered to the public at £85 per bottle.

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Highland Park Releases 1970 Orcandian Vintage Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Scotland plays host to dozens upon dozens of whisky distilleries, but only one on the isle of Orkney: Highland Park, which currently stands as the northernmost distillery in Scotland. Highland Park is rated as one of the top whiskies in the world, but even at the pinnacle there is room for distinction.

Last Fall, Highland Park launched The Orcadian Vintage Series, and following the releases of the 1968 and 1964 vintages has now announced the third in the series: the 1970 Vintage. To emphasize the whisky's natural intricacies, Highland Park opted to use refill casks to age the vintage, releasing just 1,800 jet-black bottles at cask strength. Each sells for £2,250.

Tags: highland park, highland park 1970, orcadian vintage series, scotch, scotch whisky, single malt, the orcadian vintage series, whisky

Big Dollars for Rare Macallan and Glenfiddich Single-Malts

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

A rare single malt has sold at auction for over £12,000, becoming the most expensive bottle of 60-year-old Macallan ever recorded.The whisky was at the center of an international bidding war at the world's largest whisky auctions in Glasgow this week. It was sold for £12,350 to an anonymous collector from New York.

The rare whisky, a bottling of three barrels distilled between 1926 and 1928, was one of more than 700 lots in the McTear's Rare and Collectible whisky sale. Macallan whiskies routinely top the list of most highly prized vintage whiskies. Others that usually draw high prices include Glenfiddich, Bowmore, Springbank, Glenmorangie, Highland Park and Ardbeg. A 73-year old bottle of Glenfiddich, one of the rarest single-malt whiskies in the world, is expected to fetch £20,000 when it is auctioned next month. There were only 61 bottles of this vintage produced. The sale will be held at Bonhams of Edinburgh, Scotland on June 16.

Tags: bonhams, Bowmore, Glenmorangie, Highland Park, macallan scotch, scotch, scotch whisky, single malt, Springbank, whisky

Highland Park 1968 Whisky

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

This spring Highland Park is launching Highland Park 1968, a blend of 8 different 40 yr old whiskies that marks the first of 10 vintages planned for release by Highland Park over the next 5 years. Described as lighter than its younger cousins, with a golden amber hue and deep chocolate notes, what really makes this scotch stand out is its price tag of $3999 a bottle -- a price which is making it unclear who will stock it. As of now no bars in New York have signed on to offer it, but experts say casinos will be likely takers along with a few smaller or private establishments.

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Armstrong Parkway, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate in Highland Park, Texas comes with a bit of history even though its glossy renovated interior makes it look like a fresh build. The English Tudor home was designed by the Park Cities architect, Henry B. (Hal) Thompson of Thompson and Swaine Architects and built for Harry A. Olmsted, owner of a wholesale paper company and President of the State Fair of Texas in 1926. The six-bedroom home is on under an acre of land. The home itself has a stone and brick exterior with a slate roof and leaded glass windows in many of the rooms. Features include a large living room, oak-paneled study, butler's pantry, bar and family room. A solarium has glass, stone and brick walls and a slate floor and doors leading to the back yard and pool. The cook's kitchen has a center island, granite countertops, Walker Zanger custom tile back splash and limestone flooring as well as top-of-the-line appliances that include two full ovens, two Bosch dishwashers, two warming drawers, a third electric convection oven, microwave, and a SubZero freezer with two additional freezer drawers in the walk-in pantry. The master bedroom has separate his and her baths and dressing areas as well as a sitting area and bar area. The third floor of the home has a large exercise room as well as more bedrooms.

Outside is the pool, an English herb garden and a cabana/greenhouse. The open pool house has an in-ground spa, bar area with television and a full bath. The two car garage has a third bay for storage and a half bath. There is also a separate mudroom with a washer/dryer and an apartment upstairs that includes a bedroom and living area with a full kitchen and a bath. This home is listed at $9.95 million.

Gallery: Armstrong Parkway

Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, highland park, HighlandPark, texas real estate, TexasRealEstate

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Highland Park Creates Earl Magnus Whisky

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Who is Earl Magnus and why do we want to know about him? Earl Magnus was the legendary Earl of Orkney who ruled in the 11th century. His name is also on a new limited edition 15 year-old single malt whisky from Highland Park, The Earl Magnus Edition 1. The whisky is a natural strength bottling taken which measures 52.6% abv,. The tasting notes say that the Earl Magnus delivers the signature heather peat smokiness Highland Park is famous for along with delicate notes of ginger, lemon and vanilla.

It is bottled in a light brown bottle with a historically inspired label that depicts Earl Magnus in a stained glass window. It comes in a wooden gift box etched with Highland Park branding and the tale of Earl Magnus – the story of his life, his murder at the hands of a cousin, his canonization and the building of St Magnus cathedral. The whisky is meant to celebrate the history of Orkney and will be available from late December in the UK selling for £85.

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Tags: earl magnus, EarlMagnus, highland park, HighlandPark, scotch, whisky

Preston Road, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate is a rather fancy new home in the Highland Park area of Dallas. The home was designed by Richard Drummond Davis and built by Sharif-Munir to be the height of faux-French lavishness. The chateau-like home has an ironwork doorway that opens to an impressive two-story foyer. Extravagant details include high ceilings with carved wooden coffers, an imported 18th century French marble fireplace, inlaid wood floors, and custom plaster ornamental detailing. The master suite has a fireplace and an additional sitting room as well as his and hers bathrooms with marble details. An additional l private residential suite with full bath and sitting room is located in the basement and there are six bedrooms total. Outside there is a deep outdoor living loggia that overlooks the pool with fountains and spa below. This home is one of several elaborate new homes in the area built on a grand scale and priced at the top of the market. Doubtlessly planned in more exuberant times I wonder how they will fare in this market. This home is listed at $11.25 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Preston Road

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Highland Park, Illinois Home Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Another multi-million house is headed to auction, this time in Highland Park, Illinois on Chicago's North Shore. The home is a model home overlooking a ravine on 1.35 acres. The five-bedroom home is located a short walk from Lake Michigan and is over 11,000 square feet. The rooms have 10' ceilings and feature Wisconsin stone and Brazilian Mahogany details. Other features include a home entertainment area with its own kitchen and a wine cellar. There is also a four-car garage with cedar doors and the plumbing and infrastructure for an indoor pool is in place. How much of a deal can you get on this one? The press release says that it was originally priced at nearly $4 million and the minimum bid is $2.45 million. The auction will be on December 9, the next day the same auction broker, Inland Real Estate Auctions will auction off a variety of properties that include a 2,600-square-foot, eighth-floor penthouse condominium in Lincolnwood, Ill. and a newly-built three-bedroom single-family home in west suburban Plano.

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Highland Park Launches 40-Year-Old Single Malt

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Scotch whisky is getting more and more popular.The Scotch Whisky Association has reported that the value of exports reached a new high of £2.8b billion last year. With the rise in exports comes the demand for more and more premium bottles inspiring whisky distillers to create more and more expensive bottles. Case in point, the latest from Highland Park, a 40-year-old single malt whisky which is the oldest in their portfolio. The whisky is described as a "a balance of toffee, dark chocolate, orange zest and heather peat smokiness" and comes in an oak stained wood box with a leather booklet explaining the history of the brand. The whisky will sell for £899 per bottle. Hopefully this whisky won't get lost in transit like some of their 32-year-old single malt recently did.

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Highland Park Whisky Goes Missing in Flight

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

We've all become accustomed to the possibility that an airline might lose our luggage but the Beverly Hills-based spirits company Saybrex International is missing 186 bottles of a rare cask of 32-year-old Highland Park whisky that it claimed had been delivered to the U.S. by Delta Airlines. The Moodie Report says that 31 cartons are worth around $240,000 and went missing on the route between Scotland and Los Angeles. It got to the Glasgow Airport but never arrived. Various government agencies are trying to track down the missing hooch.

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Most Expensive Zip Codes: 75205, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

For the next couple of weeks we will be checking out some homes in the most expensive zip codes in the United States, up today, 75205. This zip code is in the area of Highland Park, Texas, part of Dallas, and is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation. It has a median price of $1,470,000 with an appreciation rate of 149% since 1990.

The area has been known for exclusive housing since the early 1900s and gets its name from the fact that it is on high land that overlooks Dallas. According to Wikipedia, a a 2007 estimate reported that Highland Park has a median family income of $373,327. Celebrities in the area include Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman.

The top house currently for sale in this prestigious area is this home on Lakeside Drive facing Lakeside Park. The home was built in 1918 but was taken down to the studs and completely rebuilt a few years ago. The home is nearly 10,000 square feet but sits on just a half acre of land (with a small pool tucked in between the house and the garage). This home is listed at $14,995,000.

Gallery: Most Expensive Zip Codes, 75205, Highland Park, TX