Highland Park Single Cask Series No. 2776 11 Year Single Malt Scotch

One cask, 306 bottles, and not a drop of water added.

Highland Park filled this refill hogshead on Orkney in 2010 and emptied it in 2022, 11 years later. It gave 306 bottles. It's bottled at 64.7% ABV, 129.4 proof.

A hogshead is a mid-sized cask, around 250 litres. "Refill" means it had already held whisky before this spirit went in. A refill cask has given up some of its oak, so it flavors the whisky more gently than a fresh cask would. That leaves more room for the distillery's own character.

Highland Park's character starts with its peat. Orkney has no trees, so the peat the distillery cuts at Hobbister Moor is made of heather and moss rather than wood, and it's thousands of years old. The smoke it gives the malt is lighter and more floral than the Islay kind. Martin Markvardsen, Highland Park's senior global brand ambassador, called it "the closest we come to terroir" when we sat down with him in August.

At this strength, water is your friend. Pour a small measure, taste it, then add water a few drops at a time.

Tasting Notes

Highland Park doesn't publish notes for individual casks. These are from a US retailer's listing for this cask:

• Nose: honeyed sweetness, vanilla, dried fruit, gentle oak and heathered peat smoke
• Palate: caramelized sugar, dark chocolate, dried fruit, baking spice and a little maritime character
• Finish: long and warming, with orange peel, toasted nuts, honey and lingering smoke

Bottle Specifications

• Category: Single malt Scotch whisky, single cask
• Age: 11 years (distilled 2010, bottled 2022)
• Cask: Refill hogshead, cask No. 2776
• Proof / ABV: 129.4 proof / 64.7%
• Outturn: 306 bottles
• Distillery: Highland Park, Kirkwall, Orkney
• Bottle size: 750ml

Poured by Scotch-of-the-Month Club Enthusiast members in June 2026.

FAQ

What does cask strength mean?
The whisky goes into the bottle at the strength it came out of the cask, with no water added. That's why this one is 129.4 proof instead of the usual 80 to 92.

What's a refill hogshead?
A cask of about 250 litres that has held whisky before. It adds less oak than a first-fill cask, so the spirit's own flavor shows through more.

Is this Highland Park 18?
No. The 18 is a blend of many casks, mostly sherry-seasoned, bottled at 43%. This is one 11-year-old refill cask at full strength. They're different whiskies from the same distillery.