Whisky of Voodoo The High Priest Whitlaw 8 Year Old

Released as part of the "Whisky of Voodoo" series by independent bottler Brave New Spirits, "The High Priest" features single malt distilled at Highland Park under the pseudonym Whitlaw (named after the Whitlaw Hills surrounding the Kirkwall distillery in Orkney). Distilled in 2014 and aged for 8 years, this single malt was matured in a combination of first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry butts and first-fill bourbon barrels. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 52.6% ABV without chill-filtration or added color, it combines heather honey peat smoke with rich dried fruit and sweet sherry wood tannins.

Food Pairing: Venison steak, dark chocolate tarts, blue cheese, smoked almonds, or sticky toffee pudding.

Tasting Notes: Rich amber rust with deep copper highlights and thick, slow legs along the glass.

Nose: Aromatic and complex, opening with subtle heathery peat smoke, dark raisins, and fig jam, followed by toasted oak, orange peel, and warm baking spices.

Palate: Rich and mouth-coating on the palate, featuring sweet vanilla, dark honey, and chocolate-covered raisins upfront before evolving into heathery smoke, clove, and roasted coffee bean.

Finish: Long, warming, and well-balanced with lingering notes of dark cocoa, dry sherry tannins, gentle maritime smoke, and oak spice.

Serve: Enjoy neat at room temperature in a Glencairn glass, or add a few drops of water to open up the sweet dried fruit and delicate heather smoke aromas.