Gordon Movement has spent 27 years on the helm of the Orkney distillery’s famend whisky portfolio. He now palms the baton to Marc Watson who brings greater than 11 years of expertise to the desk, together with his function as grasp blender for The Well-known Grouse and Bare Malt since 2023.
Movement was assistant to the whisky high quality supervisor for all of the Edrington manufacturers for 10 years earlier than taking on as grasp blender in 2008. He has taken care of Highland Park nearly solely since 2018.
‘I wish to thank Highland Park for being my house for shut to 3 many years,’ Movement mentioned. ‘It’s been an amazing privilege and even higher enjoyable to have been a custodian of this actually nice single malt whisky.’
Reflecting on his time at Highland Park, Movement pinpointed some highlights: ‘From deciding on 10 distinctive casks from 1968 to create landmark releases like our 56-year-old, by means of to taking part in a pivotal function within the development of our single malt portfolio, along with introducing our first Cask Power and International Journey Retail releases to the world.’
Movement’s successor, Watson, was awarded Distillery Supervisor of the Yr at Icons of Whisky Scotland in 2023. He has spent the final six months working with Movement to familiarise himself with Highland Park’s distinctive flavour profile.
Marc Watson. Credit score: Highland Park / Courtesy of Hope & Glory PR
‘I’ve all the time been an enormous fan of Highland Park and its completely different by nature method to whisky and to life and have an enormous admiration for my predecessors who’ve created the legacy that makes it such a particular single malt Scotch Whisky,’ mentioned Watson.
He informed Decanter he was excited to ‘see what I can carry to [the role] from a inventive viewpoint, and also you’ll see that with new releases and issues going ahead however retaining the core the identical and the standard the identical’.
Motionm mentioned, ‘I couldn’t ask for a greater successor than Marc Watson to take Highland Park into the long run.’
‘His consideration to element, deep information and love of whisky and distilling, collectively together with his inventive aptitude, makes him the best individual to turn out to be Highland Park’s subsequent grasp whisky maker.’
Movement has created Sherry Skies from ‘three first-fill European oak Sherry quarter casks, three first-fill American oak quarter casks and three first-fill Bourbon casks’. The Sherry casks had been seasoned and crafted in Jerez, particularly for Highland Park.
‘I’ve sampled 100,000s of casks throughout my 27-year profession, and the 9 chosen for Sherry Skies ship a singular depth of flavour – singing with the Sherry sweetness that I’ve beloved exploring and perfecting, balanced with the refined trace of fragrant smoke of our Orkney-heathered peat,’ mentioned Movement.
‘I hope this farewell dram will give folks as a lot pleasure savouring it, as I had creating it,’ he added.
When requested what he was most wanting ahead to in retirement, Movement commented: ‘Sitting down with a whisky and never having to speak about it.’
Kirkwall-based Highland Park, now in its 227th 12 months of manufacturing, stands amongst Scotland’s oldest whisky distilleries.
Restricted version Sherry Skies
1,200 bottles out there
48.8% abv
£265 RRP
Sherry Skies it’s out there to buy from Highland Park Distillery, the Albert Avenue flagship retailer and by way of the distiller’s web site.
