A Scot on Scotch reviews an intriguing small batch release from Morrison’s Càrn Mòr range. The whisky is a Whitlaw – a nickname often given to undisclosed malts from Highland Park distillery in Orkney.
Càrn Mòr
Càrn Mòr is a range of independently bottled whiskies from Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers. The Morrison family have been in the whisky industry for generations. Former owners of Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch, they returned to distilling in 2017 with the opening of Aberargie. The new Perthshire distillery’s malt has not yet made its way into the bottle, but the firm’s indie releases give whisky lovers plenty to choose from in the meantime. As well as the Càrn Mòr range, the Morrisons are behind The Big Strand Islay Single Malt, Kirkwall Bay and the impressive Old Perth range of Blended Malts.
The Càrn Mòr series is split into three categories: Strictly Limited, Celebration of the Cask, and Family Reserve. The whisky featured in this article comes from the former…
Whitlaw?
Don’t feel bad if the name Whitlaw isn’t familiar. I had to look it up myself, and, to be honest, I’m still a bit confused. The concept of hiding a distillery name isn’t new. When a distiller sells a cask, they might choose to protect their brand by forbidding the use of their name; however, the whisky still needs to be identifiable, so a nickname is often given, such as Westport for Glenmorangie or Staoisha for Bunnahabhain.
What I found a bit odd on this occasion was the actual name itself. According to literally hundreds of online articles, Whitlaw is a nickname for Highland Park and comes from the Whitlaw Hills, which allegedly lie to the rear of the distillery. All good so far, but my curiosity soon got the better of me.
I’m always looking for a good story, so I decided to find out more about the Whitlaw Hills. I was hoping for some strange, mysterious landscape full of myth and legend, but what I found was, well, nothing. The only reference to the Whitlaw Hills, anywhere online, seems to come from pages that relate to the whisky.
Sadly, I’ve never been to Orkney, and while that’s something I long to remedy, it means I can’t claim any expertise in the geography of the place. Google Maps and/or Streetview certainly don’t show an abundance of hills to the rear of the distillery, however. Maybe Whitlaw is a locally used term that hasn’t made it onto official maps?
It’s interesting, though. How many times has the “named after the Whitlaw hills” story been shared without question, and by how many people? We’re all so guilty of passing on information, with very little understanding of its origins. According to Google, the earliest use of Whitlaw in relation to Highland Park was a Signatory bottling in 2013. Did Andrew Symington just make it up? Did someone at Edrington? I’d love to know more, and if anyone reading can shed a bit of light on the subject, please do get in touch.
Highland Park
Origin of the name aside, Highland Park is a stone-cold classic malt distillery, and its whisky has played a significant role in my own personal journey. It was a dram of 12-year-old Highland Park that first opened my mind to the wonderful world of whisky.
The distillery’s name may not appear very regularly in single cask, independently bottled releases, but Secret Orkney or Whitlaw bottlings pop up on occasion – and can be of exceptional quality. So, when I saw this Càrn Mòr expression at a recent auction, I decided to take a punt.
Tasting notes: Red fruits and warm spices. Mulled wine is cooking on the stove. Morello cherries. Plums. Maple syrup. Cloves and gingerbread. Lots of cask action for such a young dram. Only the slightest hint of perfumed smoke on the nose. On the palate, meanwhile, there’s a big juicy arrival with more red fruits – plum and cherries again. Caramel. Turns drier and oaky around the middle with subtle smoke creeping in at the back. More winey fruits on the finish.
Thoughts: I am absolutely loving this one. The STR cask has given a lot to the overall experience. There’s lots of wine and woody spice, but it comes with a nice balance, and you can just about pick out the spirit character underneath. It isn’t too overpowering on the smoke front, and so it should have some appeal to the peat-shy, though a splash of water seemed to have a petrichor-like effect and kicked up a bit of smoke and ash. So much better than you might expect from its lowly 7 years.
Price: £60. Ideally, you’d like to see a 7-year-old come in a little lower, but the quality is there to justify it.
For more on Càrn Mòr and Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, visit here
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