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Highland Park unveils Sherry Skies 19-Year-Old
By Tessa Crowley | 15 July 2025 | Food & Drink
Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion’s last expression for Highland Park, Sherry Skies is a fitting farewell dram for a 27 year career
Highland Park has this month released a new expression, Sherry Skies, a limited-edition 19 year single malt, honouring Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion’s legacy, in the wake of his retirement announcement.
Spanning a 27 year career at Highland Park, Gordon’s tenure has seen the launch of unprecedented expressions for the distillery, including two exceptionally rare releases — a 54 year old and a 56 year old. In recent years his most notable undertaking perhaps has been Highland Park’s shift in brand identity. A bold move for the distillery established in 1798, the new brand world was unveiled late last year, featuring reinvigorated packaging designs and simplified bottling — allowing the natural colour of the whisky to shine through. The new direction was celebrated with the unveiling of Welcome To Our Island, a film showcasing Highland Park’s island home of Orkney, and its unique and vibrant community.
Of Sherry Skies, Gordon explains, “I’ve sampled 100,000s of casks during my 27-year career, and the nine selected for Sherry Skies deliver a unique depth of flavour – singing with the sherry sweetness that I have loved exploring and perfecting, balanced with the subtle hint of aromatic smoke of our Orkney heathered peat. I hope this farewell dram will give people as much joy savouring it, as I had creating it.”
Intensely fruity but wonderfully smooth, Sherry Skies is crafted from a unique blend of sherry-seasoned and bourbon casks. The liquid’s tasting notes are fruity and spicy, with elements of toasted oak and fragrant vanilla on the nose, leading to sweet, caramelised fruit, spice and citrus peel on the palate. The finish is where spicy notes of anise and cinnamon come to the fore, alongside a lingering hint of heathered peat smoke.
Gordon Motion commented: “I want to thank Highland Park for being my home for close to three decades. As I reflect on those, there have been some truly special moments. From selecting 10 exceptional casks from 1968 to create landmark releases like our 56-year-old, through to playing a pivotal role in the growth of our single malt portfolio, together with introducing our first Cask Strength and Global Travel Retail releases to the world. It’s been a great privilege and even better fun to have been a custodian of this truly great single malt whisky.
Stepping into Gordon’s shoes as Master Whisky Maker at Highland Park will be Marc Watson. Marc brings with him over 11 years of industry experience, including most recently holding the role as Master Blender for The Famous Grouse and Naked Malt since 2023. Prior to this, Marc was also recognised with the prestigious Icons of Whisky Distillery Manager of the Year award.
Of the appointment, Gordon shares: “I couldn’t ask for a better successor than Marc Watson to take Highland Park into the future. His attention to detail, deep knowledge and love of whisky and distilling, together with his creative flair, makes him the ideal person to become Highland Park’s next Master Whisky Maker.”
A testament to legacy and craftmanship, only 1,200 bottles of Sherry Skies will be available.