Highland Park The Light 17 Year Old Scotch Whisky
Highland Park The Light 17 Year Old Scotch Whisky is a 750mL Orkney single malt bottled at 52.9% ABV, matured for 17 years in refill American oak casks. Released in May–June 2018 in a special edition of 28,000 bottles worldwide (4,500 for the US) as the companion to The Dark, it celebrates spring and summer in Orkney — the bright half of the island's contrasting seasons — in a pale green glass bottle embossed with the distillery's serpent-dragon design, presented in a bespoke oak frame. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 52.9%
- Size: 750mL (US bottling)
- Age: 17 years
- Casks: Refill American oak casks
- Region: Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland
- Production: Special release of 28,000 bottles (2018); companion release to The Dark (2017)
The Bright Half of the Orkney Year
Together with The Dark, The Light tells the story of Highland Park's Viking ancestors and of Orkney's contrasting island seasons — light and dark in opposition, creating a balance neither could reach alone. The cask choices make the contrast literal: The Dark, marking autumn and winter, was matured in first-fill European oak sherry-seasoned casks, while The Light marks the emergence into spring and summer with the gentler influence of refill American oak, letting the distillery's spirit and lightly smoked peat lead at 52.9%. The pale green bottle's serpent dragon — drawn from the great Norse sagas — embraces both the high sun of the summer solstice and the low sun of the winter one. Compare expressions on the Highland Park vendor page and in our Scotch whisky collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the producer's official flavour notes: caramelised pear, nutmeg and vanilla with cedarwood and lightly smoked peat — the official summary describes sweet heather peat, nutmeg and vanilla alongside the pear, cedar and light peat smoke, a bright, warm profile for a 17-year-old at full strength.
How to Enjoy
Neat at 52.9% for the full seasonal contrast, or with a teaspoon of water to lift the pear and vanilla; pour it side by side with The Dark if the shelf allows the comparison. More island malts are in our whisky collection and across our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Highland Park The Light?
A 17-year-old Orkney single malt bottled at 52.9% ABV, matured in refill American oak casks and released in 2018 in 28,000 bottles as the spring-and-summer companion to The Dark.
How is The Light different from The Dark?
The pair tell one seasonal story from opposite ends: The Dark marks Orkney's autumn and winter from first-fill European oak sherry-seasoned casks, while The Light — in refill American oak and a pale green embossed bottle — marks the bright days of spring and summer, with a lighter profile of caramelised pear, nutmeg, vanilla, cedarwood and lightly smoked peat.
Where is Highland Park distilled?
In Kirkwall, Orkney, off Scotland's north coast — one of the world's most northerly distilleries, shaped by the island's contrasting seasons and its Viking heritage.
Seventeen Orkney summers in a green bottle — order Highland Park The Light online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.