Orkney's Northern Lights: A Masterclass in Heather, Honey & Peat with Jeremy Chu
Updated: Aug 28
March 21, 2025
We returned to our beautiful home court studio in Wan Chai for a highly anticipated, packed-out single malt event. This evening was a truly exceptional celebration of Orcadian craftsmanship, focusing entirely on Scotland’s northernmost distilleries on the windswept Orkney Islands.
To make the night even more extraordinary, we welcomed our brilliant featured guest speaker, Mr. Jeremy Chu, who brought along five incredibly rare, old-school bottlings from his private treasury to share with our tasting community.
The Anatomy of Orkney Spirit
Orkney whiskies occupy a legendary status among connoisseurs due to their unique, slow-burning peat. Unlike Islay peat, which is packed with dense marine organic matter and seaweed, Orcadian peat is composed almost entirely of ancient heather roots. When burned, it infuses the malt with a delicate, highly specific signature of fragrant floral smoke, wild honey sweetness, and a structural waxy oiliness.
1. Highland Park 10 Year Old "Ambassador's Choice" (46.0% ABV)
The Blueprint: Maturation focused heavily on hand-selected American oak ex-bourbon casks.
The Experience: Positioned as glass number two on our mat, we launched our flight with a brilliant, clean expression designed specifically to showcase the natural spirit style of the distillery. Unlike the standard sherry-led profile, this bourbon-cask maturation treated our guests to bright bursts of sweet vanilla, fresh honeycomb, and juicy citrus, all wrapped beautifully in that distinct, gentle whisper of heather smoke.
2. Highland Park "Sigurd" - Warrior Series (43.0% ABV)
The Experience: Moving to glass number three, we poured this special expression bottled in 2013. Named after one of the legendary Viking Earls of Orkney, it carries a heavier structural weight. The palate opened with rich European oak influence, offering a dense, complex delivery of dried winter fruits, warm cinnamon bark, and a slightly darker, earthy wood smoke finish.
3. Highland Park 1995 - 20 Year Old (The Cooper's Choice - Madeira Cask Finish, 46.0% ABV)
The Experience: Sitting at glass number one on the mat, this bottle sparked immense fascination as an elite example of specialized wine-cask finishing. Distilled in 1995 and matured for two decades, its final rest inside fortified Madeira wine casks yielded a breathtaking flavor profile. The glass filled the room with indulgent aromas of burnt orange peel, nutty almond paste, and caramelized brown sugar, balanced perfectly against the coastal saltiness of the aged malt.
4. Highland Park 2003 - 2017 (Archives Bottled for ARen Trading Co., 54.1% ABV)
The Experience: For glass number four, we moved to a spectacular single-cask release brought straight to the table at a powerful cask strength of 54.1% ABV. Independent bottler Archives selected this exceptional 2003 vintage for its completely uncompromised purity. It treated our guests to an intense, un-chill-filtered explosion of oily malted barley, intense heather honey, underlying orchard fruits, and a long, warming, peppery smoke finish.
5. Orkney Single Malt 2000 - 2018 (Master Craft Exclusive Selection, 57.9% ABV)
The Experience: We brought the masterclass to a triumphant, high-proof close at glass number five with this mysterious 18-year-old single malt. Poured at a massive 57.9% ABV, this independent gem represents the ultimate expression of matured island character. Velvety, muscular, and deeply decadent, it coated the palate in thick waves of dark cacao, rich wood spice, and a dense, sweet peat smoke that lingered beautifully long after the final sip.
The true magic of hosting inside our Wan Chai studio is the intimate, high-vibe atmosphere that allows our community to truly connect over the liquid. Watching guests capture photos, map their glasses to the geographical regions on the tasting mat, and debate between the bright bourbon sweetness of the Ambassador's Choice versus the untamed cask-strength muscle of the Master Craft Selection showed the absolute best of whisky companionship.
A massive thank you to our incredible guest speaker, Jeremy Chu, for generously sharing his phenomenal bottles, and to every single enthusiast who filled the room with such fantastic energy.
May your glasses always burn as bright and warm as the northern fires of Orkney—Cheers!
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