The Perfect Fifth Highland Park 1987 31 Year Old is a single cask of Orkney single malt, drawn from first-fill sherry butt No. 1531 and bottled at natural cask strength of 47.1% ABV. Only 185 bottles were released, each presented in The Perfect Fifth's signature wooden barrel-stave case, making it one of the rarest Highland Park bottlings of its generation.
The Perfect Fifth is an independent bottler founded by Karl J. Schoen, dedicated to releasing exceptional single casks of very old Scotch. Its inaugural range of four whiskies was released together in December 2019, and this Highland Park was the standout. Distilled in 1987 and left to mature for more than three decades in a single first-fill sherry butt, it was bottled without reduction, so the strength you taste is exactly what the cask gave after 31 years.
The whisky earned remarkable acclaim. Jim Murray scored it 96.5 points, the top of his list that year, and described it as close to ideal Highland Park for its age, praising it as one of the silkiest malts the distillery has made. It also received a Liquid Gold Award. Highland Park's classic character of heather honey and gentle peat smoke is all here, deepened by decades in sherry oak into notes of manuka honey, orange blossom, dark liquorice and molasses.
The presentation matches the whisky. The bottle sits inside a hinged wooden case built like a small cask, banded in black iron, with a clear front label showing the cask number, the vintage and the bottling details. It is a striking piece for any collection and a true heirloom bottle.
Tasting Notes
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Nose: Heather honey turning to manuka and orange blossom, with a slightly fuller peat smoke than usual, pronounced sea salt and rich, spicy oak.
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Palate: Silky and full: bold smoke on arrival, softened by lightly oiled barley sugar, then dark liquorice sweetness, spices and a burst of exotic fruit as the oak builds.
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Finish: Long and growing smokier, with teasing spices and molassed sugars.
Specifications
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Producer: Highland Park Distillery; bottled by The Perfect Fifth
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Style: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, single cask, cask strength
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Expression / Batch: Distilled 1987, first-fill sherry butt No. 1531, 185 bottles
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Age: 31 years
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Proof / ABV: 94.2 proof (47.1% ABV)
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Cask / Finish: First-fill sherry butt
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Region: Orkney, Scotland
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Size: 750ml
How to Enjoy It
Pour a small measure neat into a nosing glass and give it ten minutes to breathe: very old sherried malts open slowly, and the honey and orange blossom grow with time in the glass. Water is optional at 47.1% ABV; if you add any, use just a drop. Savour it with dark chocolate or simply on its own, and keep the barrel case on display. For a collector of rare Scotch, few gifts carry this kind of pedigree.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bottles of The Perfect Fifth Highland Park 1987 exist?
Only 185 bottles were drawn from first-fill sherry butt No. 1531.
What proof is it?
It is bottled at natural cask strength of 47.1% ABV, or 94.2 proof.
Who is The Perfect Fifth?
An independent bottler founded by Karl J. Schoen that releases rare single casks of very old Scotch whisky.
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