Finn Thomson first tried a sample of this whisky back in 2022 when it was just six years old. It is a core belief of his that whiskies should always be tasted in a ‘real’ environment, rather than a sterile sample room. On this occasion he found himself sipping the sample in the warm waters of the Mediterranean near Cannes, France - a far cry from the wild coastline of Highland Park’s island home of Orkney. The sample had potential but he felt it needed to be pushed in a slightly different direction.

Inspired by the sunnier setting, he looked to another island famous for making its own distinctive beverage in order to add more sweetness and complexity to the light, heathery peated style of Highland Park. Madeira wine has been used for maturing Scotch whisky for centuries and, in their own family archives, they have records of Madeira casks being part of the Thomson family blend as far back as 1897.

The result is a robust and complex whisky shaped by two iconic islands who each produce their own celebrated drink. The subtle peat of Orkney meets Madeira strawberries and cream in a cask strength Atlantic storm of flavour.

One of only 343 bottles

Distilled 22/04/2016 

Bottled 23/06/2024

About the Producer

Finn’s 6x great-grandfather James Thomson, born in 1713, was farming by day and, as dusk falls, distilling a secret that will one day become his family’s legacy: aqua vitae, the water of life.

Read the rest of the great family history on the Finn Thomson website

Representing the ninth generation, Finn Thomson is a young man who has inherited his family’s 300-year-old passion for whisky.

Thirsty to pair passion with knowledge, Finn sought opportunities to learn every aspect of the bottler’s craft: spending time with Miguel Torres in Spain and Casa Pedro Domecq in Mexico, as well as tutelage from some of Britain’s best-known Scotch whisky merchants.

Fuelled by the natural instinct for creativity and entrepreneurship that has pulsed through Thomson veins for centuries, Finn is now embarking on his biggest adventure yet. With a reverence for those who have walked before him, Finn Thomson is bringing new life to the family business. The story continues for the next generations.