Highland Park 17 Year Old Between You and I by Laila Gohar Single Malt Scotch Whisky 750ml

Between You and I is Highland Park's own genuinely experimental approach to collaboration — rather than pairing with another distiller or simply slapping an artist's name on a standard release, Master Whisky Maker Marc Watson builds each edition around the specific person themselves, translating their story directly into liquid. As Watson himself put it: "what's exciting is this was about making whisky for one person. Normally, it's about making whisky for people. Here, they give me a little bit of background and told me to go make something that resonates with Laila." This second edition in the series partners with Laila Gohar, the Egyptian-born, New York-based culinary artist known for immersive food installations and collaborations with Prada, Hermès, Perrier-Jouët, and Sotheby's. Where the 2025 debut release (with three-Michelin-starred chef Björn Frantzén) introduced Swedish oak to Highland Park for the very first time, this edition takes the opposite approach: stripping things back to just one wood type entirely.

Watson sampled more than 80 casks in search of flavors that would spark genuine memory and association for Gohar, ultimately building the whisky from spirit that spent its first 11 years in refill ex-Sherry casks, before finishing its final years in highly active, unseasoned American oak — chosen deliberately for its ability to amplify orange blossom, leather, and warming spice, evoking, per the distillery's own framing, the sensory richness of an Egyptian spice market. Forbes' own tasting, conducted alongside Highland Park's standard 18 Year Old for direct comparison, found the 18 Year "a decidedly complex dram, layering jammy fruits, honey, tartness, spice, and smoke," while this 17 Year "presents a much tighter focus," concluding "the result is a pour that delivers great flavor while reveling in its own simplicity. Maybe less really can be more." Men's Journal's Kirk Miller found it opening "with subtle orange blossom and rich honey before giving way to warm baking spices and a gentle, sweet campfire smoke," with "a full-bodied, silky mouthfeel" tying "the entire pour together." This is a genuinely current, deliberately focused release — real single-minded craft behind a whisky built for one person, now available to everyone.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Highland Park 17 Year Old Between You and I by Laila Gohar is produced at Highland Park Distillery, Orkney, Scotland, under Master Whisky Maker Marc Watson, in collaboration with New York-based culinary artist Laila Gohar. This is the second release in Highland Park's Between You and I series, following a 2025 debut with chef Björn Frantzén that introduced Swedish oak casks to the distillery for the first time.

Watson sampled more than 80 casks in developing this expression, ultimately selecting spirit that matured 11 years in refill ex-Sherry casks before spending its final years in highly active, unseasoned American oak, chosen specifically to amplify orange blossom, leather, and warming spice alongside Highland Park's characteristic fruit, sweetness, and aromatic peat smoke. A travel-retail counterpart, "Between You and I: Journeys," uses ex-bourbon and new Spanish oak casks instead. Bottled at 47.5% ABV, 750ml, launching September 24, 2026, in limited quantities.

Critics Reviews

Forbes (extended independent review):
"It's a decidedly complex dram, layering jammy fruits, honey, tartness, spice, and smoke [Highland Park 18 Year, for comparison]... In contrast, this 17 year old 'Between You and I' presents a much tighter focus. By using only American oak — then cherry picking those mature casks — Marc Watson has effectively narrowed Highland Park's profile. The result is a pour that delivers great flavor while reveling in its own simplicity. Maybe less really can be more."

Kirk Miller, Men's Journal:
"This 17-year-old single malt easily fulfills the master distiller's ambition. It opens with subtle orange blossom and rich honey before giving way to warm baking spices and a gentle, sweet campfire smoke. A full-bodied, silky mouthfeel ties the entire pour together."

Marc Watson, Master Whisky Maker, Highland Park:
"What's exciting is this was about making whisky for one person. Normally, it's about making whisky for people. Here, they give me a little bit of background and told me to go make something that resonates with Laila."

Highland Park (official brand description):
"The resulting 17 Year Old Single Malt offers an invigorating interpretation of Highland Park's signature style, balancing bright fruit and sweetness with the distillery's signature subtle aromatic peat smoke."

ForWhiskeyLovers.com (official tasting note):
"Building layers of vibrant fruit, citrus, spice, and creamy vanilla."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Vibrant citrus and orange blossom lead, joined by warm spice and light peat smoke, alongside rich honey.

Palate
Full-bodied and silky, with honeyed sweetness and caramel carrying the entry, developing warm baking spice, leather, and balanced American oak character.

Finish
Elegant, closing with gentle, sweet campfire smoke and lingering orange blossom — genuinely focused and refined, rather than layered and complex.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Citrus or orange blossom-based desserts
• Grilled or smoked meats
• Aged, nutty cheeses
• Honey-drizzled pastries

Serving Note

Enjoy neat in a Glencairn glass to fully appreciate its genuinely focused, elegant character.