Highland Park announced that, with the retirement of Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion, Marc Watson will now step into the role.

Motion had been at the helm for 27 years. To celebrate his long-standing legacy, Highland Park is releasing Sherry Skies – a limited edition 19-year-old single malt whisky.

“I want to thank Highland Park for being my home for close to three decades,” Motion said in a news release. “As I reflect on those, there have been some truly special moments. From selecting 10 exceptional casks from 1968 to create landmark releases like our 56-year-old, through to playing a pivotal role in the growth of our single malt portfolio, together with introducing our first Cask Strength and Global Travel Retail releases to the world.”

He continued, “It’s been a great privilege and even better fun to have been a custodian of this truly great single malt whisky.”

Watson, the newly appointed Master Whisky Maker, graduated from Heriot-Watt with a Master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling, and brings with him over 11 years of industry experience, including most recently holding the role as Master Blender for The Famous Grouse and Naked Malt since 2023. Prior to this, Marc was also recognised with the prestigious Icons of Whisky Distillery Manager of the Year award.

He has been working alongside Gordon for the past 6 months to immerse himself in Highland Park’s aged whisky stocks and its flavour profile. 

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Highland Park and its different by nature approach to whisky and to life and have a huge admiration for my predecessors who have created the legacy that makes it such a special single malt Scotch Whisky,” Watson said. “I am incredibly excited to build on the award-winning quality that Gordon has nurtured throughout his tenure, whilst also being able to bring my own creativity.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better successor than Marc Watson to take Highland Park into the future,” Motion added. “His attention to detail, deep knowledge and love of whisky and distilling, together with his creative flair, makes him the ideal person to become Highland Park’s next Master Whisky Maker.”

Sherry Skies: The Farewell Whisky From Gordon Motion celebrates Highland Park’s distinctive character and the combination of science and instinct that Gordon has put into every bottle of Highland Park Single Malt Whisky across his tenure. 

The whisky’s sherried sweetness reflects Highland Park’s obsession with fine-tuning every detail of the casks that contribute to the flavour of its award-winning whisky. It was created from six sherry seasoned casks – crafted and seasoned for Highland Park in Jerez – and three bourbon casks.  

Limited bottles of Highland Park Sherry Skies are available to purchase at the Highland Park Distillery and Albert Street store and via the brand website.  

For more information, visit https://www.highlandparkwhisky.com/en-us.

Read more: Duncan Taylor Releases 54-Year-Old Highland Park Whisky