Soft Life?, Another Definition To Consider

Lagos does not make slowing down particularly easy. There is always somewhere to be, another message to answer or another plan competing for the same few hours. Even weekends meant for rest can quickly fill up with errands, social commitments and work that somehow followed you home.

Perhaps that is why the idea of the “soft life” has become so appealing. Beyond the holidays, dinners and carefully curated moments associated with it online, there is a simpler idea underneath it: having enough room to enjoy your time without constantly rushing towards the next thing. Sometimes, that means a long breakfast, an evening without work messages or simply staying home because there is nowhere else you need to be.

For a city that rewards speed, there is something refreshing about a process built around patience. In Orkney, the Scottish island where Highland Park has made whisky since 1798, the spirit is matured in traditional, earth-floored warehouses. The island’s temperate climate means less whisky is lost through evaporation, known in the industry as the “angel’s share,” than on the Scottish mainland.

Whisky cannot be rushed into maturity. Its character develops over years as the spirit interacts with its casks, creating a very different rhythm from the one many Lagos professionals experience during the working week. There is a useful reminder in that contrast: slowing down does not always require escaping the city. Sometimes it simply means giving an ordinary moment enough time to be enjoyed properly.

That could be dinner without checking your phone every few minutes, music playing while you cook, or an evening spent talking with friends without worrying about the next appointment. If whisky is part of that occasion, its sensory character gives you another reason to take your time. Highland Park 18 combines rich fruit with aromatic smoke, with notes of baked cherries, orange zest, dark chocolate, salted honeycomb and heathered peat smoke.

There is also a changing idea of what it means to consume thoughtfully. Luxury is no longer only about what a product looks like or how much it costs; for some consumers, how it is produced matters too. In 2025, Highland Park completed a major modernisation of its Orkney distillery, introducing a heat recovery system that captures heat from distillation and reuses it to dry malted barley. The brand says the system can reduce carbon dioxide emissions at the distillery by up to 20%, saving more than 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year.

The upgrade sits alongside traditional practices, including the hand-turning of malted barley and the use of traditional kilns. It is a useful example of how old traditions can remain relevant while the way they are carried forward continues to evolve.

Maybe that is what the soft life really looks like in Lagos. It does not have to mean an expensive escape or a perfectly planned weekend. It can mean making room for a proper meal, a good conversation, music you actually listen to and an evening that does not have to be productive.

In a city that is always moving, slowing down can be a choice. And sometimes, giving yourself permission to enjoy where you are is enough.