Timorous Beastie - Meet The Beast, Limited Edition, 2021
ABV: 54.9%
Region: Highlands
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: 100% Bourbon Casks (3,600 btl.)

 

Colour: Straw.
Nose: Sweet and fruity on the nose with green apples and ripe pears. In addition, heather honey, creamy vanilla and some floral notes with a touch of milk chocolate. Anise, ginger and white pepper round off the spicy profile in the background.
Palate: Lots of sweet vanilla and fruity pear mingle with creamy toffee and milk chocolate. At the same time strongly warming on the palate with ginger spiciness, anise and white pepper.
Finish: The finish is medium to long, warming and creamy with honey, vanilla and a hint of chocolate. Becomes increasingly dry with ginger and oak spice.
With water: After the addition of water a little fresher on the nose with ripe pears, vanilla, honey and clearly more floral notes. Still sweet on the palate with lots of vanilla, toffee, pears and apples, accompanied by honey and milk chocolate. Less powerful, but still spicy with ginger and pepper. The finish is medium long and subtly warming with creamy honey and vanilla. Becomes drier with time with spicy oak and dark chocolate.
Comments: This limited bottling of Timorous Beastie at cask strength pleases with its nice balance of fruit, sweetness and warming spiciness. Not as intense as one might expect (probably more second-fill than first-fill Bourbon casks), but perfect as a companion for a relaxing evening in front of the fireplace.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


Big Peat Peatrichor, Fèis Ìle 2021, Limited Edition
ABV: 53.8%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (5,190 btl.)

 

Colour: White wine.
Nose: Sweet peat smoke on the nose, accompanied by ash, allspice and subtle citrus notes, such as oranges and limes. Sweet vanilla, grilled pineapple, BBQ notes and some seaweed, with campfire smoke in the background.
Palate: Powerful and warming on the palate with a surprisingly distinct sweetness of vanilla and toffee, together with fruity notes of orange and grilled peach. This is accompanied by an alcoholic and slightly peppery spiciness with notes of ash, allspice and BBQ. Creamy dark caramel towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long lasting with smoke, ash and seaweed. In addition, some dry oak, liquorice and a touch of salinity.

With water: After adding a few drops of water fresher on the nose with salinity, smoke, some peat, vanilla and cloves. The sweet notes are somewhat pushed into the background. On the palate, the sweetness is still noticeable with vanilla and some orange. Only slightly warming with peat smoke, ash notes, cloves and some seaweed. The finish is still long, creamy with vanilla, smoke and some dry oak spice.
Comments: A surprisingly sweet Big Peat with nicely integrated smoke and alcohol. A lovely balance of peat smoke, sweetness, subtle fruit notes and warming spices. As the alcohol is very well integrated, there is no need to add water. As a result, this unexpectedly distinct sweetness is retained for a long time. Not very complex but dangerously drinkable.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


The Epicurean, Rivesaltes Finish 2020, Cask Finish Series
ABV: 48%
Region: Lowlands
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: American Oak Wood Barrels, Finished in two Single Rivesaltes Casks (546 btl.)

 

Colour: White wine to pale gold.
Nose: Fruity notes of ripe quince, pear and green apple on the nose. In addition, a slight ginger spiciness, a touch of cinnamon as well as some butter cookies.
Palate: The palate is fruity with green apple, banana, quince and apricot. In addition, spicy notes of pepper and ginger, accompanied by creamy vanilla. The spiciness increases with the second sip.
Finish: The finish is medium long, creamy but also dry with buttery biscuit notes as well as slightly bitter fruit peel.
With water: After the addition of a few drops of water still fruity on the nose, but also significantly more pepper. In addition, toffee and a butter biscuit note. Fruity notes also on the palate, accompanied by toffee and a clear peppery spiciness. Overall drier with a slightly bitter touch. The finish is still medium long and creamy, with toffee and some herbs.
Comments: An overall fruity and lively blended malt from the Lowlands. Delightful yellow fruits and creamy vanilla provide a sweet and fruity counterpoint to the peppery spiciness. With 48% abv bottled at perfect drinking strength.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the photograph!


Timorous Beastie 18yo, 2020, The Winter Edition
ABV: 44.9%
Region: Highlands
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: 100% Sherry Casks (450 btl.)

 

Colour: Dark amber.
Nose: Initially fruity aromas on the nose with oranges, plums and raisins. In addition, spicy notes of star anise, cardamom and a pinch of cinnamon, accompanied by sweet vanilla and slightly bitter notes of orange peel. Very harmonious.
Palate: Discreetly sweet sherry with rum raisins and toffee on the palate. In addition, dark chocolate and noticeable oak notes, followed by cinnamon and a pleasant ginger spiciness. Herbal notes and bitter orange peel linger towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long lasting with herbs, honey, ginger and tart blood oranges with slightly bitter oak notes.
With water: Fresher on the nose after adding a few drops of water. In addition, pepper and bitter oranges. The sweetness is pushed into the background. Creamy and sweet on the palate with honey, vanilla, toffee and juicy oranges. Plus Christmas spices of ginger, cardamom, oak and cinnamon. The finish is still long and creamy with oranges and dark chocolate. Less bitter overall.
Comments: The perfect whisky pleasure for Christmas. Oranges, rum raisins and Christmas spices in beautiful harmony. By the way, this dram goes extremely well with gingerbread.


MacNair's Lum Reek 21yo Peated
ABV: 48%
Region: Islay + Speyside
Price per bottle: °°°
Bottling: Distillery (Small Batch Series)
Cask type:
Oloroso, Virgin Oak and Red Wine Casks

 

Colour: Bright gold.
Nose: Sweet peat smoke on the nose with lovely fruity notes of apricot and peach. Honey, a hint of herbs, ginger and oak tones are added. This is followed by vanilla and butterscotch with some orange peel and dark chocolate in the background. Very soft and round.
Palate: Sweet start on the palate with vanilla and fruity apricot. Then warming notes of pepper, oak spice and ginger arrive. This is accompanied by honey, sweet smoke, some orange peel and cocoa notes, with a touch of cigar box towards the finish. Powerful and very appealing.
Finish: The finish is long lasting with honey and pleasant peat smoke. Initially creamy and wonderfully warming, it then slowly dries out with spicy oak, ginger and allspice, with some tobacco leaves towards the end.
With water: After adding a few drops of water a little fresher on the nose and more fruity with apricots and peaches. Vanilla, honey and butterscotch are added, accompanied by peat smoke and a touch of mint. Sweet and creamy on the palate with apricot jam. Then warming and prickling on the tongue with pepper, oak spice and ginger, with accompanying notes of butterscotch, honey and a touch of smoke. The finish is still long, warming and much drier with oak, ginger and a touch of ash.
Comments: A well composed, wonderfully complex, mouth-filling and balanced blended malt. Here you can taste the over two decades of cask maturation: everything is in harmony - a balance of sweetness, fruit and warming spices. Rich, multi-layered and full bodied with a lot of power. With or without the addition of water an inspiring pleasure experience.

 

I thank The GlenAllachie Distillery for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


MacNair's Lum Reek 12yo Peated
ABV: 46%
Region: Islay + Speyside
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: Distillery (Small Batch Series)
Cask type:
1st-Fill Bourbon, Pedro Ximénez and Red Wine Casks

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Fresh citrus notes on the nose, lime, vanilla and butterscotch. The whole is accompanied by clear peat smoke, a little spicy oak and cloves. In the background notes of cocoa and a whiff of coffee.
Palate: Sweet vanilla cream and some honey on the palate, accompanied by light fruit notes of peach and apricot, with a touch of grilled banana and toffee. Then pleasantly warming with peat smoke, some herbal notes and spicy tones of oak, nutmeg, cloves with a pinch of cinnamon.
Finish: The finish is medium to long, pleasantly warming and initially sweet with creamy honey and peat smoke, then becomes increasingly dry with spicy oak, cloves, allspice and a touch of ash.
With water: After the addition of a few drops of water, fresher on the nose with fruity notes of lime and apricot, accompanied by vanilla and a little less peat smoke. On the palate, however, less sweetness than before and more spiciness with pepper, oak, allspice and nutmeg. Also less peat smoke with some caramel tones towards the finish. The finish is of medium length, slightly warming and dry with dark toffee, oak spice and allspice with a touch of peat smoke.
Comments: A well composed, smoky and sweet blended malt. The mix of first-fill Bourbon barrels and former PX sherry and red wine casks provide creamy vanilla and toffee, sweet fruit and intense spices. Everything is well balanced and perfectly accentuated with a suitable alcohol content of 46% abv. A welcome companion for the cooler evenings to come.

 

I thank The GlenAllachie Distillery for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


MacNair's Lum Reek Peated
ABV: 46%
Region: Islay + Speyside
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: Distillery (Small Batch Series)
Cask type:
1st-Fill Bourbon, Oloroso, Virgin
Oak and Red Wine Casks

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Intense peat smoke on the nose with malted barley, vanilla and malt sugar. Accompanied by light fruity notes with some apricot, white pepper and dark chocolate.
Palate: Initially sweet notes of barley, malt sugar and vanilla, then warming with clear peat smoke and notes of ash. This is accompanied by earthy tones, some burnt heather, spicy oak, pepper and a hint of cloves. The pleasant warmth and spiciness increase with the 2nd sip.
Finish: The finish is of short to medium length, warming and initially sweet with malted barley and a touch of vanilla. It then dries quickly with spicy oak and cloves.
With water: After the addition of a few drops of water, fresher on the nose with malted barley, peat smoke, ash notes and white pepper. Sweet and creamy on the palate with malt sugar, vanilla, honey and some apricot. Accompanied by lightly warming and spicy peat smoke. The finish is slightly shorter and pleasantly warming with creamy honey, spicy oak, vanilla and some peat smoke. Overall less dry.
Comments: A nice all-day dram with a multi-layered taste profile. Pleasant interplay of peat smoke and sweet cereal notes with earthy, spicy tones. A versatile blended malt whisky that still knows how to please even with a few drops of water.

 

I thank The GlenAllachie Distillery for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


Westport 21yo, 1999-2020, Private Cellars Selection
ABV: 43.8%
Region: Highlands
Price per bottle: °°°
Bottling: The Whisky Cellar
Cask type:
American Oak Hogshead (#800075, 164 btl.)

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Fresh on the nose with many fruity notes of ripe pears and yellow apples. This is followed by vanilla and blossom honey, accompanied by a slight spiciness of ginger, white pepper and some oak spice. A touch of floral notes in the background.
Palate: Sweet on the palate with light fruits like apricot, mirabelle and yellow apples. Accompanied by honey, vanilla and a pleasantly warming spiciness of ginger and white pepper. Milk chocolate and oak spice are also added.
Finish: The finish is long lasting and slightly warming with spicy notes, sponge cake, slightly bitter citrus peel and a hint of vanilla.
With water: After adding some water, very fruity on the nose with apples and pears, accompanied by vanilla, honey and a touch of ginger. Initially very soft, fruity and creamy on the palate with apples, apricot, honey and milk chocolate. Then increasingly spicy with ginger, white pepper and oak. The finish is slightly shorter, floral and gently warming with a hint of bitter citrus peel.

Comments: A delicious, soft, fruity teaspooned whisky with a classic American oak taste profile. Matured over two decades, this whisky convinces with light fruit and creamy vanilla with discreetly warming oak spices as a counterpart. Beautifully balanced and multi-layered. A pleasant dram to dream and enjoy.

 

I thank The Whisky Cellar for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


Velvet Fig 25yo, Blended Malt
ABV: 42.3%
Region: Scotland
Price per bottle: °°°
Bottling: Wemyss Malts
Cask type:
Ex-Sherry Hogsheads from Speyside, Highland and Bunnahabhain Single Malts (5,000 btl.)

 

Colour: Deep copper.
Nose: Very aromatic on the nose with fruit compote, plum jam, apricots and blackcurrants. Behind this fruit basket, notes of cinnamon and some marzipan emerge, followed by oak spice, dark chocolate, some leather and tobacco leaves.
Palate: Creamy, even sticky fruit on the palate with sweet fruit jam, cherries, plums and apricots in particular. Slightly warming spices with cinnamon and oak, followed by milk chocolate and a fine leather note with some tobacco leaves.
Finish: The finish is of medium length and slightly warming. Becomes drier with time with notes of oak, tobacco leaves, cigar box and spices.
With water: After the addition of a few drops of water more present on the nose with orange fruit, prickling spices and notes of tobacco. Initially fruity on the palate with orange and plum, but then more spicy with tobacco leaves, cigar box and liquorice. The finish is short, spicy and very dry with oak and again tobacco notes.
Comments: A beautiful, round and matured Blended Malt, combined from different sherry casks, which also contain old Bunnahabhain single malts from 1988. The maturity is clearly noticeable, but also the influence of the casks, which manifest themselves in dark fruits as well as spicy notes of tobacco and oak. A successful dram for which one should take a lot of time and rest.


Rock Island Sherry Edition, Small Batch Release 2020
ABV: 46.8%
Region: Highlands (Orkney, Arran, Jura) and Islay
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Spanish Sherry Casks (3,000 btl.)

 

Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Immediately smoke rises to the nose with phenolic notes and some BBQ flavours. Sweet caramel, some barley, vanilla, raisins, grilled apricots and a touch of honey. A hint of floral notes in the background.
Palate: Creamy sweetness on the palate with vanilla and yellow fruit, then clearly warming with a peppery spiciness. Toffee, vanilla, nutmeg, allspice and cloves are added. All wrapped in fine peat smoke. The pepperiness increases with the 2nd sip.
Finish: The finish is of medium length with warming notes of honey, malted barley, peat smoke, sea salt, salty caramel and a slightly medicinal note. Towards the end, some dry oak with dark chocolate, some tobacco and a touch of soot.
With water: After adding a few drops of water, the nose is clearly more present and intense with phenolic and maritime notes. In the background vanilla sweetness and some apricot. Significantly less smoke. On the palate also less sweet with a prickling spiciness, some pepper, cloves and allspice. Much less warming and peppery. A hint of peat smoke with notes of caramel and dark chocolate towards the finish. The finish is still of medium length with some sweet honey, dark chocolate and a touch of ash. Less dry overall.
Comments: An island blended malt with a nice balance of peat smoke, sweetness and maritime notes, paired with fruit and chocolate. This enjoyment can be further enhanced together with a piece of dark chocolate. However, I miss the sherry influence, which I believe was more evident in the previous Rock Oyster Sherry Edition.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the photograph!


Scallywag 11yo, The Chocolate Edition #3, Vintage 2009
ABV: 48.0%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: ex-Sherry Casks (500 btl.)

 

Colour: Amber.
Nose: Rich notes of sweet sherry, dates and chocolate covered raisins. These are joined by notes of vanilla cream, brown sugar and juicy blood orange, accompanied by spicy cinnamon and a wee touch of oak.
Palate: The sweetness is initially also found on the palate with sherry, dark fruits, dates and raisins as well as brown sugar. The whole is accompanied by fine dark chocolate. Warming, spicy and drying over time with notes of oak, nutmeg, some black pepper and cocoa powder.
Finish: The finish is long lasting and pleasantly warming with creamy fruit jam, a spicy tobacco note and dry espresso towards the end.
With water: Slightly more fruity on the nose after adding a few drops of water. Juicy oranges, dates and fine milk chocolate dominate. On the palate soft, creamy, almost silky, with lots of chocolate and a little hazelnut cream, accompanied by a subtle warmth. The finish is a bit shorter with fruit jam, chocolate, cocoa and fine hazelnut aromas. Overall less dry.
Comments: The name keeps its promises. This blended malt is characterised by a beautiful balance of dark fruit, warming spices and rich chocolate notes. After adding water it becomes even more chocolaty, soft and creamy. An ideal companion to a sweet chocolate dessert or simply as a liquid dessert substitute.


Blended Malt 18yo, 2001-2019, Mancarella
ABV: 46.1%
Region: Scotland
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Mancarella (joint bottling with deinwhisky.de)
Cask type: Sherry Butt (#7520, 344 btl.)

 

Colour: Dark amber.
Nose: Nice sweetness of dark fruit, dates and sherry aromas rise to the nose, followed by tart orange, oak spice and some dark chocolate.
Palate: Very sweet on the palate with a sticky fruit jam. Then increasingly warming with oak spice, cinnamon, a touch of pepper and nutmeg. Then honey sweetness with a slightly bitter orange, followed by dark chocolate and hazelnut aromas.
Finish: The finish is long lasting, creamy with fruit jam and slightly warming. Becomes slightly dry towards the end with cocoa and fine nut aromas.
With water: After adding a few drops of water, the dark fruit sweetness remains, accompanied by Seville oranges and a touch of tobacco. Sweet and prickling on the palate with blood oranges and much more cocoa notes. The finish is slightly shorter with dry notes of oak, cocoa and hazelnut.
Comments: A lovely blended malt with sweet fruit aromas from the sherry butt. Not overly complex but pleasant to drink. I liked the interplay of sweetness, bitter orange and dry cocoa aromas here.

 

I thank deinwhisky.de for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


The Epicurean, Cognac Cask Finish 2020, Cask Finish Series
ABV: 48%
Region: Lowlands
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Finished in a Single Cognac Cask (402 btl.)

 

Colour: White wine to pale gold.
Nose: Fruity and fresh on the nose with limes, oranges, green apples and lemon sorbet. Accompanied by lychee and sweet vanilla. In the background some pastry and a touch of oak.
Palate: Sweet and fruity start on the palate with green apples, some pear and lychee, followed by creamy vanilla. Then clearly warming up with a good dose of spices like ginger, nutmeg and white pepper. Bitter orange peel, a touch of freshly cut grass and some oak spice linger towards finish. The spiciness increases with the 2nd sip.
Finish: The finish is of medium length, warming, spicy and creamy with notes of malt sugar, cedar wood, sweet vanilla and lime zest.
With water: Still fresh on the nose after adding a few drops of water. Lemons, lemonade and vanilla linger with ginger and some oak. Overall a little less fruity. Creamy, warming and spicy on the palate with nutmeg, clearly dry oak and sweet vanilla. Added to this are creamy notes of milk chocolate. The finish is of medium length, slightly creamy and again dry with oak, nutmeg and a touch of chocolate.
Comments: An interesting whisky from the Lowlands, where the selected single malts were allowed to further mature for some time in Cognac casks. The nose is perfect - fresh, very fruity and intoxicating. The warming spiciness on the palate surprised me very much and diminishes some of my positive impression. Nevertheless, a very pleasing whisky, where for me the aroma on the nose is clearly the winner!

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the photograph!


Peat & Sherry, 2020, Elements of Islay
ABV: 58.2%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Elixir Distillers (Germany Exclusive)
Cask type: Sherry Hogshead (500 btl.)

 

Colour: Mahogany.
Nose: Sweet smoke on the nose, with BBQ and some peat. Lots of sherry with raisins and herbal candies, accompanied by some tar and a slightly maritime note.
Palate: Powerful start on the palate with smoke, ashes, spicy wood fire and lots of chili spice. This is followed by sweet sherry, accompanied by raisins, dates, orange and spices such as cinnamon, marzipan and some oak.
Finish: The finish is long lasting and warming with notes of smoke, sticky dark fruit, dark chocolate and subtle marzipan.

With water: After the addition of water sweetish on the nose with lots of sherry, raisin and orange. All in all much more fruity with less smoke and peat aromas. On the palate, however, a completely different picture: very dry with lots of smoke, chili, cracked black pepper and cloves. Strongly warming and almost no sweet aromas perceptible. The finish is long, warming, spicy with slightly medicinal notes and lots of dry dark chocolate.
Comments: A young blended malt from Islay, which pleases by the interplay of smoke and sherry. But not very complex, as the aromas do not show depth. After adding water, the blended malt disintegrates more and more and only pungent, spicy and smoky aromas remain.

 

I thank Kirsch Import e.K. for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


Big Peat 27yo, 1992-2019, The Black Edition
ABV: 48.3%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing (The Vintage Series)
Cask type: Oak Casks (3,000 btl.)

 

Colour: Amber.
Nose: Immediately smoke rises to the nose, accompanied by sweet malted barley, vanilla as well as BBQ notes, smoked bacon and phenols. Behind this are fruity aromas of apricot and peach, followed by fresh sea air and leather. Nicely smooth and mature.
Palate: Bold, initially fruity and sweet on the palate with apricot, honey, malt sugar and vanilla. This is followed by some smoked bacon accompanied by warming spices like pepper and aniseed. Above all, subtle smoke hovers with a touch of peat.
Finish: The finish shows good length with notes of ash, honey, some ginger spice, dry oak and mint leaves wrapped in fine smoke and some phenols.

With water: After adding a few drops of water, fresh sea air becomes noticeable on the nose, followed by vanilla, apricot and some citrus fruit. Smoke, peat and ash notes are somewhat pushed into the background. Clearly more tamed on the palate with creamy apricot fruit, vanilla and a hint of smoke. All in all a bit more lively and noticeable on the palate. The finish is a bit shorter, slightly warming with honey, malt sugar and some ash.

Comments: This Blended Malt is the conclusion of the Big Peat Vintage Trilogy. This selection of mature Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskies shows a rounded character at its best with a multi-layered aroma of honey, smoky grilled meat, soft peat and creamy fruit. The ideal companion for a BBQ on Port Ellen beach.

 

I thank Douglas Laing  for the photograph!


Scallywag, Easter Edition No. 4, 2020
ABV: 48.0%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing (exclusive to Germany)
Cask type: Bourbon and Sherry Casks (600 btl.)

 

Colour: Deep gold.
Nose: Intense notes of tropical fruits, bananas, sultanas and red berries, followed by butterscotch, cinnamon and sweet oak.
Palate: Powerful, but still fruity sweet and silky soft on the palate. Creamy fruit, tart orange and sherry notes, accompanied by cinnamon, some pepper and a touch of leather.
Finish: Long lasting finish with vanilla, slightly bitter orange, some sherry, dry oak and finally dark chocolate.
With water: The addition of a few drops of water brings more sherry aroma to the fore, followed by orange fruit, dark chocolate and some leathery notes. The tropical fruit sweetness is a bit tamed. Deliciously sweet on the palate with orange marmalade, cinnamon and chocolate. The finish shows notes of sticky fruit, tart dark chocolate and espresso.
Comments: A delicious, aromatic Speyside Blended Malt from Douglas Laing with a clear influence of the sherry casks. Sweet, fruity and creamy with a nice balance of tropical fruits, citrus and chocolate notes. Complex and wonderfully palatable. Optimally bottled at 48% abv, thus no water needed.

 

I thank Bremer Spirituosen Contor for the complimentary sample!


Big Peat 33yo, 1985-2019
ABV: 47.2%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°°°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Cognac & Sherry Cask Finish (1,500 btl.)

 

Colour: Gold.
Nose: Fine bonfire smoke on the nose with a touch of peat and burnt caramel. Sweet vanilla paired with fruity hints of plums, oranges and other citrus fruits. In the background a whiff of oak with cold ash.
Palate: Powerful, full-bodied and sweet on the palate with creamy fruit notes, vanilla sweetness and slightly bitter Seville oranges. Wonderfully warming with some cracked black pepper, smoked bacon and discreet campfire smoke. Creamy towards the finish with a hint of bitter grape seeds.
Finish: The finish is of medium length, creamy and pleasantly warming with sweet vanilla notes and orange jam. Becomes drier towards the end with oak and soft peat.

With water: Somewhat fresh on the nose with citrus fruits. The addition of water pushes smoke and peat aromas into the background. On the palate less fruit sweetness, some vanilla with more spices, like pepper and cloves. Clearly more bitter with notes of grape seeds and oak. The finish is medium long, slightly prickling and warming but significantly dry with oak, ash and peat.
Comments: This is the oldest Big Peat to be bottled to date. It exudes an elegance and wonderful aroma, which is supported by subtle smoke and peat flavours. The finish in casks previously filled with French cognac and Spanish sherry gives this blended malt from Islay a further aroma level with creamy fruit notes and a light but pleasant bitterness. A whisky for which one should take a lot of time to enjoy and which it thanks with a complex aroma profile.

 

I thank Douglas Laing  for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


Timorous Beastie 16yo, 2019, The Winter Edition
ABV: 45.1%
Region: Highlands
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: 100% Sherry Casks (400 btl.)

 

Colour: Reddish amber.
Nose: The nose starts off with delicate dark red fruits, Christmas cake and juicy oranges, covered by raisins and sherry. This is followed by cinnamon spice, ginger and oak, with notes of chocolate lingering in the background.
Palate: Sweet and fruity on the palate with red fruits and juicy oranges, followed by a warming mix of ginger spice, cinnamon, white pepper and a hint of oak. Creamy notes of fruit jam and honey linger with a touch of dark chocolate towards the finish. Deliciously mouthfilling!
Finish: The finish shows good length with warming ginger spice, cinnamon and cocoa, followed by orange sweetness and dry oak on the tail.
With water: Significantly spicier on the nose when a few drops of water are added. More ginger spice, oak and pepper with a tamed fruitiness. On the palate, more chocolate flavours emerge followed by creamy notes of honey and cinnamon. Again, less fruity and more spicy. The finish is medium long and dry with bitter notes of dark chocolate, ginger and dry oak.
Comments: This limited edition of Timorous Beastie is a well-matured, flavourful and balanced  blended malt with a great mouthfeel. Rich and creamy, full of dried fruits, warming Christmas spices and notes of chocolate, but not at all overpowered by sherry. This is certainly one for the upcoming Winter season. Best to enjoy neat in good company and in front of a log fire.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the photograph!


Timorous Beastie 25yo, 2019, Limited Edition
ABV: 46,8%
Region: Highlands
Price per bottle: °°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (1,600 btl.)

 

Colour: Gold.
Nose: Enticingly fruity on the nose with loads of ripe pears and apricots, nicely mixed with lemon sorbet, vanilla and blossom honey. Then milk chocolate arrives, followed by hazelnut, subtle ginger spice and oak in the back.
Palate: Sweet, fruity and creamy on the palate with pears, honey and apricots, followed by a warming mix of ginger, oak spice and white pepper. Once the warming spiciness fades, creamy and sticky fruit jam remains nicely on the tongue.
Finish: The finish is long, warm and velvety with sweet honey and vanilla. Becomes slightly dry with a touch of bitter orange peel and subtle oak spice.
With water: Fresher on the nose when a few drops of water are added. There's more vanilla  coming through, nicely mixed with ripe yellow fruit and increased oak spice. Very creamy and sticky sweet on the palate with vanilla and honeycomb followed by a delicate nuttiness, while the warming spiciness is significantly tamed. The finish is medium long with creamy notes of vanilla and honey, followed by notes of baked bread in the back.
Comments: A wonderful blended malt from the Highlands, which has an enticing fruit aroma, perfectly balanced with warming spices and sweet vanilla. A quarter of a century maturing in oak casks has produced a deep and complex variety of flavours, with the oak not pushing itself to the fore at all. This limited edition is a perfect fit between Timorous Beastie 18yo and 40yo.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the image!


Big Peat's Pals, Fèis Ìle 2019, Limited Edition
ABV: 48.0%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (3,300 btl.)

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Peat and smoke are in the foreground, nicely mixed with smoked ham, sweet vanilla and a malty note. Slightly maritime with burnt seaweed and a whiff of cold chimney air in the back.
Palate: Sweet start on the palate with vanilla and crisp malted barley. Then quite warming with peat smoke, seaweed, black pepper and charred wood, with an underlying citric sweetness and a touch of leather towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, warming and sweet at first. Becomes drier with chimney smoke, bacon, allspice and ashes.

With water: The lovely sweetness is tamed when a few drops of water are added, leading more peat and notes of smoked ham to the fore. The same on the palate where cracked black pepper, burnt oak and smoke take over. The finish is still long and dry with charred wood, smoked ham and chimney soot.
Comments: This limited Big Peat edition was released to celebrate Fèis Ìle 2019. It is a rich, smoky dram with a sweet vanilla core surrounded by burnt seaweed and notes of barbecued meat. Big, intense and very pleasant to drink. It warms body and soul, not only after a walk on a cold and rainy day. Is your pals selfie on the tube?

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample!


Rock Island 21yo, 2019
ABV: 46.8%
Region: Highlands (Orkney, Arran, Jura) and Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (4,200 btl.)

 

Colour: Pale gold to straw.
Nose: Coastal smoke, crisp peat and a whiff of salt on the nose, accompanied by sweet vanilla and malted barley. Some citric fruits come through mixed with subtle orange peel and ginger spice. Slightly medicinal notes and a touch of tar in the back.

Palate: Sweet vanilla and barley sugar mingle with lemon curd, peat and subtle smoke along with a warming spiciness of oak and pepper. Minerally with a maritime touch and a hint of ash towards the finish. Nicely mouthfilling.
Finish: The finish is medium long, warm and malty with tender peat smoke, coal ash and a touch of cloves on the tail.
With water: Quite fresh on the nose when a few drops of water are added. Sea air with vanilla and lemons, mixed with subtle peat smoke in the back. Less sweet. The delicate vanilla sweetness is still present on the palate, while the warmth is significantly tamed. Subtle notes of oak, ginger, nutmeg and cloves linger with hints of peat smoke towards the finish. The finish shows medium length with dry oak, cloves and gentle peat smoke.
Comments: A multi-layered, rich and lively blended malt embracing the character of Orkney, Arran, Jura and Islay. Deliciously maritime, sweet and spicy with a fruity and smoky core of lemon and peat. The 21 years give this dram depth and balance, combined with a powerful kick from Islay.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the photograph!

Rock Island 10yo, 2019
ABV: 46%
Region: Highlands (Orkney, Arran, Jura) and Islay
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: --

 

Colour: Straw.
Nose: Bursting with creamy vanilla, accompanied by sweet and fruity notes of white peaches and some lemon peel. Soft wood smoke with coastal flavours and a whiff of sea breeze in the back. Very appealing!
Palate: Sweet start on the palate, too, again with lots of vanilla, a touch of honey and lingering apricots. This is complemented by gentle wood smoke, warming spices - ginger and white pepper. Sweet barley sugar lingers with notes of heather towards the finish.
Finish: Medium-long, warm and lingering sweet with a bitter touch of lemon peel. Slightly drying with some peat becoming noticeable alongside gentle smoke. Nicely mouth-coating.
With water: When adding a few drops of water, smoke becomes more dominant on the nose, along wth creamy vanilla and lingering citric fruits. Slightly warming on the palate with a tamed sweetness and fruitiness, followed by pepper and a touch of oak, wrapped in gentle wood smoke. The finish shows medium length with a decreased sweetness, but more dry notes of oak and a touch of peat smoke.
Comments: A well put together, nicely balanced blended malt with an enticing sweet nose, fruity and spicy palate, as well as lingering finish. All this is accompanied by gentle wood smoke and fine coastal aromas. A convincing new entry into Douglas Laing's renamed Rock Island blended malt range with an age statement.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the photograph!

Scallywag, Easter Edition No. 3, 2019
ABV: 48.0%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing (exclusive to Germany)
Cask type: -- (600 btl.)

 

Colour: Deep gold.
Nose: Fruity on the nose with yellow and red fruits, followed by raisins and vanilla. Sherry's coming through with ginger spice and a whiff of dark chocolate in the back.
Palate: Sweet and creamy on the palate with custard and yellow fruits - peaches and apricots in particular. Then juicy oranges arrive, mixed with raisins and a warming spiciness of white pepper and ginger, complemented by a touch of dark chocolate towards the finish.
Finish: The finish shows medium length with a warming mix of sweet fruits, dark berries and spices, followed by lingering notes of dark chocolate on the tail.
With water: Water brings out more fruits on the nose with oranges, apricots and peaches. Very clean and fresh. Sweet, creamy and more spice on the palate with ginger, pepper and dry oak while still fruity on the midpalate. The finish is medium long with pleasant notes of dark chocolate and dry oak.
Comments: A rich Speyside Blended Malt from Douglas Laing with a clear sherry cask influence. Sweet, fruity and creamy with a nice balance of oak and ginger spices. Complex both on the nose and palate, underlined with beautiful notes of dark chocolate. Bottled at 48% abv, there is no need to add water.


Timorous Beastie 12yo, Cask Strength, Limited Edition
ABV: 54,4%
Region: Highlands
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (3,000 btl.)

 

Colour: Amber.
Nose: Sweet and spicy on the nose. Stewed fruits - peaches and oranges - nicely mixed with creamy vanilla and oatcake. Sweet honey and ginger spice in the back.
Palate: Sweet and fairly warming on the palate. Creamy honey and vanilla nicely mixed with spicy notes of black pepper, nutmeg and subtle oak. Intense with creamy notes of barley in the back.
Finish: The finish is long and velvety with honey, vanilla and sweet barley sugar. Becomes slightly dry with bitter orange peel and subtle oak.
With water: Fresher on the nose when a splash of water is added. Delicate vanilla mixed with citric fruits and creamy honey. On the palate, the spiciness and warmth are significantly tamed. Still sweet with vanilla and honey followed by only a slightly amount of citric fruit and pepper. The finish is medium long with creamy notes of honey and a bit of dry oak in the back.
Comments: A wonderfully creamy-sweet and intense Highland blended malt with a nice balance of yellow ripe fruits and spicy notes. Water takes away some of the alcoholic warmth but it can be enjoyed neat very well, too. Another excellent and attractive addition to the existing portfolio of Timorous Beastie.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


Big Peat 26yo, 1992-2018, Platinum Edition
ABV: 51.5%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Oak Casks (3,000 btl.)

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Sweet on the nose with burnt caramel and barley sugar, followed by a filigree fruitiness of apricots and peaches. Slightly minerally with subtle smoke and a touch of peat, mixed with cold ash. Oak spice comes through along with pepper, allspice and a whiff of cloves in the back. Not the big peat punch but smooth and mature.
Palate: Bold and intense on the palate. Very warming mix of cracked black pepper, cloves and oak spice, followed by a delicate sweetness of barley sugar, caramel and peaches. Then smoke arrives lingering with subtle peat and a hint of seaweed towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, nicely warming and creamy with barley sugar and anise. Becomes drier on the tail with oak, soft peat, subtle smoke and a hint of green walnut.

With water: Dry and spicy on the nose when a few drops of water are added. There's more ash, bitumen and medicinal flavours coming through with a touch of barley sweetness in the back. Significantly mild, smooth and creamy on the palate wth only a whiff of black pepper, cold smoke and a touch of peat. A filigree barley sweetness lingers with caramel towards the finish. The finish is shorter with dry notes of oak, ash and anise in the back.
Comments: A beautifully matured, expressive malt whisky from the Isle of Islay with a wonderful mix of creamy sweetness, fruity notes and fairly warming spices. In contrast to the Big Peat standard bottling, the maturity and balance of the aromas are clearly noticeable. Those many years of ageing in oak casks have tamed the impetuous smoky and peaty notes of Big Peat and brought an elegant sweetness, fruitiness and warming spiciness perfectly to the fore. Ideal for relaxing hours in front of the fireplace.

 

I thank Douglas Laing  for the complimentary sample and the image!


Remarkable Regional Malts with a Twist 10yo, Limited Edition 2018
ABV: 48%
Region: All of Scotland’s whisky producing regions
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing (70th Anniversary Bottling)

Cask type: -- (5,000 btl.)

 

Colour: White wine.
Nose: Sweet start with malted barley, vanilla and honeycomb, mixed with burnt toffee and fruity notes of peaches. Behind that fine smoke arrives, nicely mixed with seaweed and a discreet maritime note.

Palate: Fairly strong on the palate. Pleasantly sweet at first with crisp barley sugar, vanilla and some citric fruit. Then nicely warming with spiced oak, pepper, nutmeg and a whiff of peat. This is all wrapped in fine wood smoke. Becomes spicier with a second sip.
Finish: The finish shows medium length with warming spices, dry oak and a touch of wood smoke.
With water: Fresher on the nose when adding a few drops of water, with lingering sweet vanilla in the back. The delicate fruity tones and the spiciness are tamed. Still bold on the palate with a heavy load of spices - pepper in particular. Some fruits of peaches behind, mixed with sweet vanilla, crisp barley sugar and a whiff of smoke. The finish is shorter and only slightly warming with dry oak on the tail.
Comments: A very tasty dram! This bottling encompasses single malts of all five different Scottish whisky regions. The result is a strong blended malt with sweet vanilla, fruity notes and a good load of warming spices - well balanced and wrapped in fine wood smoke. To be enjoyed especially well after an autumn walk in front of an open fire. No boredom at all, especially with the cool packaging.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the image!

Scallywag 10yo, Limited Edition
ABV: 46.0%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type:
100% matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks (4,500 btl.)

 

Colour: Bright amber.
Nose: Fruity start on the nose with apricots, yellow ripe apples and juicy peaches. Sweet with vanilla and a touch of floral notes in the back. Behind that oak spice and cinnamon emerge, nicely followed by honey and a touch of mocha.
Palate: Bold and intense on the palate with a warming mix of spiced oak, black pepper and cinnamon. Sweet notes of caramel, vanilla and brown sugar arrive, followed by roasted oak and creamy notes of peaches towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, warm and creamy with lingering spices, a honeyed sweetness, subtle floral notes and a touch of dry oak on the tail.
With water: Water brings out more fruitiness with loads of peaches and also vanilla sweetness. Still bold and spicy on the palate with black pepper and oak, accompanied by vanilla and peach. The finish is a bit shorter, slightly warming and a touch drier with oak and pepper.
Comments: This younger Scallywag is clearly less determined by sherry cask maturation than its 13 year old brother bottling, but demonstrates a rich aroma profile of fruity peaches, complemented with lingering vanilla sweetness and nicely balanced with warming, autumnal spices. A delicate all-day dram. Gains with a few drops of water, too.


Scallywag 9yo, The Chocolate Edition, Vintage 2009
ABV: 48.0%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Sherry Butts and Bourbon Hogsheads (300 btl.)

 

Colour: Amber.
Nose: Rich notes of baked apples - the yellow-red ones, nicely mixed with deep mocha, some cinnamon spice and a delicate touch of sweet vanilla. Very appealing.
Palate: Bold and rich on the palate with vanilla, red apples, toffee and dark chocolate. Spicy with oak and white pepper, followed by a hint of cinnamon. Dry notes of mocha and tobacco leaves linger towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is medium to long with dark chocolate, sweet vanilla, subtle walnuts and a touch of leather. Very harmoniously.
With water: Water brings out more chocolate and apple notes while the vanilla sweetness is a bit decreased. Still sweet on the palate with loads of chocolate and nice nutty tones. The finish shows medium length with creamy vanilla, dark chocolate and a bit of prickling oak spice on the tongue.
Comments: Nomen est omen! The name keeps its promises. This blended malt is characterised by rich chocolate notes, which lead to a wonderful pleasure experience with baked apples and fine spicy aromas. An ideal companion for dessert or simply doubled with chocolate. Also very well enjoyable with a few drops of water.


The Epicurean Cask Strength, Glasgow Edition 2018, Lowland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 58.6%
Region: Lowlands
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (3,000 btl.)

 

Colour: White wine.
Nose: Fresh and fruity on the nose with a delicate lemon note and apricots. Vanilla sweetness with a touch of blossom honey and icing sugar. Hints of ginger and oak in the back with a noticeable alcoholic bite.
Palate: Deliciously sweet on the palate with creamy vanilla, followed by lemons and apricots. Silmutaneously, it is bold and strong with a warm and spicy note of white pepper, caramelised ginger and a whiff of oak. Creamy, almost sticky with a floral touch.
Finish: The finish is medium long, slightly warming and creamy sweet with sticky apricot jam. Floral and grassy with a touch of oak on the tail.
With water: A bit fresher on the nose with lemon sorbet and a restrained alcoholic bite when a few drops of water are aded. Still sweet and fruity on the palate while the warming spiciness is tamed significantly. Less creamy and fruity with a hint of pepper and some prickling oak in the back. The finish shows medium length with floral notes and dry oak.
Comments: This full-bodied cask strength Lowland whisky pleases with wonderful fruity notes and sweet vanilla, being well kept in balance by warming spices and the high, somewhat biting alcohol content. Appears much more tamed when diluted, but the creamy, almost sticky and fruity sweetness is almost completely lost. A nice summer whisky with an intense warming spiciness. Something for the cooler summer nights, so to speak.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


Rock Oyster Cask Strength, Small Batch Release 2018, Limited Edition No. 2
ABV: 56.1%
Region: Highlands (Orkney, Arran, Jura) and Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type:
American Oak Casks

 

Colour: White wine.
Nose: Fresh and intense on the nose. There's lots of citric fruits coming through, nicely mixed with vanilla and gentle honey. This is nicely wrapped in lingering peat smoke. Ginger spice intermingles with toffee notes in the back. Less briny and Islay-like as batch No. 1, but fruitier and minerally.

Palate: Fairly strong on the palate. Pleasantly sweet at first with vanilla and toffee, accompanied by a warming mix of spices - mainly ginger and white pepper with a bit of cloves. Barley sugar and a touch of bitter oranges linger with restrained peat smoke towards the finish.
Finish: The finish shows medium length with a touch of bitter orange peel, subtle oak, nutmeg and dry peat smoke on the tail.
With water: There's more citric fruits coming through by adding a few drops of water. The briny and maritime character comes to the fore while peat and smoke are slightly tamed. Still sweet on the palate with vanilla and honey, followed by aniseed and slightly warming spices. Becomes drier with oak and cloves. The finish shows good length with aniseed, oak and a touch of peat smoke.
Comments: The second edition of Rock Oyster Cask Strength is much more restrained in aroma and taste than its predecessor. The blended malt has a clear citrus note, paired with a delicious vanilla sweetness and warming spices. The peat smoke remains discreetly in the background and only reveals the proportion of Islay whiskies to a limited extent. You can notice the youthfulness of this malt, but the aromas harmonise beautifully to a pleasant and lasting taste experience.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the photograph!

Scallywag, Easter Edition 2018
ABV: 48.0%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing (exclusive to Germany)
Cask type: Sherry Butts and Bourbon Hogsheads (444 btl.)

 

Colour: Bright amber.
Nose: Quite fruity start on the nose. Dark berries in general but very complex and not easy to figure out. Vanilla with a touch of floral notes arrive, nicely mixed with caramel, ginger and a hint of hazelnut in the back. Very appealing.
Palate: Bold, sweet and creamy on the palate with sticky fruit jam, which again is hard to describe. Some dark fruits, berries, maybe brambles. This is followed by a warming mix of spices - black pepper, ginger and subtle cinnamon, complemented by tender dark chocolate towards the finish.
Finish: The finish shows medium length with lingering notes of slightly dry oak and hazelnut on the tail.
With water: Water brings out more spices on the nose, while the lingering fruitiness is a bit tamed. Quite sweet and creamy on the palate with sticky fruit, followed by a slightly warming spiciness of oak, ginger and some delicate milk chocolate towards the finish. The finish is medium to short with pleasant notes of milk chocolate and roasted bread.
Comments: Another great blended malt by Douglas Laing. Rich, deliciously sweet with a complex fruit, accompanied by warming spices and nutty chocolate tones. Optimally filled at 48% alcohol strength, strong and warming at the same time, this small batch bottling of the finest Speyside single malts is very well enjoyable without adding water.


Timorous Beastie 10yo, Small Batch #1, Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46,8%
Region: Highlands
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: --

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Oh, what a deliciously fragrant nose! Very fruity with a fresh potpourri of late summer fruits, yellow apples, peaches, apricots, and bananas. This is complemented with sweet and lingering vanilla and toffee, followed by roasted almonds and a whiff of oak in the back. Creamy, buttery and very appealing!
Palate: Sweet, soft and creamy on the palate. Delicate fruits with bananas, peaches and ripe apples emerge, nicely mixed with caramel and buttery notes. This is accompanied by a slightly warming spiciness of white pepper, ginger, subtle cloves and a slight hint of alcoholic bite. Well rounded with lingering vanilla and toffee towards the finish.
Finish: The medium length finish is sweet and creamy with sticky fruit jam. Slowly fading notes of white pepper and dry oak on the tail.
With water: Water turns the delicate fruitiness into an autumnal style with more dark fruits coming through. The sweetness remains stable. On the palate the warming spiciness is a bit tamed while the fruity sweetness seems to be increased a bit. Still soft and creamy. The finish is a bit shorter, less fruity with more tannins and dry oak coming through.
Comments: A delicate blended malt, best to enjoy neat. It's like walking around in an orchard on a late summer afternoon. Surprisingly spicy with a creamy, soft and fruity-sweet backbone. An excellent and attractive addition to the Timorous Beastie portfolio.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


Big Peat 25yo, 1992-2017, The Gold Edition
ABV: 52.1%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Oak Casks (3,000 btl.)

 

Colour: Gold.
Nose: Smooth start on the nose with peat and smoke, charcoal and cold ash. Slightly minerally, nicely mixed with custard and burnt caramel. Sweet with smoked malted barley and a filigree but delicate fruitiness of yellow apples, white peaches and ripe bananas. It's not the big peat punch but very mild, smooth and mature. Very appealing!
Palate: Bold, intense and sweet on the palate with caramel, barley sugar, ripe yellow apples and a touch of citrus in the back. Then warming with cracked black pepper, nutmeg and oak. Slightly peaty with hints of seaweed, iodine and sea salt. This is all wrapped in gentle cold smoke. Appears very mature and balanced - a great mouthfeel.
Finish: The finish is long, warm, and slightly sweet with barley sugar and some yellow apples. Becomes slightly dry on the tail with a touch of oak, cloves and soft peat.

With water: A little fresher on the nose when water is added. There's more yellow fruit coming through with lemons and peaches. Slightly more peppery and oaky with a tamed peaty smokiness. Prickling and sweet on the palate with citric fruits - lemons and oranges - while peat and smoke is fairly tamed. Smoked custard and slightly dry oak towards the finish. The finish is fairly dry with oak, cloves, sea salt and hints of peat.
Comments: A beautifully matured, expressive blended malt from the Isle of Islay. Compared to the juvenile, impetuous Big Peat without an age statement, this limited edition captivates with its great balance of sweetness, fruitiness and warming spiciness, paired with discreet smoke and peat. Very soft and elegant. Not the most complex dram on this planet, but a real pleasing one for cosy hours in front of the fireplace.

 

I thank Douglas Laing  for the complimentary sample and the photograph!


Yula 22yo, Chapter Three 2017, Blended Malt, Limited Release
ABV: 51.2%
Region: Islay+Islands
Price per bottle: °°°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (900 btl.)

 

Colour: Rich gold.
Nose: Fresh on the nose with a delicate sweetness of malted barley, vanilla and cereals, mixed with sea salt and a hint of ozone. Then flavours of coal ash and subtle smoke emerge, mingling with gentle peat and a whiff of tobacco leaves in the background.
Palate: Bold and intense on the palate. Malty, with sweet vanilla and a touch of cereals. Then spicy notes of black pepper emerge, together with subtle oak, tender coal ash, a hint of peat and dark chocolate towards the finish. Pleasantly warming and mouth-coating. The pepperiness increases with a second sip.
Finish: The finish is pleasantly long, warm and creamy with vanilla and sweet barley sugar. Becomes slightly dry on the tail with oak, a touch of tar, leather and a whiff of peat smoke.
With water: Intense on the nose when water is added, with more coal ash, sea salt, ozone and peat. The vanilla sweetness and barley sugar notes are significantly tamed. On the palate, however, the delicate sweetness is very present with malted barley, vanilla and cereals while the pepperiness is a bit reduced. Slightly warming with pleasant notes of apricots, milk chocolate and a hint of peat. The finish is a bit shorter, still warm and creamy with toffee and vanilla, before subtle notes of coal ash, oak, peat and tobacco leaves take over.
Comments: This third bottling of the Yula trilogy captivates with its wonderful balance of sweet, spicy and maritime notes. Nothing dominates, everything's in beautiful harmony. Without water very spicy on the tongue, but the malted sweetness, together with creamy vanilla, do well against it. Also quite interesting to play with some water, as this dram changes in an interesting way. A great blended malt that can be enjoyed very well in front of the fireplace, just in the cold season.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Rock Oyster Sherry Edition, Small Batch Release 2017
ABV: 46.8%
Region: Highlands (Orkney, Arran, Jura) and Islay
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Sherry Butts

 

Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Peat and smoke on the nose followed by cereals and sweet notes of malted barley, and tender sherry. Fruity flavours arrive with oranges, cherries, subtle plums and a hint of dates, too. Fresh sea air, smoked kippers and a whiff of camphor in the background.
Palate: Quite oily on the palate. Salty and sweet at the same time. Fruity notes of oranges and bananas, nicely mixed with creamy barley sugar and a warming spiciness of black pepper, oak and cloves. Hintes of sherry and dark chocolate, all wrapped in delicate peat and warm smoke.
Finish: A medium long, warm and subtle dry finish with sweet barley sugar, creamy fruit and peat smoke on the tail. Pleasantly mouth-coating.
With water: There's more medicinal notes coming through - camphor and gauze bandage - when a few drops of water are added. Peat smoke and brine but also tender sweet and fruity notes of oranges and dark fruits. Stays sweet on the palate with a significantly enhanced spiciness of cracked black pepper, oak, cloves and allspice. Warm with lingering peat smoke in the back. The finish shows medium length with warming and dry notes of peat, smoke and cloves, while the sweet and fruity flavours are already gone.
Comments: An elegant blended malt. Nicely balanced with maritime flavours, dark fruits, sherry and warming spices, perfectly embraced by lingering peat smoke. Rich, lively and well put together. The maturation in sherry casks adds another layer of aroma on top to the standard version of Rock Oyster. Well done!

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


The Gauldrons, 2017, Small Batch Bottling No. 1, Campbeltown Blended Malt
ABV: 46.2%
Region: Campbeltown
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: --

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: The nose starts off with a fresh maritime note, nicely mixed with custard and a touch of citrus. Fruity flavours of apricots and sweet barley sugar arrive, lingering with sea salt and a whiff of peat smoke in the back. Fresh, oily and rich.
Palate: Sweet and fruity on the palate with apricots, vanilla and malted barley. This is complemented by a fairly warming spiciness of cloves, nutmeg, oak and cracked black pepper. Spicy and slightly dry on the mid palate with a maritime touch of seaweed towards the finish.
Finish: A pleasantly long finish with a gentle warmth. Crisp oak and creamy barley sugar mingle with peppery spice and a touch of peat smoke on the tail.
With water: Lively, quite vibrant and fresh on the nose when a few drops of water are added. Sweet and fruity with barley sugar and vanilla. Significantly creamy on the palate with apricots, malted barley, vanilla and a tamed spiciness. Creamy, meaty and slightly warming with a whiff of peat smoke and maritime notes towards the finish. The finish shows good length with a creamy touch of sweet vanilla, barley sugar, milk chocolate and a touch of herbal notes in the back. Very pleasant.
Comments: A very tasty blended malt from Campbeltown. It reminds me of Springbank immediately. Slightly oily, paired with a maritime note, clean fruitiness and sweet malted barley. Nicely complex, with flavours in perfect balance. I liked it even better with a splash of water, as even more filigree sweet and fruity notes appeared behind the warming peppery spice.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Moon Harbour, Pier 2, Blended Malt Whisky
ABV: 47.1%
Region: Bordeaux (France)
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Distillery
Cask type: Finish for over 2 months in
Red Wine Casks from Château La Louvière, Pessac-Léognan

 

Colour: Reddish amber.
Nose: Sweet and fruity on the nose with cherries, raspberries and red berries, complemented by a delicate red wine aroma. This is all wrapped in pleasant peat smoke.
Palate: Sweet and strong on the palate with rich red wine flavours. Again sweet and delicate notes of cherries, red berries and raspberries, followed by sweet barley sugar. Warming spices arrive with cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and spiced oak, mixed with a slightly sour touch of red currant towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, warm and creamy sweet with red fruit compote. Becomes slightly dry on the tail with oak, tannins and peat smoke.
With water: Water enhances the fruitiness on the nose with more red berries, cherries and raspberries, while the red wine flavours are tamed. Sweet and creamy on the palate with toffee and stewed cherries and a slightly warming touch of spiciness. The finish is still long, slightly warm with red fruits. Becomes very dry on the tail with oak, lots of tannins and peat smoke.

Comments: A fairly powerful blended malt. This luscious combination of sweet red fruits, warming spices, peat smoke and tannic dryness is satisfying nose and palate equally. The Château La Louvière red wine cask finish brings in delicate fruitiness and opulent sweetness harmonizing well with the peaty character of this blended malt. Best to enjoy in front of a fireplace.

 

I thank Mr. Whisky Michael Reckhard for the sample and photograph!


Big Peat's Pals, Fèis Ìle 2017, Limited Edition
ABV: 48.0%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Finished in Sherry Casks (1,600 btl.)

 

Colour: Dark gold.
Nose: Fresh on the nose with sea air and subtle peat smoke. Fruity notes of red apples and stewed peaches emerge, nicely intermingling with sherry sweetness, liquorice and a whiff of cinnamon. With time, more and more peat arrives.
Palate: Bold and intense on the palate with a delicate sweetness of barley sugar, red apples and ripe peaches. This is complemented by pepper, peat, ashes and a slightly alcoholic bite. Then sherry arrives, followed by creamy notes of caramel and malt. Gentle peat smoke, tender tobacco leaves and dark chocolate towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, warm, sweet and creamy with vanilla, malted barley and soft peat. Becomes slightly dry on the tail with a touch of cocoa, oak, allspice and ashes.

With water: Quite lively on the nose when water is added. There's more smoke and spiciness, while the lovely sherry sweetness is fairly tamed. Still sweet and fruity on the palate with vanilla, malted barley, caramel and apples. The peppery notes are significantly reduced with only subtle warming spices towards the finish. The finish is a bit shorter with vanilla, barley and dark chocolate, nicely wrapped in crisp peat smoke.
Comments: A pleasant and intense blended malt with a nice balance of sweetness, fruitiness and peat smoke. The finish in sherry casks delivers delicate sweet and spicy notes taming a bit of the typical Islay punch. Not entirely complex, but quite a pleasing dram which also tolerates some drops of water.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Rock Oyster 18yo, Limited Edition 2017, Island Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46.8%
Region: Highlands (Orkney, Arran, Jura) and Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: --

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Fresh start on the nose with sea air, coastal smoke, peat and a whiff of salt. Creamy with vanilla, ginger, malted barley and lemon curd. Subtle spicy with peppery oak in the background.
Palate: Sweet vanilla and toffee mingle with white peaches, heather, barley and peat along with a warming spiciness of oak and white pepper. Minerally with a maritime touch and subtle cloves towards the finish.
Finish: A medium long, salty and grainy finish with sweet and creamy heather honey, malted barley, tender coal ash and a touch of peat smoke on the tail. Nicely mouth-coating.
With water: Quite fresh on the nose with a few drops of water. Sea air with lots of peat smoke and coal ash. Less fruity and sweet. The delicate sweetness is tamed on the palate, too, while more peppery oak and cloves are coming through. Peat smoke and allspice towards the finish. The finish shows medium length with a warming and spicy core, followed by subtle heather and vanilla sweetness. Becomes fairly dry on the tail.
Comments: A well put together, rich and lively blended malt embracing the character of Orkney, Arran, Jura and Islay. A strong, peppery and smoky dram with a sweet and creamy core of vanilla, barley and heather. Perfect for an autumnal day out on the west coast of Scotland.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!

Peatside 5yo, Batch #1, That Boutique-y Whisky Company
ABV: 55.0%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °° (0.5L)
Bottling: That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC)
Cask type: 1st-Fill Madeira Barrique (331 btl.)

 

Colour: Bright amber.
Nose: Fruity on the nose with strawberries and bananas. This is accompanied by intense peat smoke, mixed with burnt caramel and tobacco leaves. Hints of grassy notes and fresh oak in the background.
Palate: Sweet start on the palate with fruit, banana, grapes, followed by with a warming spiciness of oak, pepper, and allspice. Creamy malted barley arrives, replaced by dry notes of grape peel, tobacco leaves and peat smoke.
Finish: The finish shows medium length with subtle creamy red fruit. Becomes dry on the tail with warming spice, oak and tobacco leaves.
With water: Significantly tamed fruitiness on the nose when a splash of water is added. Becomes very dry with more peat, coal ash and smoke. Less sweet but significantly drier on the palate. Oak, burnt caramel, cough syrup and peat smoke are dominating here. The finish is medium long, warm and dry with tobacco leaves, peat smoke and prickling oak. No sign of any fruits left.
Comments: This young blended malt is a bit unbalanced to me. Delicate fruitiness of the madeira cask on the one hand, a bold, boisterous peaty smokiness with dry oak on the other. Both parts do not really stick together. Water doesn't help at all as it significantly tames the pleasant fruitiness.

 

I thank Kirsch Whisky - The House of Whiskies for the sample and the photograph!


Timorous Beastie 18yo, Limited Edition, Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46,8%
Region: Highlands
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (7,258 btl.)

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: The nose starts off with a pleasant fruitiness of apricots, white peaches and subtle bananas. This is underlined with a decent vanilla sweetness and lemon sorbet. Hints of honey and a touch of floral notes in the background. Mellow and very appealing!
Palate: Lovely sweet on the palate with vanilla, honey and lingering fruits - peaches, pineapples and bananas.  This is complemented with a warming spiciness of black pepper, along with a touch of cinnamon and crisp oak towards the finish. Nice and tasty!
Finish: The finish shows medium length with a lingering mix of sweet vanilla and honey notes, along with pepper, spiced oak and subtle cinnamon. Slightly dry on the tail.
With water: Fresh and clean on the nose when water is added. Increased fruitiness of white peaches, apricots and pineapples, nicely mixed with fresh lemon sorbet. Quite sweet and fruity on the palate while the warming spiciness is tamed a bit. Less black pepper with honey and cinnamon towards the finish. The finish is medium long with creamy honey, vanilla, subtle cinnamon and prickling oak on the tail.
Comments: Quite a powerful blended Highland malt. Good balance of sweetness, luscious yellow fruits and warming spiciness with a reasonable complexity. Needs time to develop its full flavour profile. Pleasantly drinkable both neat and diluted. The brave younger brother of the outstanding 40 yo Beastie!

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Scallywag 13yo, 2017 Limited Edition

ABV: 46%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Sherry Casks

 

Colour: Amber.
Nose: Unequivocally sherry on the nose. However, not that bold "sherry bomb" but rather filigree, gentle and well-structured flavours. There's cinnamon, dried fruits and red berries, along with juicy oranges and baked red apples. With time, lingering oak spice emerges, accompanied with hazelnut, subtle raisins, nutmeg and a whiff of ginger in the background. A gorgeous nose!
Palate: This lovely mix of delicate flavours continues on the palate. There's creamy vanilla, red dried fruits, juicy oranges, and subtle raisins coming through. This is well-balanced with a pleasant spiciness of oak, cinnamon, sweet crystallized ginger and nutmeg. Some floral notes arrive, nicely intermingling with slightly bitter orange peel towards the finish.
Finish: The finish shows medium length with creamy vanilla, zesty orange and mocha, leading to a warm and spicy end with oak, pepper and nutmeg.
With water: Fresher on the nose with a few drops of water. It brings out some more spice while the fruity flavours remain present. Both the sweetness and fruitiness, however, are significantly tamed on the palate bringing more oak spice, cracked black pepper, ginger and nutmeg to the fore. The finish is medium long, warm and spicy with prickling oak on the tongue. Becomes significantly dry with a whiff of tobacco leaves on the tail.
Comments: An absolutely fabulous blended malt. Exuberant sweet and fruity aromas in perfect balance with a rich spiciness coming from the sherry casks. A multi-layered, entertaining dram with no overwhelming sherry flavours. Truly enjoyable and dangerously quaffable. Be careful when adding water as you might loose a lot of character of this gorgeous dram.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the photograph!


Dram Regional 6yo, Limited (Edition No. 1) to 3 Casks, 2017, Lowland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Region: Lowlands
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: C&S Dram Collection
Cask type: -- (1,699 btl.)

 

Colour: Pale straw.
Nose: Clean and fresh on the nose with lemons, quince and vanilla, followed by notes of pomace with a touch of acidity. Hints of leather and subtle peppery notes in the background.

Palate: Smooth, clean and much sweeter than the nose suggests. Sweet vanilla, tender toffee, and fruits - apricots in particular, followed by a nicely warming spiciness of oak, pepper and hints of leather towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is medium long, creamy sweet with sticky apricot jam and slightly warm spices. Grassy with a herbal touch on the tail.
With water: There's a slight change on the nose with a few drops of water. Still fresh and clean with some more spice and herbal tones in the back. Creamy and fruity sweetness on the palate mixed with toffee and vanilla. This is accompanied by spiced oak and black pepper. The finish is a bit shorter, subtle sweet with apricot jam and creamy vanilla, followed by a warming mix of spiced oak, pepper and a herbal touch on the tail.
Comments: A pleasant, grainy and fruity blended malt with a discreet marriage of sweet, spicy and herbal flavours. Quite young but enjoyable and, already nicely quaffable. A seriously entertaining dram indeed.

 

I thank Caminneci - Wine & Spirit Partner for the sample and the photograph!


Michel Couvreur, Overaged Malt Whisky (12-27yo), Blended Malt
ABV: 53%
Region: Scotland/France (Burgundy)
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Michel Couvreur
Cask type: Sherry Oak Casks (Bottle Code L. 2016002)

 

Colour: Dark amber.
Nose: Sweet and spicy on the nose with sherry, dark fruits, cherries and raisins, tobacco leaves and subtle aniseed. A hint of smoke nicely lingers with cinnamon, leather, matches and notes of cedarwood in the back. The alcohol is well-integrated.
Palate: Rich sherry flavours on the palate with Christmas cake, plums, raisins and also some juicy red fruits. Not as sweet as the nose suggests. This is followed by a warming spiciness of oak, caramelised ginger, aniseed and pepper. Notes of tobacco leaves, leather and dark bitter chocolate nicely mingle with subtle smoke of burnt matches towards the finish. Deliciously mouthfilling!
Finish: The finish is long, warm, slightly sweet and spicy with oak. Becomes drier towards the end with tobacco leaves, aniseed and slightly bitter dark chocolate.
With water: There's more smoke and spiciness coming through when water is added. The lovely fruity and sherry flavours are significantly tamed. Slightly sweet and fruity on the palate, accompanied with a significantly increased spiciness of oak, pepper and dry notes of tobacco leaves and espresso. The finish is still long, warm and very dry with spiced oak, more smoke and tobacco notes.
Comments: Very decent stuff! The nose is gorgeous with a nice interplay of rich sherry sweetness, dark fruitiness and spiciness. Very well balanced. Lacks a bit of sweetness on the palate while spicy and dry notes dominate. Lovely complex with a well-integrated alcohol. Certainly one for the colder days. Best to enjoy neat in front of a log fire.


Voyager I, 231° U.4.1' 1886.2"TS, 19yo, 1997-2016, Speyside Blended Malt
ABV: 52.9%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°°
Bottling: Scotch Universe
Cask type: First Fill Côte de Beaune Wine Barrique

Colour: Amber.
Nose: Fruity on the nose with red apples, raspberries, dark cherries and ripe yellow pears. Notes of dark chocolate and subtle cinnamon nicely linger with hints of oak in the back.
Palate: Bold, rich and intensely warming on the palate with black pepper and cinnamon. This is followed by creamy stewed fruits, nicely wrapped in spiced and slightly dry oak.
Finish: The finish is long, warm and fruity with apples and dark cherries. Bold notes of spiced oak, pepper and a whiff of cinnamon on the tail. This is accompanied by a touch of cinnamon with a dry end.
With water: Water brings more fruity flavours to the fore with lots of cherries, notes of vanilla and black pepper, too. Still strong and intense on the palate with creamy even silky fruit compote. Sweeter with cherries, apples and pears and only a hint of oak spice. The finish is long, warm and creamy with fruit jam, cinnamon and subtle spiced oak. Very delicate!
Comments: A big powerful bruiser! Mature and complex. This blended malt is very well balanced. I love the interplay of fruity and sweet, spicy and dry. A confident, well-rounded cask strength expression best to enjoy with a splash of water after a good meal.

I thank Michel Reick from Scotch Universe for the sample and the photograph!


Timorous Beastie 21yo, Highland Blended Malt, Sherry Edition
ABV: 46.8%
Region: Highlands (Dalmore, Glengoyne, Glen Garioch and Blair Athol Distilleries)
Price per bottle: °°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Sherry Casks (2.718 btl.)

 

Colour: Deep gold to amber.
Nose: The nose starts off with delicate cinnamon spice, covered by sherry flavours and dark dried fruits. Barley sugar, sweet honey and custard with a hint of leather in the background.
Palate: Bold and rich on the palate with a massive load of sherry, layers of dried fruits, raisins and subtle sweet acacia honey. This is complemented by a nicely warming spiciness of cinnamon, Xmas spice, oak and a hint of pepper. Underneath there's a lovely sweetness of barley sugar, vanilla and lingering nutty flavours. Deliciously mouthfilling!
Finish: The finish is long, pleasantly warming and fruity with raisins, followed by a delicate nuttiness and prickling oak. Becomes drier towards the end with spiced oak and slightly bitter dark chocolate.
With water: Clean and fresh on the nose with a few drops of water. Less fruity, spicy and sherried flavours with more oak coming through. Less warming and significantly tamed on the palate with only mild spices, prickling oak and a subtle sweetness of dried fruits. The finish is a bit shorter and creamy but becomes very dry with oak, bitter notes of walnuts and dark chocolate, followed by a hint of cinnamon on the tail.
Comments: This limited edition of Timorous Beastie is a big, bold and intense blended malt with a great mouthfeel. Full of rich sherry flavours, dried fruits and sweetness, perfectly balanced with oak and Christmas spices. Certainly one for the upcoming Xmas season. Best to enjoy neat in front of a log fire.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Yula 21yo, Chapter Two 2016, Blended Malt, Limited Release
ABV: 52.3%
Region: Islay+Islands
Price per bottle: °°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (900 btl.)

 

Colour: Dark straw.
Nose: Clean and fresh on the nose with gentle peat and medicinal flavours. Behind that lingering notes of malted barley, cereals and a touch of citrus emerge. Hints of vanilla, toffee and subtle smoke in the background.
Palate: Smooth start on the palate with lingering sweet notes of barley sugar, toffee and cereals. Slightly warming spiciness of pepper, nutmeg, cloves and oak arrives, nicely mixed with a whiff of citrus and peat smoke in the back. A touch of medicinal flavours with subtle sea salt towards the finish. Very tasty!
Finish: The finish is medium long, warm and nicely sweet with barley sugar and toffee. This is complemented by oak spice, cloves and a touch of pepper, followed by subtle notes of gauze bandage and hints of peat on the tail.
With water: Less peaty and decreased medicinal flavours on the nose when a few drops of water are added. Stays sweet with some more citric notes. Less sweet on the palate with a slightly decreased warming spiciness. Again, the citric notes dominate here, followed by a slightly peaty and briny touch towards the finish. The finish shows medium length with spicy notes becoming more prominent, such as oak, nutmeg, cloves and pepper.
Comments: A pleasantly smooth and soft blended Island malt displaying good complexity and character. Well balanced with a lovely mixture of sweet, maritime, peaty and fruity notes. Needs time to develop its full flavour profile. Not punchy at all but well composed, gentle and quite pleasant. No need for adding any water!

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Big Peat Christmas 2016, 'All Islay' Blended Malt, 6th Big Peat Christmas Limited Edition
ABV: 54.6%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (15.000 btl.)

 

Colour: White wine.
Nose: Fresh on the nose with peat, seaweed and camphor, followed by subtle chimney soot, coal ash and a maritime edge of briny flavours. Behind that, sweet notes make their way with vanilla, barley sugar, cereals, pears and a hint of citric fruits.
Palate: Bold, rich and intense on the palate. Immediately warming spiciness of black pepper, oak, peat and tender coal ash, complemented by a slightly sweetness of vanilla and malted barley. Medicinal with beachy flavours, subtle sea salt and a fruity touch of white peaches and pears in the back. Very tasty!
Finish: The finish is long, very warm and peppery with camphor, gauze bandage, coal ash and subtle peat. A sweet touch of barley sugar and peach on tail.
With water: A few drops of water bring out more of the medicinal flavours on the nose with gauze bandage, camphor, peat and ash, while the freshness, vanilla sweetness and cereal notes are significantly tamed. On the palate, however, the hot spiciness is decreased dramatically bringing more of the barley sugar sweetness, delicate vanilla and fruity flavours to the fore. The finish is a bit shorter with a tender sweetness of vanilla and malted barley, complemented by a slightly warming mix of coal ash, camphor and peat. This is followed by a lingering touch of citric fruit on the tail.
Comments: A full-bodied, gloriously peaty blended malt made with whiskies from all active eight distilleries on Islay's plus long-closed Port Ellen! Very well balanced with a medicinal curtain that unveils delicate sweet, malty and lingering fruity flavours though. A brilliant Islay experience, providing rapid pleasant warmth in the cold time of the year.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Timorous Beastie 40yo, Limited Edition, Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 54,7%
Region: Highlands
Price per bottle: °°°°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (1,080 btl.)

 

Colour: Bright gold.
Nose: The nose starts off with plenty of vanilla, butterscotch and delicate marzipan. A bit flowery and fruity with dried flowers and tangerines. Sweet notes of cereals nicely linger with ginger, cinnamon, subtle oak and spiced honey in the back. Fresh, clean and very appealing!
Palate: Lovely sweet on the palate with cereals, honey, butterscotch and a touch of citric fruits - tangerine and lemon. This is accompanied by a warm mix of delicate spices - cinnamon, pepper, caramelised ginger, allspice and oak. Slightly bitter notes of grape peel, pink grapefruit and tea leaves towards the finish. Quite pleasant and tasty!
Finish: The finish shows quite good length with creamy and sweet notes of vanilla, barley sugar and honey. Slightly drying notes of oak and tannins on the tail.
With water: Fresh and clean on the nose with a few drops of water. There's even more vanilla coming through, lovely mixed with fruity flavours of lemon and tangerine. Marzipan, oak and spicy notes are all tamed while sweet honey lingers in the back. Very sweet, soft and creamy on the palate with vanilla, cereals, tangerins, apricots and significantly tamed spices. The finish is medium to long, slightly warm with honey and prickling oak on the tail.
Comments: A great and delightful blended malt! Sweet, rich and quite satisfying. Very well balanced with lingering vanilla, delicate fruit, and warm spices. Despite the old age the cask influence is by no means intrusive. A stunningly great dram at a fair price for a 40yo whisky.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Scallywag, Small Batch Release, Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Spanish Sherry Butts and American Hogsheads

 

Colour: Deep gold.
Nose: Amazingly sweet on the nose with icing sugar and toffee, accompanied by a lovely fruitiness of sultanas, red apples and sherry-derived flavours. Lingering spicy notes emerge with candied ginger, cinnamon and oak, complemented by sweet vanilla in the back. A gorgeous nose!
Palate: The lovely sweetness continues on the palate. Vanilla and cereals, followed by prunes, raisins and oranges. Slightly warming spices emerge with pepper, caramelised ginger and fine cinnamon, complemented by dark chocolate and prickling oak towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long with vanilla, zesty orange and sherry, followed by dark chocolate, espresso, spiced oak and a whiff of tobacco leaves.
With water: Water brings out more spices on the nose, while the lingering sweetness and fruity flavours remain present. Creamy, sweet and fruity on the palate with a significantly increased spiciness of oak, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. The finish remains long, creamy with vanilla, dark chocolate and a spicy touch of oak and tobacco.
Comments: I was absolutely pleased by the lovely sweetness of this blended malt. The vanilla and toffee notes from the used American bourbon casks pleasantly match with the fruitiness and spiciness of the sherry casks. A perfect marriage of flavours, rich and quite enjoyable neat. A truly entertaining dram and great Speyside whisky!

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Scallywag, Cask Strength 2016, Limited Edition No. 2
ABV: 54.1%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Bourbon Hogsheads and Sherry Butts (4800 btl.)

 

Colour: Amber.
Nose: Rich on the nose with vanilla, followed by slightly bitter orange marmalade and biscuity dark chocolate. Delicate spice in the back with oak, ginger and fine cinnamon.
Palate: Sweet and chewy with vanilla, red apples and fruit biscuit. After a few monents spicy flavours take over with oak, cloves and cinnamon, followed by a gentle herbal touch. Pleasantly warming with notes of fudge and dark chocolate towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, fruity and tender sweet with vanilla, followed by dry notes of dark chocolate, spiced oak, subtle herbs and a hint of cloves on the tail.
With water: There's more of dark fruits coming through on the nose by adding a few drops of water. Rich and intense with more oak, chocolate and cloves. Lovely sweet with vanilla and a delicate orange fruitiness, followed by raisins and dark chocolate, whereas the spiciness is slightly tamed with water. The finish is long, sweet and creamy with dark fruits, raisins, some herbs, chocolate and a hint of cloves and spiced oak.
Comments: A rich, big and bold cask strength edition of Douglas Laing's famous expression Scallywag with plenty of power behind it. Nicely balanced with a focus on the sherried and spicy character rather than the fruity elements of the vaious Speyside malts. Definitely one for the chocolate aficionados.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Yula 20yo, 1995-2015, Blended Malt, Limited Release - First Chapter
ABV: 52.6%
Region: Islands
Price per bottle: °°°°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (900 btl.)


Colour: Gold.
Nose: Fresh on the nose with malted barley, a touch of peat and lingering smoke with a maritime edge. With time vanilla emerges along with delicate and sweet toffee, followed by a hint of floral notes (parma violet?). Well balanced with perfectly integrated alcohol. A gorgeous nose.
Palate: Bold and intense on the palate with a good whack of spice, cracked black pepper, even chilli's coming through. Hot on the middle with subtle tarry tones. Malted barley and sweet butterscotch arrives complemented by a whiff of floral notes and maybe scent. Extremely mouth-coating with slightly bitter wood tannins. Gentle peat smoke is floating overall.
Finish: Medium to long with sweet malt and slightly violet tones. Warm with lingering peat smoke. Gets drier in the end, with more coaly and dusty notes coming through.
With water: Quite similar to the nose before, maybe a bit tamed overall. The barley and butterscotch sweetness as well as the spiciness are significantly reduced on the palate, with more parma violet coming through, followed by a medium and dry finish.
Comments: A pleasant blended malt with good balance and character. A lovely mature Island whisky which displays an excellent complexity of maritime aromas, peat, smoke, sweet and floral flavours. But please - don't add any water!


I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Big Peat's Pals, Feis Ile 2017, Limited Edition
ABV: 48.0%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: Finished in Sherry Casks (1,600 btl.)

 

Colour: Dark gold.
Nose: Fresh on the nose with sea air and subtle peat smoke. Fruity notes of red apples and stewed peaches emerge, nicely intermingling with sherry sweetness, liquorice and a whiff of cinnamon. With time, more and more peat arrives.
Palate: Bold and intense on the palate with a delicate sweetness of barley sugar, red apples and ripe peaches. This is complemented by pepper, peat, ashes and a slightly alcoholic bite. Then sherry arrives, followed by creamy notes of caramel and malt. Gentle peat smoke, tender tobacco leaves and dark chocolate towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, warm, sweet and creamy with vanilla, malted barley and soft peat. Becomes slightly dry on the tail with a touch of cocoa, oak, allspice and ashes.

With water: Quite lively on the nose when water is added. There's more smoke and spiciness, while the lovely sherry sweetness is fairly tamed. Still sweet and fruity on the palate with vanilla, malted barley, caramel and apples. The peppery notes are significantly reduced with only subtle warming spices towards the finish. The finish is a bit shorter with vanilla, barley and dark chocolate, nicely wrapped in crisp peat smoke.
Comments: A pleasant and intense blended malt with a nice balance of sweetness, fruitiness and peat smoke. The finish in sherry casks delivers delicate sweet and spicy notes taming a bit of the typical Islay punch. Not entirely complex, but quite a pleasing dram which also tolerates some drops of water.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


The Epicurean, Small Batch Release 2016, Lowland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46.2%
Region: Lowlands
Price per bottle: °
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: --

 

Colour: White wine with a greenish hint.
Nose: Clean and grassy on the nose with an intense barley note and lingering flavours of yellow fruits - apricots, whites peaches and lemon zest. Subtle vanilla and caramel intermingle with floral notes and a whiff of herbs, thyme in particular, in the back. Needs time to develp its full flavour spectrum.
Palate: Still clean on the palate, but juicier than the nose suggests. Sweet and fruity with luscious apricots, peaches, citric notes, and creamy vanilla. This is accompanied by a gentle warm spiciness of oak, white pepper, and subtle ginger. Lovely creamy notes of caramelised sugar in the back.
Finish: The finish is medium long, creamy sweet with sticky apricot jam and slightly warm spices. Grassy with a herbal touch on the tail.
With water: There's almost no change on the nose with a few drops of water. Still sweet and fruity, with floral and herbal tones in the back. On the palate, creamy sweetness mixed with burnt toffee, vanilla and citric flavours, accompanied by spiced oak, cinnamon and crystallised ginger. The finish is still medium long, sweet with lovely apricot jam and a slightly grassy and herbal touch on the tail.
Comments: A generous, grainy and fruity blended malt with a discreet marriage of sweet, spicy and floral/herbal flavours. Seems young but enjoyable, surprised how quaffable this is. A seriously entertaining dram indeed.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Rock Oyster Cask Strength, Small Batch Release 2016, Limited Edition No. 1
ABV: 57.4%
Region: Highlands (Orkney, Arran, Jura) and Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: --

 

Colour: White wine.
Nose: Fresh and intense on the nose. Delicate vanilla sweetness intermingles with toffee, gentle honey and lemon drops. This is all wrapped in lingering peat smoke. Islay-typical medicinal notes and iodine emerge, beautifully combined with oak, cloves and notes of burnt rubber and coal dust. A maritime edge of briny and beachy flavours lingers with hints of fresh mint and camphor in the back. Very appealing and refreshing!
Palate: A strong taste! Pleasantly sweetness of vanilla and toasted toffee accompanied by delicate notes of lemon, oranges and subtle honey. This is immediately followed by a massive load of hot spices - cracked black pepper, chilli, cloves and oak. Sweet barley mingles with heather and smoke along with some sweeter peat notes. Maritime flavours and a briny coastal edge linger towards the finish.
Finish: Long, warm and lingering sweet with a sligtly bitter touch of citrus peel. Slightly drying with peat becoming dominant alongside the smoke, and a touch of cloves on the tail. Mouth-coating and powerful.
With water: Still powerful on the nose with a splash of water. Vanilla sweetness, delicate spices and a comforting warmth intermingle with a beautiful mix of peat and smoke. Intensely sweet on the palate with lots of vanilla and a beautiful potpourri of yellow fruit, oranges and peaches, complemented by warm spices. Beautiful! The finish is long, sweet and warm with a whiff of peat, smoke and coastal flavours.
Comments: A well put together, rich and powerful blended malt with a gorgeous nose, delicate palate, and intensely long finish! Islay's strong maritime character is well balanced with the peppery and honeyed sweetness of Arran, Jura's citrus notes, and Orkney's input of lingering barley, heather and smoke. A big hit with an impressive intensity. Absolutely perfect for a cold and windy winter's day.

 

I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!

Big Peat Christmas 2015, Islay Blended Malt, Limited Release - Big Peat’s 5th Christmas Edition
ABV: 53.8%
Region: Islay
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Douglas Laing
Cask type: -- (18,000 btl.)


Colour: Pale straw.
Nose: Fresh on the nose with chimney soot, lingering peat smoke, coal ash and a maritime edge of briny and beachy flavours. Behind the smoke screen, delicate floral and fruit notes make their way with malted barley, marshmallows, vanilla and a touch of citrus. Notes of pine wood arrive with fresh mint and camphor in the back. No doubt: Islay on the nose!
Palate: Smooth and deliciously sweet. Liquorice, fruit, somewhat lemony and peaty with ash. Big spicy and hot flavours immediately arrive with cracked black pepper and chilli, complemented by bonfire smoke, peat and soot. The salty feel on the tongue becomes sweeter with dark honey, milk chocolate and lingering nutty barley.
Finish: Long, nice, warm and honey sweet. Soothing on lingering bitter citrus notes. Slightly drying with smoke becoming dominant alongside the peat, and a touch of bitter chocolate on the tail.
With water: As expected, water almost kills the fruit leaving maritime notes, peat, smoke, ash and sooty chimney flavours on the nose. The sweetness, however, remains stable on the palate along with hot and bold spicy flavours and lingering citrus notes. The finish is long and warm with a delicate sticky sweetness of honey on the tongue, accompanied by pleasant and satisfying peat smoke.
Comments: A pleasant and intense blended malt with a great balance of smoke and sweetness. A gorgeous nose and delicate palate! The peat smoke is very well present. A sooty curtain which unveils luscious sweet, malty and lingering citrus notes though. A fantastic Islay experience, great for a winter's eve. Too bad enjoying this beauty on Christmas day only!


I thank Douglas Laing for the sample and the photograph!


Blended Malt XO, 2016, Limburg Dramclub - Club Bottling No. 6
ABV: 46.3%
Region: Scotland
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: eSpirits Whisky for Limburg Dramclub
Cask type: Sherry Wood

 

Colour: Gold.
Nose: Immediately peat on the nose with a whiff of smoke. Quite "dirty". Behind that curtain notes of grain lovely mixed with a nice fruitiness of plums and dark berries emerge, followed by a touch of cinnamon and oak in the back. Quite impressive!
Palate: Bold and intense on the palate. Sweet and spicy at the same time with a fruity influence of plums, dark berries and raisins, complemented by oak, cinnamon, white pepper and nutmeg. Stays sweet with a pleasant warmth towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, warming and sweet with sticky plum jam, nicely wrapped in fine peat and smoke.
With water: Water enhances the delicate sweetness and fruitiness of plums pushing the peaty and smoky flavours in the back. Oak and a touch of cloves emerge. Concurrently sweet and spicy on the palate with dark fruits, oak and pepper, followed by creamy acacia honey and slightly dry oak. The finish is medium long, sweet with stewed plums and slightly warming. Spiced oak with tender peat and smoke on the tail. Very dry in the end.
Comments: This is quite an intense and rich blended malt. Nicely complex and multi-layered. Well matured with a pleasant balance of plums, spices and peat. The concurrent battle of sweetness and spiciness is amazing with additional support from peat and smoke. An impressive dram which needs some time to develop its full flavour profile. A well chosen bottling for the Limburg Dramclub!

 

I thank Dailydram.de for the sample and the photograph!


Burnside 22yo, 1993-2015, Private Collection, Five Lions
ABV: 55.5%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°°
Bottling: Five Lions
Cask type: Second Fill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead

 

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Fruity and fresh on the nose. Rich notes of apricots, passion fruit and tangerine emerge with a delicate mix of vanilla and cinnamon in the back. Very appealing!
Palate: Sweet and nicely fruity start on the palate, immediately followed by a massive load of warming spices - cracked black pepper, oak, cinnamon and caramelized ginger. Once the spicy warmth fades notes of sticky sweetness with honey and apricots jam nicely intermingle with a whiff of oak towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is medium long and deliciously sweet with sticky honey and stewed yellow fruit, with a slightly dry aftertaste of oak and cinnamon.
With water: Lovely fruity on the nose with a few drops of water, accompanied with a creamy sweetness. Sweet, and fruity on the palate with tangerine, apricots and a still intense notes of spices - pepper, cinnamon and oak. The finish is medium long, warm and sticky sweet with stewed apricots and crisp oak on the tail.
Comments: A deliciously fruity, creamy sweet and well balanced blended malt. The 2nd-fill oloroso sherry hogshead provided a mellow aroma of fruit and sweetness, however, the spiciness of the oak is very present. A liquid dessert. Reminds me of a rich Balvenie. Lovely and superb, pleasantly tasty.

 

I thank Joe Seidel from Joe's Malt Shop for the sample and Five Lions for the photograph!


Peatside 5yo, Blended Malt, Heidelberg Highlands
ABV: 62.3%
Region: Islay (T-spooned with Speyside Single Malt)
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Heidelberg Highlands
Cask type: 1st-Fill Bourbon Cask (4yo) with 1st-Fill Port Finish (22 months)

 

Colour: Reddish gold.
Nose: A deliciously fruity start on the nose with plum jam, red berries - strawberry, and blueberry - nicely wrapped in smooth peat and bonfire smoke. With time, subtle notes of toffee and vanilla emerge, followed by barley sugar and a hint of citrus. Soft, crisp and lovely warm with tender spiced oak in the back. A gorgeous nose!
Palate: Sweet and fruity start on the palate with plum jam, and stewed red fruit, immediately followed by a significant note of bonfire, delicate peat and lovely hot spices - cracked black pepper, oak, cinnamon and cloves. Once this pleasant warmth fades, lingering notes of caramel, vanilla and malted barley arrive, nicely intermingled with cold peat smoke and spiced oak.
Finish: The finish is endlessly long, warm, and slightly soothing with a nice malty sweetness, lingering fruity flavours and a herbal touch, with a hint of peat on the tail.
With water: Less fruity and smoky on the nose with a splash of water, while toffee and tender chocolate notes are coming to the fore. Lovely mix of sweet barley, dark stewed fruit and warm spices - oak, pepper, ginger and cloves on the palate. The finish is very long, warm, and sweet. Turns into a dry aftertaste with peat, oak and tender smouldering wood.
Comments: This is a fantastic dram! A very young Islay single malt of unknown origin, with an almost two years finish in first-fill port cask. The Islay peat smoke is present but lovely integrated and well balanced with the fruitiness and richness of the wine cask. The additional maturation has amplified a sweet side to this islander. An outstanding example that smoky and peaty Islay single malt harmonizes in a perfect manner with fruity flavours given by the port wine cask. Well chosen by the folks from Heidelberg Highlands!

 

I thank Joe Seidel from Joe's Malt Shop for sample and photograph!


Westport 18yo, 1997-2015, Private Collection, Five Lions
ABV: 59.7%
Region: Scotland
Price per bottle: °°°°
Bottling: Five Lions
Cask type: 1st Fill Sherry Butt

 

Colour: Deep amber.
Nose: The nose starts off with delicate sherry flavours and a significant note of spiciness. Ripe dark fruit emerge with cherries and raisins, complemented by nougat, chocolate and subtle flavours of roasted nutts. The alcohol is quite present but not pungent. Slightly earthy tones mingle with a whiff of salt and mint in the back. Rich and intense!
Palate: Bold and strong on the palate with a lovely mix of sherry, coffee and intense roasted notes. Sticky fruity sweetness, complemented by a massive load of warm, even hot spiciness. Oak, dry tannins, cloves and cracked black pepper become dominant with a slightly astringent finish, deliciously mixed with lingering notes of cocoa.
Finish: The finish is medium long, warm and dry with a pleasant nuttiness, tobacco notes and a slightly bitter herbal touch on the tail.
With water: Significantly tamed with a splash of water on the nose. Restrained sherry aroma with a lovely fruitiness and a whiff of spiced oak. Creamy and soft on the palate with sweet sherry, and stewed fruit, followed by a smooth warm spiciness and tingling oak on the midpalate. The finish is medium long with a pleasant sticky fruitiness on the tongue, lingering notes of walnut and a whiff of bitter herbs.
Comments: A robust, expressive and exciting dram! Rich, intense with lots of depth and power. The alcohol is not negligible but well integrated and emphasizes the fruitiness and the spiciness of this T-spooned blended malt. Ample sweet with a fascinating spicy profile and a bold woody backbone. Nothing for the faint-hearted.

 

I thank Joe Seidel from Joe's Malt Shop for the sample and Five Lions for the photograph!


Christmas Malt 2015 (Blended Malt), The Nose Art, 2001-2015, Whisky-Doris
ABV: 45.8%
Region: --
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: Whisky-Doris
Cask type: Sherry Butt (#116, 395 btl.)

 

Colour: Amber.
Nose: Rich and fresh on the nose with gentle sherry flavours and voluminous yellow ripe fruit - apricot, mirabelle, gooseberry and subtle banana. The alcohol is perfectly integrated and balanced by the fruit, pleasant vanilla and a hint of citrus notes. Plums and raisins emerge with time, complemented by dark honey and spice. Very complex!
Palate: Sweet honey and lots of exotic yellow fruits on the palate, immediately followed by pleasant and intense oak spice, cinnamon and lingering marzipan. Creamy and warming with layers of mixed fruits, sherry and delicious nutty notes. Well-textured and tasty.
Finish: A medium-long and pleasantly warming finish with stewed fruit, sticky sweet honey, gentle hazelnut, cinnamon and slightly drying oak on the tail.
With water: Even fresher on the nose with lots of fruits and delicate sherry. Increased fruitiness on the palate along with a delicate and warming mix of various spices. The finish is medium in length with a nice harmony of fruits and spice. Very delicate.
Comments: This is an awesome dram with a fantastic complex nose. Great balance of fruitiness and spiciness. A really attractive, beautifully rounded, characterful, and elegant blended malt with a lovely spicy character. Well done!

 

I thank Whisky-Doris (Versandhandel Doris Debbeler) for sample and photograph!


Speyside Hero II 9yo, 2006-2015, The Whisky Chamber
ABV: 59.7%
Region: Speyside
Price per bottle: °°
Bottling: The Whisky Chamber
Cask type: Ex-sherry hogshead (#900199, 276 btl.)


Colour: Dark amber.
Nose: Once you pour this in a glass, lots of sherry catches your nose immediately. There's alcohol of course - almost 60% abv! - but not pungent at all, nougat, toffee and dark chocolate. This is complemented by dried fruit, plums and raisins. Lateron, flavours of toasted bread along with nougat and nutty tones appear. Mouth-watering.
Palate: Surprisingly soft and sweet at the beginning with sherry, brown sugar and nougat before the spiciness hits your tongue. The high alcohol content almost anaesthetises your mouth with subtle plum marmalade coming through. Bold and sticky.
Finish: Medium length and warm finish with a delicate sweetness complemented by prickling spice. Gets drier in the end with nougat, toasted bread, chocolate and lingering hazelnuts.
With water: Increased sweetness and more nougat on the nose with a huge amount of delicate spices on the tongue. Sticks on your tongue for hours with delicious toffee, nougat and nutty flavours. Increasingly mouth-coating.
Comments: A well-rounded, powerful blended malt whisky with a delicate balance of nougat and spice. A perfect after dinner dram. A little water helps to drink one or two drams more.


I thank the German independent bottler The Whisky Chamber for the sample.