Douglas Laing releases new bottlings

The esteemed independent bottler Douglas Laing has announced the release of a number of exciting new bottlings. From the official press release …

“…twelve (12) from PROVENANCE, seven (7) from DIRECTOR’S CUT together with one (1) release from DOUBLE BARREL”

Tasting Notes for PROVENANCE:

PRV0983 Ledaig 7 years Massively peated as it opens on the nose- with a real ferry engine room character! – say no more. Truly sweet on the palate – with a more subtle phenolic approach, hinting at coal dust and late tar, then its finish is toffee sweet plus a coal cellar and distinctly spiced character.

PRV0982 Laphroaig 10 years Oily rags, with a pelagic backdrop of warm sandy be aches, rock pools, coal dust and summer tar entrance the nose softly. Palatewise – it opens (misleadingly) soft and sweet then warms up to peated barley, bonfire ash, iodine and more of that same tarry character …. much of the same on the finish- plus some creosote for good measure!

PRV0989 Glenlivet Sherry 11 years Self evidently Sherried in colour and on its early nosing – then expect burnished wood, sweet syrup pl us prunes and late barley. Palatewise the Sherry is still there plus raisins, cloves and generally succulent spices. The finish continues with those same spices – now with treacle and late camphor.

PRV0976 Dufftown 13 years A soft and gently spiced aroma opens the nose before it rounds up to warm toffee, vanilla, banana and an oat-y quality. Catch a bigger palate – than the nose suggests – now more citrusy with dark sweetly stewed fruit and more vanilla – all nicely replicated on the fin ish too.

(F) PRV0987 Benrinnes Sherry 14 years The nose opens in a citric, vanilla and cedarwood style – warming to toasted oats. Palatewise expect a big round Sherry mouthful with light oak, toffee and soft camphor flavours – its finish being sweetly spiced, carrying a herbal quality to its Malty character.

(F) PRV0980 Glen Ord 14 years Opens in a floral and fragrant style on the nose – with herbs and barley warming through. The palate is clean with loads of sweet honey, citrus and Malt all apparent – and re-appearing on the finish plus a wee peppery bite within its spicy range of flavours.

PRV0990 Highland Park Refill Sherry 14 years Dark and flavourful as the nose opens – spiced, “be achy” with liquorice – demerara sugar, oats and crushed sugar. Palatewise – it is BIG, citric, spiced carrying more sugar, tobacco, toffee and Malt – al rather neatly replicated on its equally big finish.

PRV0991 Dailuaine Sherry 15 years Carries a crunched sugar sweet nose initially – opening further to old fashioned hairdressing smells and autumnal fruit with barley hues. The palate is citric – carrying mixed peel, liquorice and warming spices – running to a barley sugar inspired finish with a twist of tobacco and more citrus.

PRV0975 Clynelish 15 years Spiced hard candy sweeties! open on the nose – then detect bananas, vanilla custard, and a barley sweetness. Palatewise it is initially soft building to sweet juicy, gristiness, oak, toffee and crushed sugar – some of each also apparent on the now drier – dark chocolate -style of finish.

PRV0978 Glen Keith 15 years Butterscotch and vanilla caramel nicely open on the nose – warming later to more of a grassy – perhaps liquorice – style. A real sweet palate displays sugars, fruits, coffee, honey and barley – which all come through on the finish plus an intriguingly warming cough drop style.

PRV0984 Linkwood 15 years Hits big on a crisp nose with honey, barley, coffee and soft woody notes all apparent. On the palate detect (beyond a little hint of smoke) cooked apples, more barley, muscovado sugar, dried peel and mocha flavours. Catch them all again – plus camphor cough drops on the finish.

PRV0985 Macallan 15 years The nose opens smoothly – sweet and fragrant, and runs to a honeyed mellowness with a lightly spiced quality. The palate is predominantly sweet, in the barley style – with crushed sugar, fruit salad and honey comb. Now those same flavours – plus vanilla fudge- appear on the finish.

DIRECTOR’S CUT Tasting Notes:

DIR0043 Caol Ila 15 years Nose: Opens with a distinct smoked meat character + a briny & smoky beach bonfire style + peat Palate: Surprisingly sweet – carrying tobacco ash – dark chocolate + a charred BBQ’d meat style Finish: Long – balancing the smoky & sweet character with a lingering soft tar character

DIR0041 Imperial 17 years Nose: Opens clean & fresh – developing to barley sugar + plus a spicy fruit character Palate: Mellow and softly spiced – running to a poached autumnal fruit quality Finish: Medium long – the fruity, spicy character now runs to a sweet, butterscotch style.

DIR0040 Glen Ord 21 years Nose: Interestingly herbal – spiced – sugar sweet & barley’d Palate: Juicy – still herbal & spiced – now with coconut & chocolate. Finish: Long and intriguing – replicates the palate + muscovado sugar? (F) DIR0046 Strathisla 21 years Nose: Opens with a fresh & floral quality – sweetly spiced – running to honeycomb & cream Palate: Opens with a vanilla & fruit character – running to sweet spices + a soft citric character Finish: Medium long – still sweetly spiced – developing to chocolate, toffee + an oak tang.

DIR0045 Glencadam 35 years Nose: Herbal + sweet + dry complexities – sugary + malt tones. Palate: Mouthcoatingly/sweet spiced – then malt/vanilla/honey. Finish: Initially dry – running to mocha + nutmeg & soft oak. (F) DIR0050 Port Dundas 35 years Nose: Big – full & sweet – hints at oak plus an obvious vanilla/honey combination. Palate: Equally full/mouthcoating + a citric tang + a vanilla/maple/caramel twist Finish – continues its sweet route – surprisingly long + spices and butterscotch.

DIR0044 Ben Nevis 45 years Nose: Bees wax on polished wood – sweetly spiced + late vanilla & a toffee’d fruit quality Palate: Opens with chocolate praline – developing to macerated oranges + sweet, spicy toffee & soft oak Finish: All replicated on the medium long finish – still sweet, now carrying a spicy tang

The one DOUBLE BARREL bottling – DBS0041 -is Ardbeg /Glenrothes – the 9th release of this popular “marriage”.

If you would only have one, which would you choose?

Douglas Laing of Glasgow is one of our favorite companies.

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Check out their fun and always interesting website. http://www.douglaslaing.com/