Douglas Laing are a Glasgow based company that have been producing independent specialist bottlings of Scotch since 1948. The company, which was started by Douglas Laing, is now run by his son and heir Fred Laing who, in 2013, bought his daughter on board. That makes three successive generations of the Laing family to work at the company, bringing a huge repertoire of whisky knowledge with them. With a growing band of followers worldwide and large stocks of malt built up over the course of decades, Douglas Laing can only go from strength to strength. The company produce a fantastic range of old and rare single malt and grain whiskys, but these come with a price tag that ranges into the high hundreds. This is a fair price but those drams are certainly priced too high for 'everyday' drinking, at least for the majority of us. What I would like to discuss here are the fantastic small batch blended malts that Douglas Laing have been releasing over the last few years. With a new maritime expression that celebrates the Scottish coastal Islands being released a few months ago, I reckoned it would be a good idea to provide some information on the series to date. Each expression picks a singular Scottish whisky area to provide the liquid for the blend. So there is the new Island expression, named Rock Oyster, that blends whisky from Arran, Orkney, Islay and Jura. Then there's the Highland expression which takes it's name, Timorous Beastie, from the literary works of Robert Burns. Next is Scallywag, where single malts from Speyside distilleries are used to best effect to encapsulate the mischievous nature of the Scottish Terrier. Then of course there is the one that started it all, Big Peat, the most widely recognised blend of the series that is made solely from Islay whisky.
So this is the newest expression in the range and was released in early January of this year. As you can tell from the well considered packaging, this whisky certainly has a nautical theme and with good cause. The whisky in this blended malt all hail from the Scottish Islands of Arran, Jura, Islay and Orkney, locales where the originating whisky certainly has a delicious maritime flavour. When you find an oyster you'd be lucky to find a stonking great pearl inside; when you crack open this beauty, you'll be guaranteed a treat that rivals any delicacy to found under the waves. This salty little number has lovely undertones of sweet peat that compliments the maritime notes nicely. I would heartily recommend it to anyone wants to experience what it means to taste an authentic coastal whisky that is bristling with authenticity and flavour. Nose: Salty sea air mixed with peat and barley. Palate: Some salt but more peppery than salty. Peaty notes throughout but reasonably sweet, balancing the maritime character nicely. Finish: The finish is balanced between smoky and sweet with a nice lingering on the palate and throat.
This expression was released in September of 2014 and successfully captures the essence of Highland whisky and sticks it in a bottle that is nicely designed and just a little bit cute (look at the little mouse!). That little fella is supposed to be the infamous little mouse from the Rabbi Burns poems 'To A Mouse' but I can assure you this whisky is no timid creature! There's a lot a flavour going on in here and that's not surprising when there's whisky present from acclaimed Highland distilleries such as Glengoyne, Dalmore and Glen Garioch; this marries great creamy, fruity and spicy flavours wonderfully and is a good benchmark of the classic Highland style. Nose: Very sweet at first but you soon get a hit of honey, spice and floral notes. Palate: The spicy nature shines through initially followed by a sugary fruitiness and fudge undertones. Finish: The finish is subtly balanced with a slight sweetness that with a pleasant milkiness.
Released in October 2013, this blend of Speyside malts epitomises the Laings' love of the Scottish Terrier and its character reflects that of the dog it was modeled on. The focus is on the 'sweet' and that is evident judging by the number of sherry cask whiskys contained within; Macallan, Glenrothes and Mortlach are all present here amongst other Speysides. This sweetness is complemented by spice and balanced with vanilla from whisky matured in bourbon casks. The liquid is quite dark, hinted at the richness the whisky possesses. The whole venture came about after the family had a portrait drawn of Binks, the family dog. Unfortunately Binks has since passed away so this is a lovely, and rather tasty, legacy for him to leave behind. Nose: Vanilla and spice, makes the mouth water! Palate: Stewed fruit and Christmas pud, rich and thick with chocolate and cinnamon. Finish: Still fruity with lingering chocolate and zest.
This is the original whisky that started the series and by far the most well known. Captialising on the huge popularity of Islay whisky, Douglas Laing released this blended malt to critical acclaim. Containing whisky from Ardbeg, Cao Ila, Bowmore and the closed distillery of Port Ellen, you'll notice that these are all Islay distilleries. With a blend like that you'll not be surprised to find that this is a very peaty whisky, 40 PPM to be be exact. The dram is smoky but also has a certain approachable sweetness and coastal flavour that balances out nicely. Nose: A hint of salt that develops into damp peat. Palate: Smoky and ashy, tobacco and sweet tar. Finish: Long and strong with salty and smoky notes. As I'm sure you'll agree, there really is something for everyone in amongst that little lot and you'll be pleased to know that they are all under £40. This is a relatively inexpensive way to experiment with the different Scottish whisky regions if you are a novice but also a fine 'everyday' drinking selection of whiskys that are high on quality and character but won't break the bank. Click here for Rock Oyster WhiskyClick Here For Timorous Beastie WhiskyClick Here For Scallywag WhiskyClick Here For Big Peat Whisky