Tasting the best of what Scotland's scotch regions had to offer through Douglas Liang & Co. Remarkable Regional Malts collection. Plus, a sip from a Gordon & Macphail's Craigellachie. What a way to travel!
Jump to:
- Tasting our way around Scotland
- My Tasting Notes
- Douglas Laing & Co. Epicurean
- Douglas Laing & Co. Timorous Beastie
- Douglas Laing & Co. Scallywag
- Douglas Laing & Co. Scallywag 13yr
- Douglas Laing & Co. Rock Oyster
- Douglas Laing & Co. Rock Oyster 18yr
- Douglas Laing & Co. Big Peat
- Gordon & Macphail Craigellachie 19yr Cask Strength
- Another food pairing opportunity
- Final thoughts
- More scotch tasting notes by region
- Comments
It’s not news that Scotland has many different scotch regions, and it’s not news to say that those regions each have their own unique flavor signature.
What is interesting is when the scotch is blended to represent and highlight the best of what each region has to offer, and we get to taste all those regions in one lineup.
That’s what I got to experience at a tasting event from the North Shore Whisky Club.
Tasting our way around Scotland
Joe Swanson presented the Remarkable Regional Malts collection from Douglas Laing & Co. It was a celebration of the map of Scotland.
Douglas Liang & Co gives a nice definition as to what they’re trying to accomplish:
"Blended Malt Scotch Whisky: “Blended Malt” differs from simply “Blended” Whisky in that it contains no Grain Whisky, and is therefore widely considered a superior category.
Our Remarkable Regional Malts … are Blended Malt Scotch Whiskies, combining the spirit from some of the regions’ finest Distilleries to produce the ultimate territorial tastes of Scotland. If a Single Malt is a violin, you might consider a Blended Malt an entire orchestra."
Mission accomplished, I would say.
Rather than my usual tasting notes list, let’s look at the individual scotch regions as represented by each expression. Each description is from Douglas Liang, but the tasting notes are mine.
As an added bonus, Joe brought us an offering from Gordon & Macphail, and it was a real treat, a cask strength Craigellachie 19yr. Yum!
Buckle up…here goes…
My Tasting Notes
Douglas Liang & Co.'s Remarkable Regional Malts Scotch Whisky
Presented by the North Shore Whisky Club, Hosted by Joe Swanson, March 9, 2018
Douglas Laing & Co. Epicurean
46.2% ABV
The Lowland region, encompassing the great cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and the historic Kingdom of Fife, boasts a mild climate of miles of rolling flat farmland and neat woodlands, making The Lowlands an ideal region for growing barley, and, consequently, for producing Whisky. The Lowlands are famous for producing light, traditionally unpeated Whiskies that are renowned for their sweet, grassy notes and gentle style.
Type: Scottish
Keywords: Blended Malt Scotch, Lowland, Scotch, Whisky
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Cotton candy, grassy, peaches, malt grain
- Taste: Grass, cardamom, pepper hits, green apple, light body
- Finish: Spice fades to herbal, mossy
Comments
Light, bright, like spring in a glass. It's very good!
Douglas Laing & Co. Timorous Beastie
46.8% ABV
The Highland region is geographically the largest of Scotland’s Whisky regions, stretching from just north of Glasgow up to Scotland’s northern-most distillery in Orkney. Unsurprisingly, the vast area produces a diverse portfolio of malt whiskies, but the typically “Highland” whisky profile is lightly floral, and sweetly honeyed, with distinct notes of heather from the Highland landscape.
Type: Scottish
Keywords: Blended Malt Scotch, Highland, Scotch, Whisky
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Cooked fruit, raisins, toffee brittle, malted grains, lightly grassy
- Taste: Malted grain, oak, white pepper rises, coriander, oatmeal, medium body, slightly chewy, walnuts
- Finish: The lemon-influence fades to oatmeal
Comments
The sweetness is balanced by oatmeal.
Douglas Laing & Co. Scallywag
46% ABV
The Speyside region is home to over half of Scotland’s Malt Whisky distilleries, more than Islay, the Highlands, the Lowlands and Campbeltown combined. Its rich, wet landscape creates a ripe environment for distilling and maturing Whisky, and Malt Whiskies produced in the Speyside region are typically sweet, sherried and elegant in character.
Type: Scottish
Keywords: Blended Malt Scotch, Scotch, Speyside, Whisky
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Raisins, prunes, clover honey, vanilla, lightly cereal
- Taste: Malted grain, soft entry, buttery, mentholated, thick, pepper goes up the sinuses
- Finish: Menthol left after everything fades, a hint of sherry notes
Comments
A bit misleading - starts cereal buts ends minty. The sherry is subtle.
Douglas Laing & Co. Scallywag 13yr
46% ABV
Type: Scottish
Keywords: Blended Malt Scotch, Scotch, Speyside, Whisky
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Vanilla fudge, slight raisin, oaky, pine
- Taste: Soft and silky, pine, light butterscotch, the nose stays clear
- Finish: Butter, cream, ends on herbs and flowers
Comments
This one is wonderful, so different than the Scallywag NAS (no age statement).
Douglas Laing & Co. Rock Oyster
46.8% ABV
The pedants among you might be aware that "The Islands" is not officially considered one of the Scotch Whisky Regions, as categorised by the Scotch Whisky Association. Whilst we won't dispute that, we do believe that Whisky from the Islands is unique, and so Rock Oyster was created in homage of the sea and its wonderful little pockets of Whisky-producing land. We believe Rock Oyster captures the spirit of Island Whisky in all its salty, citrus, sweet peat and peppery glory.
Type: Scottish
Keywords: Blended Malt Scotch, Orkney, Scotch, Whisky
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Briny, little bit smoky, vanilla, beachy
- Taste: Spicy, seaweed, medium body, bonfire smoke in the distance, lemon
- Finish: Lemon and bone marrow gelatin quality
Comments
The peated element presents like a savory gelatin with brine.
Douglas Laing & Co. Rock Oyster 18yr
46.8% ABV
Type: Scottish
Keywords: Blended Malt Scotch, Orkney, Scotch, Whisky
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Strong brine and smoke, white grape, white chocolate
- Taste: Striking match, mint, sharp, chewy
- Finish: Long finish to brine and mint
Comments
The nose belies the taste, calls to attention!
Douglas Laing & Co. Big Peat
46% ABV
Type: Scottish
Keywords: Blended Malt Scotch, Islay, Peated, Scotch, Whisky
Tasting Notes
- Nose: All briny smoke, beach campfire,
- Taste: Strongly ash, eucalyptus, sooty, lime, medium body, oily, coats the mouth
- Finish: Ash lasts and lasts
Comments
All peat, all the time. It tastes so good!
And the bonus…
Gordon & Macphail Craigellachie 19yr Cask Strength
56.6% ABV, US exclusive
Type: Scottish
Keywords: Cask Strength, Scotch, Single Malt, Speyside, Whisky
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Raisins, heather, grass, barley
- Taste: Hits hard, clover honey, cut grass, oily, chocolate
- Finish: Fades to grass, lingers long and green
Comments
Water mellows the hit and lets the greenness come forward, softly chocolate.
Another food pairing opportunity
Another added bonus was that I provided dessert for the group, Chocolate Cake Balls. They paired deliciously with that Craigellachie. The dark chocolate enhanced the yummy chocolate notes of the dram.
Final thoughts
I really enjoyed exploring Scotland through its scotch regions in one sitting.
Kudos to Douglas Laing & Co. for their Remarkable Regional Malts collection, and many thanks to North Shore Whisky Club for presenting this lineup to us.
Tasting around Scotland - what a great way to travel!
I hope you like this review! If you've tried any of the expressions and have your own tasting notes, please leave a comment. Thanks!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
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