Our latest new bottlings comprised of eleven (11) from the OLD MALT CASK, three (3) of the CLAN DENNY Old Grains (in its new livery) with one from OLD & RARE, the fourth batch of BIG PEAT (who is currently setting the Islay heather alight!) and one last Anniversary bottling “For The Road”.

Tasting notes follow:

The OLD MALT CASK Tasting Notes follow:

OMC 1786 HIGHLAND PARK 12 YEAR OLD
Nose: Fresh & clean + toffee + stewed strawberries + liquorice
Palate: Opens sweet, still fresh, runs to light smoke and tobacco
Finish: Short but complex with gentle smoke and a maritime style (J)

OMC 1799 Mortlach 12 YEAR OLD
Nose: Sweet with stewed fruit & home baking + rhubard crumble (?)
Palate: More stewed fruit, now with an interestingly spicy character.
Finish: Medium long, remains sweet & fruity, carries to nuts & plums (J)

OMC 1793 BEN NEVIS 13 YEAR OLD WINE FINISHED
Nose: Carries syrup, lemon sherbet and macerated fruit.
Palate: Citric, syrupy and spiced + vanilla fudge and light smoke.
Finish: Spicey sweet, peppery, with more smoke/more spice (F)

OMC 1785 LAPHROAIG 13 YEAR OLD
Nose: Sweet & smoky. Honey on burnt toast + a maritime quality
Palate: Opens sweetly runs quickly to peat smoke, tar and creosote
Finish: Long with damp bonfire ashes, iodine and more peat smoke (J)

OMC 1780 GLENLIVET 13 YEAR OLD SHERRY
Nose: Barley sugar + macerated mandarins + soft sweets
Palate: Round + sweet spices, orange zest + dark chocolate
Finish: A spicy oak character + an orange tang linger on (J)

OMC 1787 GLENLIVET 17 YEAR OLD
Nose: Clean, spicy and gristy. Lightly citric (+ pomade?)
Palate: Nicely replicates the palate + toffee/sugared butter
Finish: Well balanced and subtle – replicating nose and palate. (F)

OMC 1788 MACALLAN 19 YEAR OLD RED WINE FINISH
Nose: Opens with a baked quality + red fruit & cream + soft leather
Palate: Overall fresh & fruitily sweet + cream & fruit character returning
Finish: Medium long – still sweet, gristy, with a red fruit tang (J)

OMC 1779 CRAGGANMORE 20 YEAR OLD
Nose: Opens with vanilla + fruit, develops to strawberry + cream
Palate: Round, still sweet runs to ripe peaches and soft spices
Finish: Medium long, remains fresh and fruity + more vanilla (J)

OMC 1791 HIGHLAND PARK 26 YEAR OLD SHERRY
Nose: Fruity and spiced initially. It runs to clean and dry ozone.
Palate: Hallmarked “sherry” it becomes lightly smoked, spiced and drier.
Finish: Carries barley sugar, cough sweets and more spices. (F)

OMC 1792 GLEN GRANT 34 YEAR OLD
Nose: Barleyed and toffee’d with buttered sugar and citrus.
Palate: Initially light – running to spices, syrup and honey.
Finish: Distinctly smoked + more toffee, sugar and spices. (F)

OMC 1778 BLAIR ATHOL 35 YEAR OLD
Nose: Old fashioned sweetshop: polished wood, cedar, mixed fruit caramels
Palate: Complex, round, sweet + mouthcoating spices + stewed caramelized fruit.
Finish: More spices + burnt caramel on fruit: a “tarte tatin” character. (J)

The OLD & RARE Tasting Note follows:

OAR 0080 BRORA 28 YEAR OLD SHERRY
Barley sugar sweet initially on the nose – it then runs citrically fruited, spicy, and displays some of its Sherry cask heritage – lightly oaked – plus something interestingly oceanic. Palate wise it carries some
desiccating salt – yet is backed by that same earlier barley and fruit, plus a tobacco – and – mocha character. That all runs to a massivly sweet, spicy and warming style, with a light peated quality. (F)

The CLAN DANNY (OLD GRAIN) Tasting Notes follow:

DEN 0026 NORTH BRITISH 30 YEAR OLD
Discover vanilla tablet with a light smoky character on the nose. The palate opens oily, with Chinese spices, then a sweet and nutty style develops to caramelised fruit and butter. The finish is long for a Grain with soft sweet spices and orange zest. (J)

DEN 0027 NORTH OF SCOTLAND 35 YEAR OLD
This is fresh with macerated fruit, interesting spices plus sweet toffee/milky coffee and vanilla on the nose. Rich spices and flambee’ed oranges run on the palate with a hint of smoke and leather. On the medium long finish, detect a zesty orange tang and a burnt caramel sweetness. (J)

DEN 0029 INVERGORDON 44 YEAR OLD
Amazing attractive sweetness appearing on the nose with banoffee pie, creamy caramel flan and rich vanilla. The palate is spicy, still sweet with almonds and a coffee liqueur style. The finish is not so long but deliciously round with caramelized oranges. (J)

North of Scotland 1975 35yo
The Tasting Notes for Anniversary “One for the Road” Bottling of Speyside’s Finest 18 Year Old (Wine finished): are for information only as they do not appear on the label. Nose : Gristy sweet with barley sugar and black cherries
Palate: Warmingly spiced, chewy, with sweet leather – a mulled wine character. Finish: Long and dry – still spicy with an oak tang (J)

Best wishes
Fred Laing

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