Award Wins and Halo Releases Round Off a Great Year at Douglas Laing & Co.

Leading independent bottler, Douglas Laing & Co, rounds off 2020 with two big award wins and two special bottlings.

The family firm won Bottler of the Year at the Spirits Business Awards while Fred Laing, Chairman at Douglas Laing, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award.

These revered accolades are the result of the firm’s impressive year-on-year double digit growth, flair for innovation and continued enthusiasm to drive this family-owned and run business via Distillery capital expenditure projects and its new bottling facility.

With a philosophy to release Whisky “as natural as it gets”, it’s unsurprising Douglas Laing & Co have chosen to round off 2020 with two exceptional XOP Black Single Cask bottlings. The first of these is a “Sherry bomb” distilled at the Glenrothes Distillery in Speyside. Said to be “as dark as Coca-Cola”, this 1989 Vintage has spent its life maturing in a single Sherry butt. The second release is an XOP Black Single Cask bottling from Teaninich Distillery. Distilled in 1975, this 45 Years Old Single Malt bursts with “notes of buttery oat biscuits, waxy oranges and honeyed barley”.

Commenting on 2020, Douglas Laing’s Chairman, Fred Laing indicated:

“2020 is certainly one we’ll remember for its Covid-related ups and downs. From a strictly business perspective, these recent awards and accolades coupled with some special bottlings are a very positive way to close off what has been an exciting year for the company. We have faced challenges but on the whole it has been a good year at Douglas Laing as we continue to see growth across our core brands, investment in increased capacity at Strathearn Distillery and significant progress with our Glasgow-based distillery, bottling and head office project. Now we look forward to 2021 and what that will bring.”

ABOUT DOUGLAS LAING:

www.douglaslaing.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/douglaslaingwhisky

Instagram: @dlaingwhisky

Douglas Laing & Co. is a leading independent Scotch Whisky distiller, blender and bottler specialising in the selection and release of Single Cask Single and Small Batch Malt Scotch Whiskies.

The company was founded by Fred Douglas Laing in 1948 and is still owned and run by the Laing family – Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara Laing.

The company philosophy is to bottle the way the distiller intended – at a high strength and without chill filtration to preserve the robust and unique character of the Whisky. Douglas Laing’s industry reputation and many awards is testament to this ethos.

Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts, the Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions, encompasses The Epicurean Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky, Timorous Beastie (Highlands), Scallywag (Speyside), The Gauldrons (Campbeltown), Rock Island (from the Islands) and Big Peat (Islay). Beyond its Blended Malts expertise, the award-winning Douglas Laing portfolio also includes Provenance, Premier Barrel, Old Particular and XOP, collectively known as the firm’s “Exceptional Single Casks”.

We’re getting ever closer to Christmas Day, but we still have time to share one last special gift – three indulgent new bottlings from our rare Vaults Collection.

Featuring classic and timeless examples from three member-favourite distilleries, these expressions will bring you a moment of nostalgia from Christmases gone by.

Aged to perfection and truly one of a kind, these drops of whisky history are not to be missed. They are limited in number and we expect them to be in high demand so all bottles are limited to one per member. For those who take one home, we encourage you to pop the cork and enjoy it with loved ones, please do not resell it at auction.

Chewy flavours prowled around dark malted rye bread covered with marmalade, nutmeg and molasses before hot cross buns fell victim to banana flambé. The careful addition of water delivered a sophisticated selection of sweet pipe tobacco, golden syrup and buttered fruit scones supporting marzipan, soft leather and spearmint spice. Finally came a wicked amalgamation of sultanas and ginger cake before tea leaves and sandalwood left a lasting impression.

DISCOVER MORE

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Send a ‘Message in a Bottle’

Can’t be there in person? Our ‘Message in a Bottle’ service allows you to add a video message to selected single malts, completely free of charge. Upon receiving their dram, the whisky fan in your life will be able to scan a QR code that will reveal your video message – a truly personal touch!

Add a Message in a Bottle ›

New Release: The Likely-Final, Limited Batch of a Bourbon Bestseller

Doc Swinson’s 15 Year Old “Rare Release Batch #9” K&L Exclusive Exploratory Cask Series

Nonchillfiltered Small Batch Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($149.99)

“…the simple fact of the matter is that no other bourbon on the market can offer everything that Docs does at this price.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L SoCal Spirits Buyer

For time-sensitive bottles this December, please get your orders in early. Thanks and happy holidays! We appreciate your business. NOTE: Our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have curbside pickup and low cost (often free) delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

Here it is, what is likely the final batch in an incredible run of 15-year-old bourbons from Doc Swinson’s. Those who were lucky enough to enjoy the previous releases will know that these bourbons are utterly fantastic. While the original source remains unknown—is it Beam, Heaven Hill, Barton, or some other distiller?—what is known is that they are about as deliciously engaging as they come. This fourth in the series is every bit as compelling as its predecessors and is one of the sharpest values one can find in collectible bourbon. If you haven’t had a chance to taste these inspired bottlings, then you must give this rendition a spin. You’ll understand instantly why the previous casks have sold out in record time. With collectible bourbon priced into the stratosphere, it is a real boon to find a bottling this special for just under $150. We expect our allocation will disappear in short order, so time is of the essence in securing this rare treasure.

Doc Swinson’s 15 Year Old “Rare Release Batch #9” K&L Exclusive Exploratory Cask Series Nonchillfiltered Small Batch Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) (Pre-Arrival) ($149.99) —This product is expected to arrive for shipment or pickup by Thursday, December 31, 2020.

Doc Swinson’s has become an absolute sensation in the bourbon world. The skeptics have been silenced and countless bourbon lovers have fallen in love with their exceptional exploratory cask 15 year. It would be negligent not to mention that for those paying attention, the first batch of 15 year old (batch #6) has now become a serious collector’s item. Its successors, batches #7 & #8, sold at record speeds and have been received with equal gusto by aficionados and amateurs alike. Amazingly, our friends at Docs have secured this new batch of 15 year. It’s the same exact bourbon as the first three batches. As the supplier for this bourbon is extremely concerned with the preventing its source from being disclosed, the 29 barrels that went into this excellent small batch bourbon were dumped in KY before being trucked in inert containers to Washington for bottling. This batch was slightly larger than the last three at 4200 bottles, an increase of 240 bottles/two barrels. The gorgeous truth about these awesome bourbons is that each batch has its own amazing character built around an amazing core of classic flavors. Expect a richly-textured, mature bourbon character with aromas of leather, baking spice, brandied cherries, chocolate and fresh wintergreen. Perfect balance between sweet and savory on the palate with a long warming finish. Sadly, according to the bottler, this is the last of these 15 years, although they assure us they’re pushing for more. We’re prayin’ they succeed.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 08, 2020

Another delicious batch of Doc Swinson’s is here, unbelievably. They’ve said this is the final batch and there isn’t more in the pipeline currently. I’m praying they’re wrong. In any case, these last three batches of Docs have been extremely well received. I suspect each bourbon lover will have their favorite batch, but ultimately after tasting them multiple times together, it’s really hard to pick a front runner. There are plenty of similar qualities but each batch is different, which is the gorgeous beauty of true small batch bourbon. One thing that’s not in question is that the quality across the board is undeniable. I’m still not able to convincingly determine the source. The smart money seems to be on Beam at this point, but many have speculated it’s Heaven Hill and I was certain the first batch tasted like Barton. In any case, the simple fact of the matter is that no other bourbon on the market can offer everything that Docs does at this price point. While it’s certainly not inexpensive, there’s inherent value in what these guys are doing, and considering we’ve sold over 2500 bottles across the various batches, it seems that many, many people agree with that assessment. Let’s have a taste: the nose here has big roasted pecans and caramelized sugar. This builds toward cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean. The palate is heavy and rich (probably the thickest feeling of the three recent batches) and has tons of sweet oak. The spices taking over in the middle are kept at bay by the rich nutty sweetness toward the finish. I’m still unable to determine which batch I like best. It seems to depend on my mood. That said, it doesn’t really matter. They’re all excellent and remain a complete anomaly in a category that seems to ubiquitously ask us to fight for every bottle – the most beautiful thing about Docs is that it’s here – until, of course, it’s not.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 356: Talisker Distillery Exclusive 2007

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a distillery exclusive from Skye. As long as there is a pandemic, Mark will continue his online whisky tastings, the so-called WhisQy Masterclasses. WhisQy with the Q of Quarantine of course. They are quite popular which makes him happy, for it allows him to share drams and stories despite the crisis. In the fifth edition Mark presented a line-up of Talisker which included this Distillery Exclusive from 2017. Some 6.000 bottles were released  and the label reveals the following: ‘First matured in refill oak casks, then specially charred American Oak hogsheads, before finally maturing in old European Oak puncheons’.

https://youtu.be/ayf5FJkBt7c

A missing link on Orkney

Wideford distillery – Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Wideford distillery was located about two miles from Kirkwall on the slopes of Wideford Hill and on the Burn of Hatston, which was likely its water source. Wideford was licensed to Mr W. Traill in 1813 and he distilled there until its closure in 1825. In 1825 it closed, cannee find much info about it. A missing whisky link to our past, has anyone got more details of this lost distillery?

What I did find; Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn – built some 5,000 years ago on an artificial terrace on a steep hillside. It’s placed in a location with views out across Wide Firth and other Orkney islands. The nearby Cuween Hill chambered cairn is also visible. The cairn was intentionally in-filled during prehistory, though when and by whom is unknown, it had been opened and robbed of any contents before any antiquarians were able to investigate it in the 1800s. Its layout comprises: a narrow entranceway, a central chamber, with side walls reaching almost 3m in height, three complex side cells. Today entrance from the cairn is no longer through the low, narrow passage. Visitors now have to enter by descending through a modern roof. Part of the original roof survives and the large lintels forming the passage’s roof and the cells were constructed with architectural expertise, think about that, built so long ago, who had the brains?. The form and architectural techniques here are similar to Maeshowe. On the tomb walls there are still rare examples of Neolithic art. The presence of such imagery reinforces the relationship between tombs such as Wideford Hill and other settlements such as Skara Brae, where similar marks have been found. The Wideford Cairn faces west and as such is bathed in the light of the setting sun from the end of February. The entrance to the cairn is very low and small, unlike Maeshowe’s grand entrance to welcome the light of the midwinter sunset. The name “Wideford” probably comes from the Norse “vide-fjord” referring to the hill’s proximity to the stretch of sea known as the Wide Firth.

A few miles to the west, and facing the Wideford Hill tomb, is the Cuween Hill cairn. The name “Cuween” derives from the Old Norse, “kúa-eng”, meaning “Cattle Pasture”. The current spelling of the name “Cuween” is a fairly recent corruption. In the early years of the 20th century the hill was still written as “Kewing”, in common with other “Kewing” placenames in Orkney. Like many others in Orkney, the Cuween Cairn was thought to be the home of fairies. As a result, the local name for the cairn was simply “The Fairy Knowe.”  Building a chambered cairn required considerable effort. Working only with stone tools, the Neolithic craftsmen erected structures that are estimated to have taken between 10,000 and 100,000 man-hours to complete. The sheer manpower required for the structures confirms their significance to the Neolithic people of Orkney. Stone blocks and flagstones had to be quarried, often from sites some distance from the site of the cairn, and where the chambers were cut into hills, such as Cuween, the main chamber had to be carved from solid bedrock before work on the roof could begin.The builders’ work, even by today’s standards is impressive. Their drystane walls are neat and level and the interiors today, after many thousands of years, are still stable and dry.

Orkney-Cromarty cairns: These are made up of a single long chamber, divided into stall-like “compartments” by stone uprights, found in Orkney and the Scottish mainland. Although the Orkney-Cromarty tombs do not have side cells, a few hybrid chambers, such as Unstan in Stenness, have incorporated them in their designs.  Maeshowe-type Cairns: This style is unique to Orkney. The tombs have one main central chamber that is reached by a low, long entrance passage. One, or more, side chambers branch of from the main central chamber. Regarding the Maeshowe-style cairns, their construction, with larger, well-cut and fitted stones, is more monumental.

Firstly a big hello to all our lovely customers.  We hope you have been keeping well.  Things have been quiet our end but most importantly we just hope everyone is keeping safe and as positive as can be in this time.

We couldn’t not release something for Christmas and came across a leaking cask so we have a very special low run of Laphroaig 2006. Just in time for Christmas we are pleased to offer this extremely low run of Laphroaig.  Due to a leaking cask only 48 bottles were saved.  We are lucky we spotted in it time for this short run bottling! Aged for 14 Years old this Laphroaig has gained a good colour naturally from it’s bourbon barrel, especially because the liquid was very concentrated.  Beautiful bourbon flavours along with classic Islay peat and a strength that a dropped to 40.3% makes for a superb dram.

– Laphroaig 2006  –
Aged 14 Years

Distilled 14.8.2006 – Bottled 16.8.2020 – 40.3%vol – Cask No. 01 – 48 bottles

£90

Click here to buy

Bartels Whisky

4 The Old Glebe

Loughborough, LecLE12 8LB

United Kingdom

Free, Next Day Delivery.
(order before 12pm)

TyndrumWhisky.com’s

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

For our 12th day, originally for travel retail, but we know how hard they’ve been hit this year, We understand this retails around £110 in ‘Airport venues’.

NOW ONLY £60

We’ll keep all our deals of Christmas open until the stock is finished, even if you miss the previous day,

Dalmore – Order Now >

Celebrate the festive season in style! The latest drams to drop at whiskyshop.com are the perfect tipples to toast Christmas, Hogmanay and Chinese New Year.

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