Douglas Laing & Co. Unveils New Scallywag Noir Limited Edition Bottling

Following the success of its award-winning Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky range, independent Scotch Whisky specialist Douglas Laing & Co. proudly introduces Scallywag Noir, an extraordinary limited-edition release designed to captivate the senses and embrace the allure of darkness.

Scallywag Noir is predominantly finished in Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks sourced from Jerez, in the Andalusian region of southern Spain. This rich cask influence is said to “impart deep velvety sweetness, dark fruits, and warming spices “creating an indulgent and complex whisky experience. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 52.8% ABV, without chill-filtration or added colouring, Noir embodies the signature bold and unfiltered character of the Scallywag range.

Encased in a premium gold-foiled carton and featuring a brand-new bespoke-shaped front label, this release brings a fresh yet luxurious aesthetic to the beloved Scallywag family.

On the nose, Scallywag Noir is said to offer “a symphony of deep velvety sweetness, dark fruits, and warming spices. Each sip reveals an enigmatic complexity, with whispers of dark chocolate, spiced oak, and sherry-soaked raisins unravelling on the palate. The long, lingering finish is utterly indulgent, delivering notes of molasses, ripe figs, and black cherries.”

Scott Morrison, Senior Brand Manager comments:

“Scallywag has always been about rich, sherried indulgence, and with Noir, we’ve taken this philosophy to the next level. Pedro Ximénez casks lend a deep, dark intensity to the spirit, creating a whisky that is as luxurious as it is complex. Noir is an invitation to venture into the shadows and discover the richer, darker side of Scallywag.”

Scallywag Noir is available at select retailers, whisky specialists, and online at a suggested RRP of £65.00.

(Photo Credit: Hatozaki Whisky)

For the World Traveler:

Hatozaki Whisky Triple Cask Reserve

An original and rare expression, Hatozaki Triple Cask Reserve embodies Master Distiller and Blender Kimio Yonezawa’s vision to create delicate, beautiful world whiskies in the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship. A blend of hand-selected malt whiskies, the liquid is aged first in ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks before finishing for an additional six months in superior Umeshu plum liqueur barrels. This maturation, unique to Triple Cask Reserve, imparts delicate, complex flavors of zesty citrus, refreshing herbal notes like tea, and subtle sweetness. 46% ABV | SRP: $74.99

Photo Credit: Suntory Global Spirits

For the Bourbon Collector:

 Baker’s High-Rye Bourbon

An expression that pays homage to Baker’s trucking business, where he delivered grains to the James B. Beam Distilling Co. During this time, he developed an appreciation for different grains and their influence on whiskey. This high-rye recipe has 2x the standard amount of rye in Baker’s Bourbon and is a continuation of our innovation journey, celebrating Baker Beam and all that he did for our distillery. This liquid is distilled to a 107 proof and barreled and aged for a minimum of 7 years, allowing the bourbon to pull more caramel, dried fruit, and vanilla flavor from the barrel wood.  53.5% ABV | SRP: $74.99

Photo Credit: Suntory Global Spirits

Booker’s Bourbon Batch #1 2025 – “Barry’s Batch”

Named in honor of Barry Berish, former Beam Chairman and CEO and a dear friend to Fred Noe. Barry was a legend at Beam and worked at the company for over 40 years. He passed away last year and thus this batch was named in his honor and memory. “Barry’s Batch” is made up of barrels from four production dates that were aged in 5 different warehouses. The age of the batch is 7 years, 2 months, and 4 days. 62.85% ABV | SRP: $99.99

For the Scotch Enthusiast: 

Bowmore 15 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky    

Bowmore is a pioneering Single Malt Scotch house and the oldest licensed distillery on Islay; refining its craft for over 240 years, and still to this day. A rich, bright and complex Bowmore single malt whisky aged for 15 years in American oak ex-bourbon casks and sherry-seasoned European oak casks. Care and attention to detail is what creates the signature balance of light peated smoke, combined with rich fruit and sea salt which is so characteristic of the timeless house style. 43% ABV | SRP: $100.00

Photo Credit: Suntory Global Spirits

 Laphroaig Elements 2.0 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Launched in 2023, the Element Series is the culmination of blending traditional whisky-making with new, progressive distillation techniques. The second addition to their Elements Series, Elements 2.0, disrupts the typical 55-hour fermentation process, increasing it to 115 hours. The resulting product, a bold whisky with emphasized notes of fruit, while maintaining Laphroaig’s iconic peaty character.  59.6% ABV | SRP: $165.00

Mannochmore 2009 15 Year Old Loch Do!!

A fine malt, distilled in 2009 and patiently rested in two knackered, plain oak refill hogsheads for 15 years. As golden hued as a Spring dawn with a rich, fruity taste. Savour the smoothness and the intensity and the intense smoothness in this Decadent Drams small batch bottling which has been done at natural cask strength.

£85.00

Discover the hidden complexities and whisky flavours complexly hidden in this uniquely normal and naturally coloured whisky. Warning: May contain natural colour malt whisky with high traces of distillery character. One of only 254 bottled produced.

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

Why Do Scotch Whisky Distilleries Have Pagoda Roofs?

It began with a sketch in 1889 and ended up transforming the whisky world. In this new blog post, Master of the Quaich Gavin D. Smith uncovers the story of Charles Doig, the visionary architect behind Scotch whisky’s most recognisable feature. Discover how one man’s design reshaped distilleries across Scotland and helped define the Speyside style.📖 Read the Post

ralfy review 1080 Extras – Taking care of Auction/Vintage Bottles

The Antiquary reveals its selection of classic blended whiskies for Father’s Day 

Highland distiller Tomatin has recommended three classic expressions from The Antiquary, one of Scotland’s oldest whisky brands, as the ideal gifts for discerning dads this Father’s Day (Sunday 15 June).

Following in the footsteps of The Antiquary’s founders, J&W Hardie, who were known for being innovative for their time, The Antiquary focuses on flavours that appeal to modern drinkers while reflecting the history of the brand and its reputation for offering an unusually high malt content.

Each age-statement blend is presented in luxurious packaging, designed to appeal to dads seeking both style and substance this Father’s Day. The elegant bottles, inspired by antiques of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, accentuate The Antiquary’s vintage style with a modern edge, guaranteeing a gift which will take pride of place in any drinks cabinet.

 The Antiquary 15 Year Old

RRP £45.50 | ABV 40% | 70cl

A blend of fine whiskies married in red wine claret casks from the Bordeaux region of France, The Antiquary 15 Year Old offers mahogany, polished leather, pipe tobacco, candied orange, grilled peaches and cloves on the nose, with rhubarb, tamarind, raspberry coulis and vanilla on the palate, leading into a medium finish with warming fruit jam.

Available from www.tomatin.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers.

The Antiquary 21 Year Old

RRP £96.50 | ABV 40% | 70cl

Imparting its distinctive flavour from tawny port casks sourced from the Symington Family Estates in Portugal, The Antiquary 21 Year Old is a truly special age statement release to gift this Father’s Day.

This exceptional blend presents camphor, hessian, cut hay, burning heather, dark mocha, saffron and vanilla on the nose, with spiced plum, wild strawberries, dark chocolate, charred game and orange on the nose and finishing with sea salt and red fruits.

Available from www.tomatin.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers.

The Antiquary 30 Year Old

RRP £295 | ABV 40% | 70cl

The Antiquary 30 Year Old has been married for more than three years in sherry casks sourced from Jerez, creating hints of passionfruit, mango, grilled pineapple, maple syrup, hints of smoked bacon and aged timber on the nose. Tropical fruit, syrup and rich oak spice are present on the palate, with beeswax, heather honey and a waxy tropical fruitiness on the finish.

Available from www.tomatin.com, Amazon and specialist whisky retailers.

For more Father’s Day inspiration, visit https://tomatin.com.

Tasting notes

Antiquary 15 Year Old

Nose: Mahogany, polished leather, pipe tobacco, candied orange, grilled peaches and cloves.

Palate: Rhubarb, tamarind, raspberry coulis and vanilla.

Finish: Medium with warming fruit jam.

Antiquary 21 Year Old 

Nose: Camphor, hessian, cut hay, burning heather, dark mocha, saffron and vanilla.

Palate: Spiced plum, wild strawberries, dark chocolate, charred game and orange.

Finish: Sea salt and red fruits.

Antiquary 30 Year Old 

Nose: Passionfruit, mango, grilled pineapple, maple syrup, hints of smoked bacon and aged timber.

Palate: Tropical fruit, syrup and rich oak spice.

Finish: Beeswax, heather honey and waxy tropical fruitiness.

The Antiquary is one of Scotland’s oldest whisky brands.

In 1857 John & William Hardie established themselves as wine merchants in a small office and warehouse in Edinburgh. Being small and independent, they were free to experiment. The Victorian boom in Scotch got them curious about blended whisky and so began their quest to create a blend a cut above the rest using their skills as wine merchants to identify the very best whiskies to include in their blended Scotch whisky.

In 1888, using fine and rare malts, they created a blend considered superior to all others. Inspired by a Sir Walter Scott gothic novel – a book redolent with family secrets, stories of hidden treasure and hopeless love – they named it The Antiquary.

Changing ownership throughout the years The Antiquary was eventually purchased by Tomatin in 1996.

Tomatin is located in the Scottish Highlands, 16 miles south of Inverness, and is owned by Japanese company Takara Shuzo International.

It has a proud heritage stretching back to the 15th century when whisky production was likely to be taking place illicitly in the area. Today, it produces some of the finest single malts and blends including Tomatin, The Talisman, Big T, and Cù Bòcan.

In 2022, Tomatin was awarded ‘Scotch Whisky Producer of the Year’ and ‘Outstanding Spirits Producer of the Year’ at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC). Later that year, it was recognised as ‘Sustainable Distillery of the Year’ at Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky 2023, in recognition of its continued contribution to sustainably at the distillery.

Whisky Myths: Peat is Added to Whisky

There are no chunks of peat thrown into the pot when making whisky! In fact, peat itself is not even one of the three raw materials permitted by the Scotch Whisky Regulations. Peat smoke is the permitted additive…. During the malting process, peat can be burnt at the kilning stage to flavour the barley. Flavour compounds (called phenols) from the smoking peat stick to the malted barley, imparting that familiar smoky flavour throughout the production process and into the final product.📖 Read More Myths

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