Douglas Laing Blended Malt Roundup: Epicurean, Timorous Beastie, Scallywag, Rock Oyster, Big Peat

Описание: It's been a good long time since I've worked through a brand's sample pack, which is sad because these little 50ml sets are like catnip for me. So here we go, today it's a no-notes review of independent bottler Douglas Laing's series of region-themed Scotch blended malts. Stats:

The Epicurean Lowland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (NAS, bottled circa 2018; non-chillfiltered, 46.2% ABV), 85+/100
Timorous Beastie Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (NAS, bottled circa 2018; non-chillfiltered, 46.8% ABV), 85/100
Scallywag Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (NAS, bottled circa 2018; non-chillfiltered, 46% ABV), 84+/100
Rock Oyster Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (NAS, bottled circa 2018; non-chillfiltered, 46.8% ABV), 84/100
Big Peat Islay Blend Malt Scotch Whisky (NAS, bottled circa 2018; non-chillfiltered, 46% ABV), 86+/100

I feel like a round of applause is necessary here, as this is the first tasting set I've done in a long time that actually over-delivers on what it promises. I'm a bit annoyed that the Caol Ila-heavy Big Peat is the winner - you've had this profile a zillion times, and it still works - but, no question, the overall quality here is extremely high. The Epicurean is almost certainly the best value in Lowland-style Scotch you can buy at this moment in the US; the Beastie takes the rocks-and-aromatics profile of the highlands and adds a dash of peat into it; the Scallywag ticks all the boxes you could want in an entry-level vehicle for sherry casks; even the Rock Oyster (now Rock Island, because I guess some people don't like oysters), while a bit schizophrenic and my least-favorite of the bunch, is totally charming. Never let anyone tell you Scotland doesn't have values anymore.


Extra special thanks to my Different Spirits on Patreon (  / differentspirits  ) -

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