Douglas Laing Glen Keith tasting Notes

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Keith 1993 (20 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLP0025/ DL9953

Dist: Jul 1993 Btl: Aug 2013/ Tasted: Sept 2013

The aromas are quite light with mature, fleshy spiced apple and pear. Quite malty with a pleasant depth. Hints of smoke and dunnage floors appear and with time a touch of toffee, orange and light spice emerge.

The palate is quite light, like the nose but deep, with malty mature fruit, spice, toffee and hints of barley and white pepper. The middle sort of comes out of nowhere with a wave of peppery spice which lingers through to the end. Now the spirit starts to show some complexity with burnished honey, mature apricot, warm slightly woody spice and a suggestion of mint. The toffee’d oak returns in the after-taste.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Kieth 1993 (21 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0205/ DL10793

Dist: Sept 1993 Btl: May 2015/ Tasted: July 2015

A beautifully mature nose of sawdusty oak, malt and dark fruit. Hints of fennel, white liquorice, dried grass and creamy vanilla. With time a touch of grass and berry fruits appears along with a touch of honey.

The palate is full and mature, opening with the dusty oak and vanilla, followed by honey, malt and light treacle. Gently spiced middle with hints of straw and citrus. Crisp, intense, mineral finish with lingering oak and a lovely spicy fade.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Keith 1995 (21 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0414/ DL11647

Dist: Nov 1995 Btl: Mar 2017/ Tasted: Aug 2017

A wonderfully mature nose that displays a Cognac-esque rancio of apple and apricot and hints of cinnamon, rye-like herbs, mint, liquorice, creamy oak, brandy butter and subtle, grippy oak tannins.

The palate displays crystallised apricot, apple and some lovely, mature oak. The oak becomes quite creamy but the alcohol balances it well. Delicate barley and Cognac-eque dried fruit middle. Long, citric and slightly herbal finish with lime and lingering oak. Again, superbly balanced.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Keith 1996 (21 year old) 51.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0546/ DL12198

Dist: Aug 1996 Btl: Nov 2017/ Tasted: Dec 2017

A dark and malty nose with toasted oak and cereal. Quite spicy as well – cinnamon and clove scented dark fruit and dark honey. Superbly mature.

The palate is awash with dark, macerated fruit, cinnamon, pepper and malt. Fantastically deep and continuing malty on the middle. with a subtle citrus/ citrus note to add a freshening touch. Lightly herbal and tartly citric finish but the returning dark honey balances. Slightly dusty spiced and mentholated after-taste.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Keith 1996 (21 year old) 51.5%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: OLD0597/ DL12575

Dist: Aug 1996 Btl: May 2018/ Tasted: Sept 2018

The nose displays some pleasant maturity with toffee, coffee, heather and a thread of astringent gooseberry. A touch of dusty barley and chamomile appears, but the stringent citric notes dominate.

The nose is fuller and oakier with coffee, malt and slightly drying but chocolaty tannins. Like the nose there is a thread of astringent green citrus fruit along with a light metallic note. Crisp, intense, citric finish with finally a subtle honeyed sweetness starting to show, but it really is all about the citrus.

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Kieth 1993 (18 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2092/ Dist: Sept 1993 Btl: Nov 2011/ Tasted: Nov 2011

A stunning nose of brittle, hard edged barley with fleshy citrus and melon fruit aplenty. With time the exuberantly creamy oak barrels in (forgive the pun) liberally endowing the nose with some delightful Madeira-esque finish baked shortbread. Superb maturity and with time a slight perfumed note appears.

The palate is quite oily with the granity hard barley and honey showing first followed by oodles of citrus and melon, wrapped in the most delightful soft honey imaginable. The middle has a distinct earthy, bourbon like character and the spices build wonderfully. Good grief those spices are running rampant now! – It’s become a veritable spice monster!. Lovely length with the honey and oak lingering.

The oak and the spirit are beautifully balanced and very evocative. The finish displays and almost rye like nip and it could almost be an American/ Scottish hybrid. Truly superb!

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Keith 1993 (18 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2133/ DL7963

Dist: Sept 1993 Btl: Dec 2011/ Tasted: Jan 2012

A pleasantly fresh and citrusy nose with plenty of creamy oak, but also a touch of burnt caramel.

The palate is oily and quite creamy, with oodles of pure, buttery oak which builds, and builds, and, well you get the idea. Good length with some gristy, herbal notes in the finish.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Glen Kieth Tasting Notes

Scotch Malt Whisky Society 81.13 ‘Toffees rolled in Ash’  1994 (12 year old) 61.5%

Bourbon/ Dist: Feb 1994 Btl: Dec 2006/ Tasted: Sept 2007

Great nose! Full of beguiling honied citrus fruit and herbs. Very complex, showing some maturity – liquid honey, dusty spices and icing sugar coated fruits along with a touch of earthy peat. Wonderful stuff! Water emphasises the spicy vanilla and butter aromas.

The palate is soft and full of apricot fruit, liquid honey and vanilla. Lovely complexity, the orange/ tangerine fruits develop on the tongue along with the dried spices. A drop of water makes this divine! The fruit becomes wonderfully soft and there is cinnamon and dried spices by the bucketful! Lovely long finish with the soft vanilla and crème brulee notes lasting and an almost Chenin Blanc like after taste. Water brings out a touch of mineral hardness.

Dewar Rattray Glen Keith Tasting Notes

Dewar Rattray Glen Keith 1992 (17 year old) 59.7%

First fill (?) Bourbon cask 120548/ Dist: 1992 Btl: 2009

Superb depth and weight to the nose. Oodles of sawdusty honey, dried fruits, violets and a serious degree of mature caramel/vanilla oak. You could almost be forgiven for thinking it’s a Bourbon or old grain but the lack of a grainy/ rye nip discounts that assertion. I like this!

The palate is soft and oaked (surprise!) full of pure vanilla’d dried fruits. Luscious, rich and honeyed with the alcohol masking but adding an almost botanical freshness. Again the comparisons with an old grain would be very apt.

Water doesn’t make much of an impact on the oak, maybe moving it in a more toffee/ coffee direction, it also lessens the honey and emphasises the botanicals. Whilst on the palate the gristy barley and honey comes to the fore and my that is a big peppery middle! Lovely length and a seriously robust mouthful.

Now yes you could argue that I bang on about the balance of wood to spirit, and certainly with regard to Sherry casks, and yes you could argue that the balance of this is tilted more to the wood side of things, but I would say that the interest here is how much it resembles an old grain whisky……and…….well I like it!

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glen Keith 1993 (19 year old) 55.4%

Bourbon Hogshead  97114/ Dist: Jul 1993 Btl: Aug 2012/ Tasted: Sept 2012

A lovely deep and aromatic nose, exuding sweet barley and fruit. There’s a slight peaty note hanging around along with hints of rose petal marc, dunnage and American oak.

The palate opens with some crystalised fruit, sweet barley and hints of dunnage floors. Pleasantly mature and piquant. Very long with the peat become rather sweet and slightly oily on the finish. Really impressive depth.

With water the nose becomes very juicy, redolent of Satsuma and orange. Very fragrant now with a beautiful liquid quality to the fruit. Now showing more maturity an the oak adds notes of tobacco and coffee- spices. The citrus also shows on the palate, lightly sweetened and intertwined with the sweet barley. Like the nose the oak comes through with a large dollop of coffee-spice. Ending with a gently protracted finish.

MacPhail’s Glen Keith Tasting Notes

Gordon & MacPhails ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ Glen Kieth 1993 (17 year old) 46%

Refill American Hogshead/ Dist: Set 1993 Btl: Feb 2011/ Tasted: Dec 2015

Ozone with hints of barley, honey and apricot. A touch of straw-like fruit comes through along with a touch of green citrus and creamy oak.

The palate displays plenty of oak – creamy toffee and hints of apricot and citurs. Quite drying on the middle. Good length with the citrus coming through on the finish. The after-taste is a little hard and bitter.

Gordon & MacPhail ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ Glen Keith 1967 (36 year old) 46%

Sherry/ Dist: 1967 Btl: 2003/ Tasted Mar 2004

Rich, sherried aromas of earth, nuts, dried fruit of the cognac persuasion and toffee with a lively spirity edge. Sweet and smooth, full of sherried fruit along with hints of earth, tobacco, and spice. A big, full flavoured, muscular dram with a long length.