Hunter Laing Strathclyde Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Sovereign Strathclyde 1990 (25 year old) 51.7%

Bourbon/ Code: SOV2084

Dist: Aug 1990 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: Mar 2016

The nose displays slightly oily rum-like dried sultana and grape with hints of smoky oak, dark chocolate and crisp, invigorating grain notes. With time a touch of sweet vanilla and sweet spices emerge.

The palate opens with the vanilla oak and dried fruit, followed by sweet grain and subtle herbal notes. The crisp grains and dusty chocolate spices come through on the middle. Good length and lightly citric with the crisp grain and sweet oak lingering.

Hunter Laing Sovereign Strathclyde 1991? (25 year old) 54.5%

Code: SOV2100/ Dist ? Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Dec 2016

Aromas of pungent, sweet, toasty, vanilla oak with castor sugar coated dried fruit, berries, earth, syrup and meringue.

The palate opens with vanilla custard and subtle dried fruit. The oak is quite dominant with vanilla and almond. Hints of berries come through on the middle. Long and continuing toasty with lingering dried fruit and the oak slightly bittering at the death.

Hunter Laing Sovereign Strathclyde 1987(?) (30 year old) 50.7%

Bourbon/ Code: SOV2120/ Dist: 1989(?) Btl: 2017(?)/ Tasted: Jan 2018

Quite a dense and perfumed nose with subtle toasty and rye-like herbs. It has an almost malty feel to the aromas with a touch of succulent dried fruit. The oak becomes pleasantly fragrant and sweet with time.

Dense and rich on the palate with dark, dried fruit, brown sugar and like the nose suggests an almost malty character. Hints of liquorice, sweet dried fruit, gritty oak tannins, coconut and peanuts. Long and malty with lingering citrus, dried fruit and toasty oak.

Berry Brothers Strathclyde Tasting Notes

Berry Brothers Collection Strathclyde 2005 (11 year old?) 58.7%

Cask 106491

Tasted: Apr 2016

Nose: High toned, young and herbal. Quite grainy with nose prickling alcohol. With time a semblance of dried fruit and background oak appears.

Palate: Broader with a touch of fleshy fruit and a little more noticeable oak. Overly alcoholic with hints of dried fruit and spice. Water flattens it.

Finish: Short and hot but some sweet dried fruit tries to offset.

Conclusion: Under no circumstances add water, it kills it stone dead!

Douglas Laing Strathclyde Tasting Notes

Douglas Laing ‘The Clan Denny’ Strathclyde 2005 (7 year old) 55.7%

Sherry Finish/ Code: DEN0130/ Dist: Nov 2005 Btl: Mar 2015/ Tasted: Apr 2015

The nose opens with the oily dried fruit and a touch of smoke followed by some fruitcake sherry and light spice.

The palate is soft and unfortunately slightly sulphured with dried fruitcake sherry. It becomes even more sulphured on the middle. Long and softly spice with hints of toffee, but the sulphur is lingering too!

Douglas Laing ‘The Clan Denny’ Strathclyde 1974 (38 year old) 55.5%

Bourbon/ Code: DEN0098/ Dist: Oct 1974 Btl: Mar 2013/ Tasted: Apr 2013

A lighter, more herbal nose than the Cameronbridge showing a distinct roasted, nutty, vanilla character. Stunning depth to the aromas that have a definite Kentucky twist to them. Becoming very perfumed now with spice violets and castor sugar coated, dried, plummy fruit. Juicy and dusty with the grains adding a lovely, balancing nip.

Full an rich on the palate with buckets of milk chocolate coated, darkly honeyed, plummy fruit. It becomes quite toffee’d towards the middle but those nippy grains adroitly counter. So, so, juicy with some lovely, mature, warming spices and just like the nose a distinct nod to Kentucky. The oak is perfectly integrated and quite delicate, allowing the chocolaty spices to run riot on the tongue. Awesome length with a lightly herbal finish.

 

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Douglas Laing Old Particular Strathclyde 2005 (10 year old) Sherry Finished 50.9%

Code: OLD0296/ Dist: Nov 2005 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

The aromas are quite full for its age with plenty of sherry enhanced dried, rummy fruit. Spicy with pepper, sweet honey and hints of green nuts/ wood. Finally an almost agricole-esque medicinal note puts in an appearance.

Full and sweet on the palate with the grainy sherry fruit (raisin, sultana) showing first, followed by a touch of coconut and almond. Subtly spiced with sweet liquorice and a freshening alcohol nip. Good length with lingering spicy fruit and a lightly smoked/ burnt wood after-taste.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Strathclyde 2005 (11 year old) 55.5%

Sherry Butt/ Code: OLD0379/ DL11484

Dist: Nov 2005 Btl: Nov 2016/ Tasted: Feb 2017

Intense, pungent aromas of oily grain and very coffee’d sherry. The sherry notes are quite raw but polished in character. The wood notes continue with tobacco leaves, wood smoke and chocolate but the herbal, rum-like grain fruit just about balances.

The palate opens with the wood, in its coffee’d, tannic, sherried glory. Hints of spice, tobacco and herbas follows. The sherry becomes quite grapey and PX-like on the middle and a little grainy dried fruit can be detected before the sherry returns on the finish. It’s pretty linear, but really entertaining.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Strathclyde 2005 (11 year old) 55.5%

Sherry Butt/ Code: OLD0478/ Dist: Nov 2005 Btl: Aug 2017/ Tasted: Sept 2017

Rich, spicy and sherried nose with the crisp graininess scything through. Hints of treacle, tar, wood smoke and liquorice follow. With time the smoke develops into an almost burnt scrub-like character, al la Balcones Brimstone!

The palate shows more of the grainy dried fruit spirit character with hints of wood smoke. The sherry spices and dried fruit come through on the middle along with the alcohol and burnt scrub notes. Intense, dried fruit and smoke finish. Wow, you have got to love the primal intensity of this grain whisky!

Douglas Laing Old Particular Strathclyde 2005 (11 year old) 55.5%

Sherry Butt/ Code: OLD0478/ Dist: Nov 2005 Btl: Jul 2017/ Re- Tasted: Mar 2018

The nose opens with some soft but crisp grain notes, followed by luscious, moist sherry fruit and hints of brown sugar and toasted nuts. The Oloroso becomes subtly herbal with time and a touch of coffee and burnt toffee appears.

The palate is soft but grainy with dried sherried fruit, coffee and treacle. Good intensity and balance between the crisp grain and the treacle. Finishes quite grainy with background dried fruit and loads of spice.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Strathclyde 1996 (20 year old) 50.6%

Refill Barrel/ Code: OLD0317/ Dist: Apr 1996 Btl: June 2016/ Tasted: July 2016

A nose of oily lemon and fragrant oak. Hints of apple and dried fruit follow.

The palate shows a little more in the way of dried fruit along with a light grainy spirit character and oak. Simple but pleasant with a lingering dried fruit finish.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Strathclyde 1990 (25 year old) 51.5%

Code: OLD0344/ Dist: Aug 1990 Btl: Nov 2016?/ Tasted: Dec 2016

A fresh and aromatic nose of lemon, apricot and high toned dried fruit. Hints of sugared almond, earth, milk chocolate follow. the aromas darken with time as some raisinated fruit appears along with a touch of cigar smoke and very subtle oak.

The palate is fuller and rounder than the nose would suggest. More dried fruit and an almost barley sweetness. Lovely depth with a crisp spiciness at the edges. Long and slightly coconutty as the oak appears, but the finish remains relatively crisp and spicy.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Strathclyde 1990 (26 year old) 55.5%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: OLD0477/ Dist: Aug 1990 Btl: Mar 2017/ Tasted: Sept 2017

Aromas of soft, grainy dried fruit with that obvious column still crispness. Good intensity with oak coming through brining coconut, vanilla and almond notes.

Relatively straightforward but pleasantly deep on the palate with dried fruit and hints of vanilla and coconut. Subtly rummy with a gently spiced middle and a smidge of treacle and darker fruit notes. Long with the lighter sultana dried fruit and oak returning.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Strathclyde 1987 (27 year old) 51.5%

Bourbon/ Code: OLD0217/ Dist: Sept 1987 Btl: July 2015/ Tasted: Aug 2015

Strongly balsamic aromas which almost verge on malt with dark honey and fragrant, dark dried fruit, prune and plum. Quite woody, but the tannins are very soft and add to the overall darkness of the nose. With time hints of oily raisin and sultana appear along with a touch of warm vanilla, which try to add some light.

The palate is as dark as the nose suggests with plenty of dark toffee and dark honey coated dried fruit. Again slightly malty in character with balsamic oil, sesame and walnuts mingling with the raisinated fruit. Quite woody but softly tannic with some grainy spices appearing. Beautifully intense with a long, freshening grainy finish and lingering walnut oil notes.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Strathcylde 1988 (27 year old) 57.9%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0241/ Dist: June 1988 Btl: Sept 2015/ Tasted: Oct 2015

Great nose. It’s all intense buzzy sharp grains and a whiff of almost tart lemon. Lightly dried plumy fruit, sweet spice and manuka honey appears too! With time it develops a light vanilla and polished oak note along with a slight earthiness. Beautifully balanced.

The palate is quite herbal and citric. Almost tart, like the nose but the soft vanilla and honey takes the edge off. Wonderfully grippy spices comes through plus died fruit, polished wood, vanilla and a touch of smoke. Long and slightly meaty with hints of treacle, sweet spice and bitter spice. Lightly chocolaty and dark toffee’d after-taste. Now that’s good!

Duncan Taylor Strathclyde Tasting Notes

Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Strathclyde 1973 (33 year old) 55.5%

Cask 74063/ Dist: 1973 Btl: 2006/ Tasted: Oct 2007

There is a slight but not unappealing spirity-ness to this, more whisky-like than the Invergordon with citrus, cereal, light sugar cane and botanical aromas. The palate is a lot more together than the nose again quiet grainy and cerealy with delightfully juicy, soft honey, botanicals and herbaceous notes. It really fills out in the mouth with a touch of tangy tropical fruit and wood notes and a lovely sweet finish. 

Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Strathclyde 1973 (34 year old) 56.5%

Cask 74062/ Dist: 1973 Btl: 2007/ Tasted: July 2007

Softly intense aromas of grainy fruit. A touch spirity with an almost rum like dried fruit character. Slightly oily with a faint whiff of rubber and earth. The palate is again very rum like with plenty of raisins and sultanas, banana and old toffee. Quite dry with a grainy bite and no end of wood tannins. Very intensely alcoholic finish. 

Water softens the nose brining out a slight nutty vanilla note and emphasises the soft spice and mature honey. Now it’s really starting to get going – creamy mature buttered oak, old floor polish, coffee spices and mature honey. Just like magic it has become a very different animal.

On the palate it is mellower and less alcoholic, thus making it a lot more drinkable. Still very rum like but the oils have been released and coat the mouth. The intensity is over quite quickly but the now subtler dried fruits slowly drift on.