The Douglas Laing family business has been bottling single barrels of distinction since 1948.
With members of the second and third generations of the Laing dynasty currently to at the helm, the company has 6 different brands/levels of single barrel bottlings available. The most recognisable of these are their Provenance (generally 3-10yo), Old Particular (generally 11-24yo) and Xtra Old Particular aka XOP (generally 25yo+) brands.
The Provenance series is designed as an introductory range of single malt or single grain whiskies where the Laing detectorists have discovered a single barrel that not only stands as a great whisky in its own right, but also best represents the distillery’s own signature profile and characteristics.
Here we have a 7 year old Talisker distilled in November 2009 and bottled November 2016 from a refill hogshead (DL Ref: DL11521). The barrel produced 421 bottles and, as with all Douglas Laing bottlings, we find the final liquid at its natural color and without chill-filtration. The spirit is captured here at 46% ABV.
Nose
Goodness me. A great but soft billow of both peat smoke and wood smoke. Sweet citrus smells remind me of cloudy lemonade and some of that classic Talisker sea spray. A little zip of white pepper heat.
Taste
A lovely light body with a little oiliness too. Citrus freshness makes it all light and crisp (lemon sherbet!) with some sweet malts behind it all. As the citrus plays out the earthy peat notes start to show themselves.
Finish
Gentle oak spice and heat from the alcohol play well together with the earthy peat for a decent finish. Sweet digestive biscuits are left behind long after the whisky has gone.
Verdict
This is not my first indie Talisker 7 and I’ll make sure it isn’t my last. This shows great character found in a single cask and once again demonstrates the beauty of independent bottlings.
This has the classic Talisker hallmarks that you’d look for and its youthful age keeps a freshness about it. Distinctly lighter in body and less woody than the classic Talisker 10 (for obvious reasons).
I often wonder about whether or not to post about indie bottlings – particularly ones that are no longer available – but I wanted to post about this Douglas Laing bottling as it really demonstrate the magic of single casks that the experts have picked. Also, it is great to find a repeated joy of a Talisker 7yo – a similar experience I’ve had with 5-7 year old Caol Ila indie bottlings too. Well worth hunting down and padding out your experiences from a distillery you like.
M
Sample disclosure: This samples received via my Dram Team subscription, but sealed away in a box and forgotten about for some time. Luckily no noticeable affects from the plastic bottle. I read their tasting notes afterwards so as not to sway my decisions and it was great to see a load of overlaps between my notes and theirs, but with a few differences too. All notes are intended as an honest, fair, and independent review of the whisky, and not as a promotion. Please drink responsibly. Please drink wisely.
Cover photo: iMaps / Sample photo: WU / Official photo: Whisky Exchange
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