ABV
48.4%
Region
Highlands
Bottling
Douglas Laing
Cask type
Refill Hogshead (# DL13371, 371 btl.)
Nose
The nose is fresh and rich with creamy vanilla and citrus. Fruity flavours of baked banana and ripe peach arrive, followed by gentle spiced oak, subtle smoke and a whiff of sea air.
Palate
Sweet and fruity start at first with vanilla and peaches, accompanied by a warming mix of spices - ginger, oak and white pepper. Salted caramel, lemon peel and subtle smoke linger towards the finish.
Finish
The finish is medium long and warm with gentle spiced honey, nutmeg, dark chocolate and dry oak on the tail.
With water
There's almost no change on the nose when a few drops of water are added. Still sweet and fruity with subtle peat smoke. On the palate, the warmth is tamed significantly leading more sweetness and vanilla to the fore. The finish shows medium length with vanilla, caramel and subtle oak spice.
Comments
A fruity, sweet single malt from Orkney with warming spices and a slightly smoky note. Fine, complex and very balanced. The long maturation time in a single refill hogshead explains the multi-layered flavours. A very fine dram indeed!
I thank Douglas Laing for the complimentary sample and the photograph!