Four single casks from Hunter Laing & Co. Ltd.

Four single cask samples arrive at Whisky Discovery HQ

Hunter Laing and Company was formed when the brothers behind Douglas Laing & Co Ltd. decided to split earlier this year. Stewart and Fred Laing went their separate ways commercially in May 2013 after running the company they inherited from their father more than 40 years ago. The brothers are now at the helm of two separate business featuring key roles for their respective children.

Stewart Laing has been joined by sons Andrew and Scott in their new venture, Hunter Laing and Co. Ltd. Retaining half of the original companies brands including Old Malt Cask, Old & Rare, Douglas Blend, John Player Special and Sovereign as well as it's bottling operation in East Kilbride.

Samples of four of their latest single cask releases were sent to me recently, three from their Old Malt Cask range and one from their Sovereign range.

Old Malt Cask is probably one of the most established brands in the single cask market. Invariably bottled at 50% abv, each expression is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. 

Whilst releases are regular, being from single casks, the number of bottles available are of course, limited, being dictated by the original size of the maturation cask, and the 'Angels Share'. These releases are also spread amongst a number of retailers.

The Sovereign range does what Old Malt Cask does for Single Grain Whisky which looks to be bottled at natural cask strength.

I decided to sit down one evening and run through the range in age order, I'm an engineer and I need order, so this is the order they were listed in the Liquid Log.

Whisky Discovery #520

Old Malt Cask Braevel 15 Year Old (50% abv)
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
Price TBC 70cl

The Braeval Distillery is located in the Speyside region of Scotland, currently owned by Chivas Brothers Ltd (Pernod Ricard). Founded in 1973 and originally called Braes of Glenlivet until 1994, it also went through a short period (2002-2008) of being closed or mothballed.

There are no official bottlings from this distillery with the whole production being used for blended Scotch. Independent bottlings come up from time to time, and this refill hogshead cask was filled in September 1997, and just 309 bottles have been released.

So What Did I Think?

The nose opens with a slightly charred wood note before settling down with sweet baked apples and lemon zest. Malty biscuit notes develop, not unlike Malted Milk biscuits, which is followed by vanilla creams.

On the palate this is not quite as sweet as the nose was suggesting, but has some lovely crisp pear flavours intertwined with the malty biscuit notes. Citrus flavours, more Mandarin orange than lemon pushes through while gentle cinnamon spice fleets across the taste buds. As the cinnamon fades a faint charcoal notes returns at the very end.

Whisky Discovery #521

Old Malt Cask Mortlach 18 Year Old (50% abv)

Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Price TBC 70cl

The Mortlach Distillery is another Speyside distillery and in terms of capacity is of a similar size to Braeval. Own by Diageo, Mortlach is a key component of their blended Scotch and in particular Johnnie Walker Black Label. The are no current official releases from Mortlach and so single cask releases are the usual route for the whisky connoisseur.

This 18 Year Old was distilled in June 1995 and matured in a refill hogshead yielding just 279 bottles when bottle in June 2013

So What Did I Think?

A sweet rich and malty nose with hints of dark chocolate right from the start. There are some sweet citrus notes alongside creamy vanilla toffee, Demerara sugar and honey. I love the sweet richness of this nose.

Matching the sweet nose, the palate meets expectations. It's rich and creamy and oh so smooth. Opening with the sweetness of honey, the woody peppery spice builds before revealing notes of malt, tangerines and chocolate.

Whisky Discovery #522

Old Malt Cask Ledaig 20 Year Old (50% abv)

Island Single Malt Whisky

Price TBC 70cl

Ledaig is an odd one. Firstly it's not pronounced how it reads, Led-chig is a little closer, and is Gaelic for the original name for the area, apparently meaning 'safe haven'. Secondly the Ledaig Distillery is now known as the Tobermory Distillery. 

Founded as the Ledaig Distillery in 1798, the distillery was finally closed in 1975 following filing for bankruptcy  When it reopened in 1979 it was renamed Tobermory after it's location and is the only distillery on the Hebredian Isle of Mull.

Ledaig unlike Tobermory is distilled form heavily peated malted barley and reintroduced in 1996 when it was decided that they would recreate the old style of Tobermory Single Malt.

This 20 Year Old Ledaig was distilled in March 1993, matured in a refill hogshead and yielded just 162 bottles in June 2013.

So What Did I Think?

The nose is surprisingly light sweet and fresh. I was expecting a much mustier nose for a 20 Year Old, but this feels remarkabley lively. Sweet fresh green wheat and barley fields in warm summer sun come to mind, fresh beansprouts, quite herbal and 'hedgerow' like. Not the peaty monster I was initially looking for. Vanilla eventully breaks through but I was finding sherbet sweets; Refreshers and Flying Saucers.

While starting light and thin on the palate, it seems to noticeably 'thicken' in the mouth. sweet and malty, like chewing sprouting barley, turning creamy with vanilla, baked apples and lemon zest. Towards the end it turns more malty and woody with some pepper spice.

While I was initially expecting the Ledaig to be peated, it is certainly evident form my notes that the malted barley used in this distillation was not.

Whisky Discovery #523

The Sovereign Cameronbridge 23 Year Old (50% abv)

Single Grain Whisky

Price TBC 70cl

The Cameronbridge distillery is said to be the largest of the grain distilleries in Scotland. Now owned by Diageo, Cameronbridge is no longer solely a large-scale grain Whisky distillery, being changed into a dual purpose site in the late 1980's manufacturing Grain Neutral Spirit for white spirits and sweetened products (Gin, Vodka and other flavoured spirits and liqueurs).

Ordinarily the grain spirit distilled and matured in oak is used in their blended Scotch but occasionally casks are matured for a considerable time resulting in long aged single cask releases such as this 23 Year Old, distilled in 1990 and bottled at cask strength in June 2013.

So What Did I Think?

The nose is very 'Bourbonesque' with vanilla, Demerara sugar, cloves, cinnamon and white pepper. There is just a hint of coconut too. On the palate again you could quite easily think you were sipping a Bourbon, the faint coconut notes picked out on the nose becoming more prominent. The spices build with cloves being the dominant flavour, remaining smooth and creamy with vanilla and more coconut  until rich, woody pepper spices close the experience, leaving a tannin dry mouth feel.

And Finally

Many thanks to Hunter Laing & Co Ltd for getting in touch with me and sending me these four samples. I've seen Old Malt Cask releases in a few Whisky shops before, but these were the first  I'd tasted on this journey to date. My favourite of these four would be the Mortlach.

I've not been able to find any of these releases for sale yet, hence prices TBC. Whether these are still available or yet to reach the shelves, I'm not certain.

To find out more about Hunter Laing & Co Ltd. check out their website  www.hunterlaing.com

Three evenings at SMWS London

I don't often get the opportunity to spend an evening in the SMWS's London headquarters but a recent Trade Show held at Earls Court had me commuting down from Bedfordshire for three consecutive days. (I was originally scheduled for just two days manning our stand at the RailTex exhibition but my MD pulled out of his final shift and called me in at the last minute).

It so happens that 19 Greville Street, the London home of the SMWS, lies on the Bedford to London main line just a stones throw from Farringdon, and so my mission was to ensure I went home from Earls Court via Farringdon underground. If they had been open early for breakfast I would have made sure I was there for that too!

On my journey home after the first day of the show I could only stop for a couple of drams as I had foolishly left my car at the station and would have to drive home later. I carefully read the current out-turn and found an interesting bottling from Jura's only distillery, so first on the menu was 31.26

Whisky Discovery #410

SWMS 31.26 'BBQ Smoke by a Rolling Sea' 24 Year Old (53.6% abv)

Highland Island Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

I'd not come across a club bottling from the Isle of Jura before and was really looking forward to this recent release. Distilled on 27th September 1988 this was matured for 24 years in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead, resulting in just 262 bottles at 53.6% abv)

It certainly didn't disappoint with some smoky aniseed and plenty of brine on the nose, along with the sweet scent of butterscotch popcorn. The peat smoke was much more forward on the palate, with a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce and earthy notes.

Knowing that I could only have one more dram I asked Phoebe (@whiskybars) for a recommendation and this recent bottling from the Ardbeg distillery was selected.

Whisky Discovery #411

SWMS 33.125 'Salted Caramel Lollipop' 7 Year Old (64.4% abv)

Islay Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

I love a peaty Islay whisky and this complemented the Jura perfectly. So this young Ardbeg was distilled on the 9th May 2005 and matured for just seven years in a first fill barrel yielding just 250 bottles at an impressive 64.4% abv.

It was delicious and just what I was expecting; lots of smoky peat, with notes of tobacco and leather on the nose. It started off a little medicinal to begin with on the palate but settled down to be more sooty. with some sweet smoke and a little brine.

With my fix for peat satisfied I made my way back to Farringdon Station, jumping on the first train heading towards Bedford only to find that the train I had jumped on was going to go right past my station without stopping. My wife and her friends had done just this only the week before, and I remembered laughing at them asking why they never read the information board beforehand, and here's me doing exactly the same thing. Unlike them I heard the train announcements on the journey (they would have been far too busy talking) and so made plans to hop off at Luton to wait for the next train that would stop for at my station.

Day 2 For my second day of playing commuter I'd organised being dropped off at the station in the morning so I would be able to have a couple of extra drams after the show. 

My show partner for day two was our Production Manager, Peter. I've worked with Peter for 15 years and we've had a few beers over that time, but never a whisky. Peter lives along the same main line into London, so it was fairly easy to convince him that we should stop off for a drink or two on the way home from the show. I had told him about the SMWS lounge and he was keen to find out more. With Peter not being a whisky drinker we started with a beer, settling for a 'Bitter and Twisted'  from the Harviestoun Brewery while I explained how the SMWS started and as we started reading our way through the menu, the numbering system and how the wonderfully inventive names are created along with the sometimes contradictory tasting notes printed on the labels.

Since 'converting' to whisky I have been very keen to preach what I have learnt so far and to demonstrate the vast range of smells and tastes that can be found in the different expressions.  Our first dram was chosen for us, and with the help of Sam (@DramforSam) we tried to convey some of the wonders that always amaze me in some fine whisky.

Whisky Discovery #412

SMWS 59.43 ''Caramel Swirl Ice Cream' 29 Year Old (56.4% abv)

Highland Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

We started of with one of the special 30th Anniversary bottlings and a 29 year old from the Teaninich Distillery. I'd not heard of this distillery before and had to look it up in Malt Yearbook to find our more! The majority of this whisky produced at Teaninich is used in the Johnnie Walker blends and it is all matured off site.

So this anniversary dram was distilled on the 8th November 1983 and matured for 29 years in a refill hogshead yielding 252 bottles at 56.4% abv

This started with sweet fruity notes, especially pineapple, and there was plenty of vanilla caramel too. It was quite dry on the palate, black tea like, yet still quite sweet and creamy, a great start to our evening!

For our next dram I thought we should try something young and lively, light and fragrant and Sam chose this Mortlach for us. I tend to think of Mortlach as a sherried whisky, usually with an element of 'struck match' to it but this was not the case with this single cask offering:

Whisky Discovery #413

SMWS 76.95 'Tropical Fruit Salad' (58.2% abv)

Speyside Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

A ten year old distilled in 2001 matured in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead yielding 307 bottles at 58.2% abv. Tropical fruit is what it said on the label, and tropical fruit is what we got!

After two quite light fruity numbers I wanted Peter to experience a sherry cask and asked Sam to find a suitable number. An eleven year old from the Glen Moray distillery was poured

Whisky Discovery #414

SMWS 35.86 'A Sumptuous Breakfast Dram' 11 Year Old (59.3% abv)

Speyside Lossie Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

A fabulous contrast to the first two drams which was immediately noticed by my guest. This Glen Moray was distilled on 17th May 2001 and matured in a First-fill ex-sherry butt yielding 629 bottles at 59.3% abv

With a fabulous rich nose of toast and rich marmalade, polished wood and dates. Wonderfully rich on the palate with a heavy fruit cake, perhaps just the hint of struck match? Peter's first thoughts when nosing this whisky was that it reminded him of the gas used in the dentists when he was a child, and I told him that there were no right or wrong answers, it's all perception from your own experiences.

With a tick in the box for a sherry cask malt, I though I would try to explain the difference between a single malt and a single grain. Sam recommended his current favourite and poured us our next dram

Whisky Discovery #415

SMWS G4.2 'Attractive spirit in a cloak of oak' 28 Year Old (55.4% abv)

Single Cask Single Grain Whisky

A single cask grain whisky from the Cameronbridge Distillery, distilled on the 6th April 1984 and matured in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead for twenty eight years, yielding just 218 bottles at 55.4% abv

I explained to Peter the differences between grain whisky and single malts, and that the majority of whisky made is grain, and used for blended whisky. I told him what I had recently learnt following our Glory of the Grain tweet tasting a few weeks back, and that a good single grain whisky is all about the wood it's been matured in.

There was plenty of wood notes in this one, it reminded me of the wood shop we had at the yard, where we would season some of the best cuts of wood naturally. There were also notes of tobacco and sweetness of a rich honey. Quite bourbon-esque on the palate, sweet with a hint of liquorice.

I was keen to show Peter some peated whisky next and so we moved our tasting journey across to Islay. Sam picked this next one as it was a good balance between the peated spirit and a sherry cask

Whisky Discovery #416

SMWS 3.193 'Baby Faced Arsonist' 14 Year Old (57.7% abv)

Islay Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

So this Bowmore was distilled on the 25th September 1997 and matured in a refill sherry but for 14 years, yielding 601 bottles at 57.7% abv

A lovely sweet scented smoke came across on the nose, but there was a definite maritime note underlying with a salty seaweed type note. On the palate the maritime note was foremost to me with smoked mackerel with honey and mustard. I loved this and thought it was a great introduction to the peated spirit

With time ticking on, and now knowing that I had to make a return journey the following morning (my notice came via a text message during our adventure) I went back to Sam for our last dram for the evening. I wanted something a little more medicinal.

Whisky Discovery #417

SMWS 53.176 'Pain is so close to Pleasure' 20 Year Old (56.6% abv)

Islay Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

What a fabulous name for this twenty year old Caol Ila. It was a single cask Caol Ila that started me off on my whisky journey, so a fitting end to the evening? Distilled on the 17th January 1992, this was matured in a refill hogshead for twenty eight years yielding 285 bottles at 56.6% abv

Great Islay nose with heavily peated notes, although by no means as heavy as a Laphroaig or Port Charlotte (I'll try that with Peter next time). Wood smoke and barbecued mackerel complete with burnt skin, a touch of menthol too. It's peaty on the palate and quite different to the previous Bowmore. 

A perfect end to our evening which had me savouring this for the first part of the journey home. So what was our favourite? Peter really liked the sherried Glen Moray, 35.86 which I must admit was a damn fine dram (I went back the following evening with every intention of revisiting it alongside 35.85, but there was none of the earlier release left). For me The Caol Ila was my favourite of the evening, but it was a close call between the six excellent drams chosen.

Day 3 My re-arranged third day at the trade show was spent with our Sales Manager Philip, the man who first introduced me to whisky and so I was planning on taking him to 19 Greville Street after the show. Unfortunately he already had other commitments and so I returned alone.

It was a glorious afternoon in London so I started with a cold beer - I needed it! I sat down to review the menu while contemplating whether I should make an evening of it or return home in time to make the Balblair Tweet Tasting scheduled for later on in the evening. I had come prepared, bringing both whisky samples and glasses with me so I could take part wherever I ended up at eight o'clock. I decided (quite sensibly) that I should make my way home for it and settled for just one dram before catching the six o'clock train home.

Running through the menu I was intrigued by the description of this:

Whisky Discovery #418

SMWS 85.23 'Burnt granary toast with bramble jelly' 12 Year Old (59.4% abv)

Speyside Lossie Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

I later found out that this was from the Glen Elgin distillery, another new one to me and one you don't see around ordinarily. This distillery too is owned by Diageo and usually found in blended whisky only.

Distilled in September 1999 and matured for 12 years in an ex-sherry butt, yielding 367 bottles at 59.4% this has the typical sherry influence note of struck matches. I quite like the light sulpher notes when it's like this. There's also that yeasty note when making a granary loaf. It's sweet on the palate though as the label note says quite aggressive, though I'm not sure if that was because of the high abv. A drop of water gives that burnt toast note and the jammy note compliments the toast!

So in three evenings of dropping into the SMWS London home I had made nine new whisky discoveries, but to be fair I could find a new whisky discovery every evening for a long time in this place! I'd also introduced a friend to the pleasure of a quality single malt who has already asked when will we be going back again.