Here is one of the stars of Douglas Laing’s recently released Old Particular series. It is a grand single cask Speyside malt distilled in October 1994 and bottled 18 years later at 48.4%. It is a lovely whisky and one that I would highly recommend!
Nose
The initial nosing was full of sweet fairground candy floss. This dissipated slowly leaving lots of vanilla and further sweetness. The whisky has lovely depth; once you delve past the initial sweetness it is very floral – much like an old fashioned English rose garden. It is a beautiful spirit and reminds me of crisp linen – like a freshly made bed. Finally it offers up some sherbet lemon.
Palate
The whisky is very velvety and silky. There is lots of cream and vanilla before you are hit with a big smack of chilli heat. This is heat I have only found in a few whiskies; it is really intense and I love it! Finally a really herby quality comes through – much like adding some dried spices to your Sunday roast. The whisky tempers slightly as you start savouring it, but the heat still overwhelms the dram (in a positive way!)
Finish
Long and hot; the vanilla has all but disappeared to be replaced by the heat. Gorgeous!
