Origin: Scotland
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 46.8%ABV
Ageing casks: N/A
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Douglas Laing & Co.
Average price: € 50.00
Official website: www.douglaslaing.com
Vote: 83/100
Part of the Remarkable Malts by the eclectic Douglas Laing, here is another blended representing one of Scotland’s production areas, this time that of the islands.
Originally created as Rock Oyster, this blend includes whiskies from Arran, Jura, Orkney and Islay: while it’s easy to imagine which distilleries some of them come from, it’s a bit of a guess for one…
Why the name change in 2019? Apparently, many people don’t like oysters, which made it harder to market the whisky.
Oh, well…
Tasting notes
Straw yellow in the glass.
Strongly mineral and fruity on the nose, it combines floral notes with green apple, yellow melon, grapefruit, cereal biscuits and honey. A touch of peat blows over the aromas, which maintain a coastal and fresh soul.
And on the palate, the peat raises the pitch while remaining gentle, a more compact note of smokiness on a fairly light body with peppery tips on green fruit, lime, a hint of lemon cream, honey and a lot more minerality, with the salt emerging above all on the length, cleaning the mouth with every sip.
The finish is medium-long and obviously salty, with a hint of ginger, toasted biscuits, apples and lemon.
It delivers what it promises, a trip to the coast dotted with distant bonfires, with a simple but compact drink, with that freshness and salinity that all too easily prompts you to refill your glass.