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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$219.99
This 2006 Tomintoul was bottled at 50% and 17 years of age from Refill Sherry Butt as part of the Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary Range. 90pts Whisky Fun
About the Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary Range
“The flagship Old Malt Cask series was launched in 1998 and quickly became known amongst connoisseurs as an umbrella for whiskies of the highest quality. Twenty five years later we continue to offer the finest casks from our family cellars under the Old Malt Cask brand, still bottled at 50% alcohol and of course without artificial colouring or chill-filtration. To celebrate a quarter of a century of Old Malt Cask single malts we have selected twenty five expressions to be bottled in the brand’s original, iconic, green and gold presentation. These Twenty Fifth Anniversary releases are drawn from across Scotland’s signature whisky producing regions and reflect the varied selection of Malts which have appeared under the Old Malt Cask banner. As ever with the Old Malt Cask range we offer them to you with confidence and pride.”
700 mlAndrew's Tasting Note
Nose: soft, fruity, doughy, and decadent; warm sourdough baguettes with French butter; nutty, toasty, and just a little funky; slight tart off dry Gwertztraminer; supple new leather, fermenting cocoa bean husks, and woodshop notes; grassy malt.
Palate: surprisingly malty, but pleasantly so, this is a barley forward old school malt; soft, nutty, and fruity; tart manzanilla sherry notes, sharp cheese, and a bit of cured meats; crab apple jelly; dried cranberries, cherries, and apricot; walnut liqueur, cocoa nibs, and cooked raisins; building wood spices in particular clove and nutmeg.
Finish: bright, fruity, and nutty with fading leather and spices; a touch of sweet dark chocolate at the very end.
Comment: Tomintoul is a malt I struggle with, but this is something altogether different; it is a bit wild and untamed, but all the more enjoyable for it!
90pts Whisky Fun
To celebrate 25 years of this iconic series, the current owners have brought out a range of malts dressed in the original packaging—what we might call a ‘replica’ bottle. I can’t help but think that whisky enthusiasts or our successors here at WF (will we have any?) in 30 or 40 years might find these somewhat confusing to catalogue. But enough musings; let’s taste this Tomintoul, with more Speysiders from this series (Glen Grant, Benrinnes, etc.) to follow in the coming weeks. Colour: gold. Nose: the glory of refill casks, brought into sharp focus by contrast with the PX finishes we’ve just sampled. Barley sacks, fresh croissants, farmhouse cider, a small glass of Meursault, a few drops of manzanilla, walnut wine, and fresh hay… Simply perfect. Quite the surprise, I must say. With water: waxy notes and a touch of robustness. Still gentle yet structured. Mouth (neat): walnut and orange wine, mild ale, artisanal cider, ripe apples, fir honey, a hint of pine sap, and a drop of lemon juice… Again, just perfect. With water: still perfect. Finish: long and almost refreshing, with apple and citrus juice, and a touch of dry, elegant sherry in the aftertaste. Comments: it feels as though this cask was selected with great care—not that this wouldn’t usually be the case, but it’s especially evident here. Fantastic and even a bit surprising. T.o.m.i.n.t.o.u.l.! SGP:551 – 90 points.
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Strawberries, milk chocolate, and apples.
Palate: Salted caramel, peaches, and butter shortbread.
Finish: Long, with lingering spice.
Yes, these are two separate companies, but it is difficult to talk about one without talking about the other. So, let's kill two birds with one stone, shall we? - Evan
The Hatfields & McCoys. The Montagues and Capulets. The Laings and... The Laings?
History is full of family feuds. It is also full of long-running game shows promoting the vicious rivalry. Sometimes, though, a family doesn't need to have an outside influence to struggle against because the issue lies within.
The History
Douglas Laing is an independent bottler that was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing after he acquired the rights to the King Of Scots Blend. Fred Sr. and his wife had two sons. Stewart Hunter Laing was born in 1946. Fred Hamilton Laing (Fred Jr.) was born in 1950. Both brothers eventually joined Fred Sr. working at Douglas Laing. Before that though, they both had apprenticeships at other Scotch Whisky companies; something that seems to be a hallmark of families who make Scotch Whisky their trade.
Stewart Laing joined his father Fred Sr. at Douglas Laing in 1967. He had previously apprenticed at Bruichladdich Distillery and other places within the industry. Stewart and his wife had their first son, Scott, in 1979. A few years later in 1982, their second son Andrew was born.
Fred Laing Jr's first apprenticeship was at Whyte and Mackay starting in 1968, where he learned all parts of whisky production and business, including the art of blending. From there he moved to White Horse Distillers in 1969 to further enhance his blending knowledge. In 1972, he officially joined his Father, Fred Sr., at the family business of Douglas Laing. In 1982, Fred Jr's daughter Cara was born.
Fred Sr., AKA Fred Douglas Laing; the founder of Douglas Laing & Co, passed away in 1984. It was then up to his sons to run the company on their own.
Splitting The Family Company
Brothers' Stewart and Fred Jr. quietly – or not so quietly – didn’t really get along. This eventually led the two to go their separate ways in 2013. Stewart Laing took with him some brands created at his former company such as Old Malt Cask and Old & Rare. Fred Laing Jr. kept the Douglas Laing and brands such as Big Peat, Old Particular, and of course, the exclusive rights to his fabulous moustache.
Fred Laing Jr. & daughter Cara Laing - the new Douglas Laing
Douglas Laing continued on, operating under Fred Jr's stewardship to this day. They have created some new labels since, focusing more on the Blends and Blended Malt side of things than Hunter Laing typically does. Fred Laing was joined by his daughter Cara at about the same time as the split.
Douglas Laing does bottle single casks of whisky under the Provenance, Old Particular and XOP labels. However, with Fred Jr's knowledge in blending and the brand King of Scots still in hand, the company has kept a big focus on blending, introducing an entire line of regional blended malts over the late 2010s. The company has dubbed this lineup The Remarkable Regional Malts of Scotland. These include:
The Douglas Laing company announced the acquisition of its first distillery in October 2019. The Strathearn Distillery, founded in 2013, is located near Methven in Perthshire. Technically located in the Southern Highlands, it is near the lowlands region and about an hour and a half drive from Douglas Laing's headquarters in Glasgow.
Stewart Laing & sons Scott and Andrew Laing form Hunter Laing
Hunter Laing was founded in 2013 by chairman Stewart Hunter Laing and his sons Andrew and Scott. Hunter Laing came to being from a dividing of assets owned by the company Douglas Laing & Co, which Stewart and his brother Fred Laing Jr. had operated together since Fred Laing Sr. – their father passed away in 1984.
The new company has more of a focus on Single Malt Whisky and often single casks than Douglas Laing, with new releases under Old Malt Cask, Old & Rare, Sovereign, The First Editions, and Hepburn's Choice hitting store shelves periodically. Regular releases as well as the mystery peated Islay Single Malt under the name Scarabus are also consistently available. Oh, and Hunter Laing also bottles rum under the wonderfully silly moniker Kill Devil.
Three years after the split, in 2016, Hunter Laing announced plans to build a distillery on Islay. The company’s Ardnahoe Distillery officially opened in 2019. The first Single Malt whisky releases from Ardnahoe hit shelves in 2024.
It is now more than a decade since Stewart and Fred Laing split the business and their progeny joined them in earnest. The brothers and their respective companies of Hunter Laing and Douglas Laing still show much of the whisky DNA that their father built into it, and them.
$87.99
Cognac Cask Finish. Might be intriguing! Shame about the 40%, though. These accountant-strength bottlings that Tomintoul and owners Angus Dundee seem to be enamoured with could use a slight shift upwards. No need to make "The Gentle Dram" too gentle.
Producer Description
"Our Master Distiller, Robert Fleming, created this small batch bottling by specially selecting Tomintoul aged in exceptional ex-bourbon American oak barrels, which are then married & finished in hand selected Cognac casks from France.
The process of ‘finishing’ creates a beautifully rich, complex & full flavoured single malt scotch whisky."
$234.99
This 19 year old Benrinnes is from a Canasta Cream Sherry Cask, bottled at 50% as part of the Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary Range. Exclusive to KWM
About the Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary Range
“The flagship Old Malt Cask series was launched in 1998 and quickly became known amongst connoisseurs as an umbrella for whiskies of the highest quality. Twenty five years later we continue to offer the finest casks from our family cellars under the Old Malt Cask brand, still bottled at 50% alcohol and of course without artificial colouring or chill-filtration. To celebrate a quarter of a century of Old Malt Cask single malts we have selected twenty five expressions to be bottled in the brand’s original, iconic, green and gold presentation. These Twenty Fifth Anniversary releases are drawn from across Scotland’s signature whisky producing regions and reflect the varied selection of Malts which have appeared under the Old Malt Cask banner. As ever with the Old Malt Cask range we offer them to you with confidence and pride.”
$234.99
Distilled in 2008, this 18 year old Blair Athol was bottled from an ex-Wine Hoghead at 50% as part of the Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary Range.
About the Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary Range
“The flagship Old Malt Cask series was launched in 1998 and quickly became known amongst connoisseurs as an umbrella for whiskies of the highest quality. Twenty five years later we continue to offer the finest casks from our family cellars under the Old Malt Cask brand, still bottled at 50% alcohol and of course without artificial colouring or chill-filtration. To celebrate a quarter of a century of Old Malt Cask single malts we have selected twenty five expressions to be bottled in the brand’s original, iconic, green and gold presentation. These Twenty Fifth Anniversary releases are drawn from across Scotland’s signature whisky producing regions and reflect the varied selection of Malts which have appeared under the Old Malt Cask banner. As ever with the Old Malt Cask range we offer them to you with confidence and pride.”
$189.99
THis 2008 vintage Inchgower is part of the Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary range, bottled at 50% and 15 years of age from a single Sherry Butt.
About the Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary Range
“The flagship Old Malt Cask series was launched in 1998 and quickly became known amongst connoisseurs as an umbrella for whiskies of the highest quality. Twenty five years later we continue to offer the finest casks from our family cellars under the Old Malt Cask brand, still bottled at 50% alcohol and of course without artificial colouring or chill-filtration. To celebrate a quarter of a century of Old Malt Cask single malts we have selected twenty five expressions to be bottled in the brand’s original, iconic, green and gold presentation. These Twenty Fifth Anniversary releases are drawn from across Scotland’s signature whisky producing regions and reflect the varied selection of Malts which have appeared under the Old Malt Cask banner. As ever with the Old Malt Cask range we offer them to you with confidence and pride.”
