Tasting 40 year old plus whiskies with the awesome Douglas Laing guys

let’s begin

I often mention how lucky I am to have not only a job that I love but to be working in an industry full of so many simply incredible people. Today though made me feel even more giddy and excited to be doing what I do as I got to sit with Fred Laing, Jan Beckers, Jenny Rogerson and Cara Laing of Douglas Laing and enjoy the most incredible whiskies in the world.

The whiskies Douglas Laing release have been favourites of mine for years, I’m always a sucker for a family business, and especially one that is built on innovation and blending as well as great single malt products.

I was recently made one of the inaugural Douglas Laing Fellows, an Honorary Brand Ambassador role that, as it stands, only has ten members globally. To say I feel privilege is an understatement.

Entirely separately, I have been wanting to visit their headquarters in Glasgow for ages and finally managed to set it up wth a view to saying hi to the team, grabbing a bit of lunch and being on my merry way.

What happened after I arrived was just amazing; a sit down with whisky legend Fred Laing himself to talk all things whisky, branding, GreatDrams and more whisky, all whilst sipping 1962 North British single cask grain whisky, a 42 year old cask strength Garnheath single grain whisky and finally an 18 year old Ledaig cask sample that was more akin to a heavily sherry-influenced Ardbeg than I would have imagined. Incredible.

That was not it GreatDrammers, not by a long shot.

In the interests of sociability I did not take notes of my reactions to each whisky at the time, although frantically dictated them to my phone on my way to the station but, over the next few hours, with a casual currywurst and pint to punctuate the afternoon, Global Malts Advocate Jan Beckers and I enjoyed the best of Douglas Laing’s releases…

The Epicurean
Rock Oyster
Auchentoshan 11 Year Old (Provenance)
Jura 25 Year Old (XOP)
The King of Scots Blended Scotch Whisky (non-domestic blend, lovely stuff)
Port Ellen 30 Year Old (not allowed to take photos… very hush hush and incredible)
Bunnahabhain 40 Year Old (XOP)
Springbank 18 Year Old (Old Particular)
Glen Grant 30 Year Old (XOP)

Just take a look at the pictures of the bottles below, absolutely incredible.

I just want to say how thankful I am for the Douglas Laing team’s hospitality, some of my favourite people in whisky and truly incredibly whisky.

Drams on me next time chaps…

Tags: ArdbegDouglas LaingDrinkWireGarnheathmaltswhiskies

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.