Rock Oyster Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Name: Rock Oyster Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Review
Uploaded: 2016-09-19T11:11:33+01:00
Channel: Greg
Description: Douglas Laing is fantastic at creating blends that embody their regions, and Rock Oyster whisky is no exception. Read the full GreatDrams review here.

Greg|

September 19, 2016

let’s begin

Rock Oyster joined the Douglas Laing family of blends in early 2015 and has been living up to the quality of the family name ever since.

Rock Oyster whisky is a scotch that lives and breathes the sea. It has been carefully crafted from some of the best Islanders, including malts from Jura, Arran, Orkney and Islay.

Just like the islands that it seeks to capture, this expression is rugged and intense, with a rough sea wind blowing through it.

Douglas Laing is fantastic at creating blends that embody their regions. They create characters out of their drams, as best shown in Big Peat and Scallywag, and their Rock Oyster whisky is no exception to this trend.

The mix of the big, salted Islay malts as well as sweeter expressions from Jura, Arran and Orkney, give a wide-ranging experience of the Islands and all they have to offer.

The flavours boast a burly maritime charm, but with a delicate sweetness underneath to give it refinement and sophistication.

Rock Oyster Whisky Review & tasting notes

Rock Oyster opens with a nose that is full of sea, salt and sand. This malt will take you for a leisurely stroll along an abandoned beach and brace you with a brisk wind.

The salt is exquisite and intertwines with the swirling peat that rises from the background.

The taste is rich and rugged, with the wind blowing the sea spray over the beach and into your nostrils.

There is also a hint of crisp green fruit in the undertone of the expression. Ripe apples and pears appear to give a wonderful tang to the whiffs of rich smoke.

The palate is more of the same, but in bigger, bolder doses and with a few new flavours.

The smoke and sea salt create a fantastic backdrop for these flavours to harmonise against. There is an introduction of oaty biscuits with a dusting of cinnamon and pepper.

These spices give the dram depth and warmth that will heat the briny breeze coming off the wild waves. It also has the slightest hint of vanilla sweetness that goes excellently with the thick smoke.

The finish is full of smoke and peat, with a nice spicy warmth at the end of the linger.

You can watch my YouTube review below:

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Tags: ArranDouglas LaingDrinkWireIslayJuraOrkneyRock Oyster

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.