Today the spotlight is on Douglas Laing, one of the world’s leading independent bottlers. The reason for this post is the new(-ish) Ben Nevis 1996 bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange. Just for good measure I’ve thrown in a few other bits and pieces, including a young Clynelish and a 30-year-old Glenturret.
When discussing Douglas Laing there’s always one anecdote that kind of stands out to me. It’s about the company’s most famous customer, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who had proclaimed himself ‘King of Scotland’. (You may have heard of this movie.) During the 1970s The King of Scots was one of Douglas Laing’s best-selling brands.
Intrigued, Fred Laing Snr wrote to Amin, suggesting he should drink The King of Scots if he were truly King of Scotland. Not long after Douglas Laing & Co. received an order for 200 cases. This order was part of what became known as the ‘whisky run’, an almost nightly visit of Uganda Airlines to Stansted Airport in England, where planes were loaded with Scotch whisky and other luxury items.
Amin, who relied on the army to keep him in power, supplied these products to his officers and troops to win over their loyalty. An African proverb summed up Amin’s rationale: “A dog with a bone in its mouth can’t bite.”
This anecdote doesn’t really apply to any of these whiskies here, but I thought I’d share it anyway. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it, but it is a small and remarkable part of Douglas Laing’s storied history, as are the whiskies below.
Clynelish 2011 12 Years (48.4%, Douglas Laing ‘Old Particular’, DL18173)
Nose: Light with a mineral touch. Hints of rock pools, parrafin and some silage as well, but also a gentle touch of honey, beeswax candles and white peach. Just unblemished Clynelish, and that’s a good thing.
Taste: A moderately waxy mouthfeel with a pinch of white pepper to liven things up. Also a touch of underripe banana as well as shortbread, grist and a soft ashiness. Finally some white grapes.
Finish: Medium length. Gentle notes of dough, candied banana and soft waxes.
Ben Nevis 1996 28 Years (52,8%, Douglas Laing ‘XOP’ for The Whisky Exchange, 208 bts)
Nose: Sort of a creamy toffee, fudge and/or caramel type introduction here. Hints of vanilla custard too, as well as slivers of orange zest, some pith and some almonds. Then a touch of tart apples, pink grapefruit and raisins as well.
Taste: A creamy, sweet arrival with a touch of Demerara sugar. Hints of oak spices and char alongside toffee and orange marmalade and grapefruit, as well as a touch of rhubarb. There’s a slight hint of cassis too, with some cloves and cinnamon as well.
Finish: Medium length. A creamy sweetness with citrus notes, touches of sultanas and stewed apples.
Glenturret 1987 30 Years (45.3%, Douglas Laing ‘XOP’, DL12378)
Nose: Immediate notes of furniture polish, melted butter and some beeswax, as well as honey and a gentle leafiness. There’s a sliver of cured lemons too, accompanied by a hint of leather-bound books and some light floral touches, maybe even a slight soapiness. The latter shouldn’t scare you too much in this instance, it’s very subtle.
Taste: Quite oily, but there’s an almost fizzy quality to it as well. Maybe there’s even a hint of porridge, but certainly also some sesame, dark caramel and blackcurrants. Slivers of tobacco, honey and gentle waxes, as well as a pinch of white pepper. Then finally orange pith as well, and even some mint.
Finish: Medium length. Grassy, sweet and honeyed, bitter citrus notes and some polishes.
