Moving on to the last of the three Old Particular single cask expressions from the Whisky Show, this is classic Speysider in a classic bourbon matured whisky.
Photo Credit: 3.bp.blogspot.com
The distillery is owned by La Martiniquaise, who bought the distillery from LVMH after their purchase of Glenmorangie, who owned Glen Moray since 1920 (well, they were owned together by Macdonald & Muir, but the company was later named Glenmorangie PLC). Under Glenmorangie, this was a sleepy little distillery with two pairs of stills that were not working to full capacity. Since the La Martiniquaise purchase in 2008, the distillery has been working at capacity, producing 3.3 million liters per year, and is in the midst of a huge expansion project that saw two new warehouses and a waste treatment facility being built, with a new annex that will hold a huge (11 ton) mash tun, 12 new washbacks and six stills (raising the total to ten stills).
Glen Moray is the signature malt in the Label 5 blend (which I found surprisingly good) and makes up the main stock in the Glen Turner brand (which sells over a million bottles a year in France). In fact, when you buy a Glen Turner single malt (there’s a 12, 18 and 21 year old), you get a bottle of Glen Moray. Since 2009 Glen Moray has been producing stocks of peated whisky, and I look forward to seeing some of that bottled as a single malt.
It’s also popular with independent bottlers, as many of its single barrels produce graceful expressions, much like this one from Douglas Laing.
Photo Credit: Douglas Laing
Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Moray 14, Refill Hogshead DL10043 (June 1999 – September 2014) Producing 384 Bottles (48.4% ABV, NCF, NC)
Appearance: Straw, very slow thin legs.
Nose: Baking cake, spices, honey, coconut, fresh leaves, sugar syrup and coffee grinds.
Palate: Light pepper, allspice and honey in a full mouthed and rather viscous whisky.
Linger: Honey and light spiced in a medium finish with some spice remaining deep in the throat.
Conclusion
This is a classic bourbon cask matured whisky. The coconut is beautiful and the spirit itself shines through. A dram for when you want clean and classic whisky with nothing to mask the spirit itself.
Official Sample received from Douglas Laing.