Tag Archives: Hunter Laing

Whisky Show 2024 – Hunter Laing

Posted on by
Reply

After exploring Hunter Laing & Co‘s Ardnahoe distillery, we focused on exploring what put these folks on the map since 2013 – their independent bottles and blends! It was Day 2 of the 2024 Whisky Show in London and we were primed to explore something truly special.

Scarabus 10 year 46%

We were directed to first explore Scarabus – a series dedicated to Islay malts and a guessing game between Caol Ila and Lagavulin. It is a mix of re-fill, ex-bourbon, and virgin American oak casks. As I’d sampled it relatively recently, I passed, however, my tasting companion enjoyed it!

First off was an expression from their First Editions series….

Auchriosk 25 years (1996 / 2022) PX Sherry Butt HL19727 48%  (Hunter Laing – First Editions) 

  • Nose – Fruity, strawberries, a cornucopia of different berries, making a luscious fruit compote, sweet spice, and cream, it continued to evolve the more time it spent in the glass to have the fruits and berries joined by chocolate and nuts
  • Palate – Spicy, black pepper and strawberries, soft and understated, incredibly balanced and smooth, complex, nuanced
  • Finish – Mmmmm…. raisins, spice, caramel, and all things nice

This was a lovely dram – well worth the wait for 25 years.

We then moved on to their Old Malt Cask series… Typically bottled at 50%, a new cask is bottled each month.

Craigellachie 16 year Sherry Butt HL21170 50% (Hunter Laing – Old Malt Cask) 

  • Nose – Vanilla, sweet like milky mathai, a hint of dried fruits 
  • Palate – Starts soft then builds up, chocolate-covered ginger spice, sherry
  • Finish – Surprisingly hot finish, even a bit salty at the close

Not bad but also not outstanding. However, I will admit I’m not always a big Craigellachie fan, so it wasn’t surprising that I was a bit middling about this one.

Ardmore 12 year (July 2010) Refill Barrel HL21172 50% (Hunter Laing – Old Malt Cask) 

  • Nose – Now we are talking! Very sweet on the nose, honey, hibiscus, very bright, shifting into glazed ham with a citrus twist
  • Palate – Wonderfully well-rounded, fruit and peat in terrific balance
  • Finish – Subtle and lingers

This Ardmore was much more to my taste – quite enjoyable!

Glen Grant 25 year (1998 / 2023) 50% (Hunter Laing – Old Malt Cask) 

  • Nose – A classic nose – honey, subtle floral, followed by a citrus tang… we immediately dubbed this a “sniffing” whisky – the kind you just want to come back to again and again to take a whiff
  • Palate – Lovely! We found it best to just leave on your tongue for a bit – it was sweet yet with just enough spice to not be a push-over.
  • Finish – Long and lingering – just right! With a nice oily lemon close

They say it is good to leave the best to last so it can be fully appreciated. I think the folks at Hunter Laing delivered here! Elegant and beautiful – this was a clear class act.

Confession time – I did indeed leave this in the glass for as long as I could to enjoy the aromas. It kept shifting between honey, floral, and citrus most delightfully.

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Whisky Show 2023 – Hunter Laing

Posted on by
Reply

We had just been blown away by the Linkwood 31 year and BenRiach 31 year of the Macbeth series at London’s Whisky Show 2023. What could follow that?

We were about to head back upstairs but were distracted by Hunter Laing‘s rather interesting array… and I was so glad that we did! There we discovered one of the most memorable drams of our day! After three generations in the whisky business, there is no doubt these folks know their stuff. 

Auchriosk 11 year (2011 – 2023) 46% 360 Bottles (Hepburn’s Choice) Eur ~58

It was robust yet approachable on the nose with berries and brioche. There was a lovely fruity palate joined by dark red grapes. The finish was dry and the overall impression was of an early evening treat.

Dailuaine 13 year (2008 – 2022) 46% 816 bottles (Hepburn’s Choice) Eur ~61

We moved on to the Dailuaine which was sweet with loads of pineapple on the nose, juicy fruits on the palate – like a fruit pastille. And the finish was long and sweet. This was a joyful dram and most enjoyable.

We then moved on to The Old Malt Cask series – trying just one! 

The Glenrothes 16 year (2006) Refill butt 50% 750 bottles Eur ~173

We clearly had a “juicy fruits” theme going on – as this too had loads of fruits, however in this case more plump raisins than orchard fruits. We caught a few heavier notes too – perhaps some mocha? We then went in for a sip… to be rewarded by a powerful yet balanced dram. More of those raisins, some spice, and everything nice, followed by a long finish.

Our guide insisted we could not leave without trying one particular whisky from their The First Editions line – so named as their expressions are aged in a Single Cask. 

Cragganmore 26 year (1995 – 2022) Sherry Butt 54.7% 570 Bottles EUR 320

  • Nose – The initial whiff was of old wood, like an antique. Then we were rewarded with rich, full sherry, yet this was not just a powerhouse “sherry bomb”, there were layers of nuance, with treacle and a hint of mocha.
  • Palate – Marvelous! Phenomenal mouth feel, rich, and oily, with raisins and ginger. Absolutely gorgeous, mature, and complex
  • Finish – What a finish! It lingered long after sipping, nice dry oak

Wow! We had not expected such a wonder. A worthy finish to our Hunter Laing stop indeed!

And if you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

When anticipation and experience differ – Glenburgie 8 year 46%

Posted on by
Reply

You know when you are highly anticipating a treat? And then the experience falls short?

I’ve been partial to Glenburgie, appreciating the classic quality, the pears, yum! Like many distilleries making whisky primarily for blends, you can primarily find it from independent bottlers – particularly Gordon & Macphail.

So when I spotted this young Glenburgie in Edinburgh from Hunter Laing Hepburn’s Choice in August 2020, it was an easy decision to pick up this 200ml bottle – even if it was rather pricey. I wasn’t worried 8 years would be too young, reinforced by the most enjoyable TBWC 8 year! Then it sat quietly for a couple years.

Fast forward to May 2022 with visits from a few fellow whisky aficionados and it seemed the right moment. So out came this wee bottle, ready to be explored!

It took very little time to determine this was quite different from what I’d thought to find…

Glenburgie 8 year (2007) 46% (Hepburn’s Choice)

  • Colour – Light straw
  • Nose – Freshly opened it had an almost rubber element, almost like cod liver oil, sour, apple mash, young, hay or straw, cardamon….
  • Palate – Initially a bit rough… Then became a bit nutty – mostly hazelnuts, curious, waxy, a bit of a burn, but was growing on us

Not the elegant sophisticated Glenburgies I’ve come to expect… If anything, it reminded me a bit of Talisker…

Until we added water… what a difference!

At 46%, it was a bit harsh and imbalanced. Nothing like previous whiskies from Glenburgie. With water, I could finally find some elements I’d come to associate with the distillery, yet still quite different too.

  • Nose – Watermelon, cherries, raspberry, fruity, scones, honey
  • Palate – Don’t laugh – it reminds me a bit of creamed corn! Mellower and malty

I could see it working well with others but as a single cask on its own? Didn’t even come close to meeting expectations though with water was quite a decent dram.

So what about these earlier experiences with Glenburgie I keep mentioning? Well here are a few:

I still have 2 more Glenburgie bottles ready for another opportunity!

  • 14 year (2004/2019) 43% (G&MP Discovery)
  • 21 year 43% (G&M)

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Additionally, there are two ‘off-shoots’ with:

Blair Athol 16 year 50% (Hunter Laing – The Old Malt Cask)

Posted on by
4

Blair Athol distillery is part of Dieageo, however it isn’t one of their single malts that is so well known in these parts. That said, if you’ve ever had Bell‘s, you’ve had Blair Athol whisky.

We were fortunate to try a 16 year old from an independent bottler… read on…

Blair Athol (Old Malt Cask)

Blair Athol 16 year (Old Malt Cask) 50%

  • Colour – Deep gold
  • Nose – Heather, saddle ready to go horseback riding, subtle caramel, more distinct matured cheese, sour curd, citrus orange, in the ‘rancio’ category
  • Taste – Coconut oil, sweet and clearly an older whisky from a bourbon cask
  • Finish – Long, delayed spice
  • Water? Too enamoured with the full flavours to be distracted by a drop of pani (water)

Reactions – An excellent winter whisky without smoke

Quote of the eve – As though an elegant lady sauntered in the room, then turned out to be completely wild! 

The reveal – Part of Hunter Laing & Co’s Old Malt Cask series. From May 1997, bottled in Oct 2013, 1 of 545 bottles.

We first sampled this in Oct 2014 together with Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu ‘The Floor Malted’ 3 year and Glen Deveron 20 year.

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on: