Review by: TOModera
What was the occasion: I got blends. I’m way behind on reviews. I’m reviewing blends. Blends are being reviewed!
What whisky did we review? Rock Oyster is a blended malt from Douglas Laing as part of their blended series. This specific one is now called “Rock Island” because a bunch of people read “Oyster” and assumed it either tasted like Oysters or that it included Oysters. Those same people must love to eat dirt that is surrounded by water. Watch out various places, there’s an entire group of people who are gonna eat you now.
Anyway, this is a blend of malt whiskies from Islay, Arran, Jura, and Orkney, thus the Islands that people want to gobble up like Climate Change.
What’s the distillery? The blender is Douglas Laing, an independent bottler who releases independent bottlings as well as blended malts. The company has been around since 1948, and is currently chaired by Fred Douglas Laing’s son, Fred Jr. and his granddaughter Cara is the director of whisky. Fred Jr. had to apprentice under other whisky workers before being allowed in, and so did Cara, with Cara working for Whyte and MacKay.
Let’s not judge her for the sins of Whyte and MacKay, she was merely a manager there.
What’s my bias? Here’s the thing: I’m more likely to recommend a Douglas Laing blended malt over some other whiskies when someone asks me about them. While I’ve been taking my time reviewing them, I like Big Peat enough and Scallywag doesn’t suck. So I’m slightly biassed.
That said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up my mocking of Fred Jr. over the years. Just like what your highschool crush said when you asked them out, I think his dad did it better. Dusty Douglas Laing releases have higher scores from me, typically.
Finally I should mention that I don’t like Arran that much, but now we’re getting into the weeds. Let’s see how this tastes, shall we?
Distillery: Douglas Laing.
Bottler: Distillery (Blender) Bottling.
Region: Blended Malt (of Island Scotches).
ABV: 46.8%.
Age: Unknown.
Cask type: Unknown.
Price: $50.00 USD
Color: 7.5Y 9/4
Nose: Pear, brine, coal, anise, pineapple
Fruity, earthy, some smoke, and some spice. This is interesting. It could be a bit more fruity.
I’m actually a bit surprised there wasn’t a bit of orange in this, given that Arran is in there. That’s not a complaint though, as the evil citrus can be left out and I’m happy to see it go.
Taste: Pear, ginger, brine, cream, smoke
Sweet, spice, some salt, and some cream along with smoke. I see why they called it Oyster, as the brine pops and adds dimension to the whisky. Now don’t get me wrong, that happens in good whiskies all the time, and this is basically the minimum I’d expect from a shellfish named whisky, but it’s still nice they took their time on the balance.
Doesn’t taste like an island though. They now call it 999 Island Dressing because I prepared for this tasting.
Finish: Pear, caramel, oyster, wood, chalk
Ah, now we get the strong brine note at the end. Also it unravels a bit with some rougher notes. Reminds you that it’s entry level at this point.
Conclusion: Solid blend. Frankly I think if you’re a fan of Island whiskies, this is an easy pickup. If you’re looking for good blends, it’s an easy pour.
It never really gets too complex to really wow me, but at the same time that’s not the point. The point is a slightly better entry level Scotch, and it nails that.
Should you buy it? If you like brine and a bit of smoke, yes, and need a daily drinker, then yes. I wouldn’t, but I can’t swim in the ocean because it’s too salty, so your 1.15 statute mileage may vary.
Final Score: 76.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 