Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Distillery: Bowmore & Highland Park.
Bottler: Douglas Laing.
Region: Scotland/Blended Malt.
ABV: 46%.
Age: 10 Years. Bottled in 2009.
Cask type: Oak.
Nose: Maritime and mellow, wispy smoke, heather, pepper, gentle brine, slightly mineral and metallic, sea shells.
Palate: Light-bodied with mild industrial notes, more tropical citrus, maritime brine, wispy smoke, pepper, wood, dried grass, faint heather.
Finish: Medium-length with bleached driftwood, pineapple citrus, and a kiss of oceanic brine.
Mental Image: Sea Shell Collection Scented Candle
Conclusion: Mellow and maritime, the aroma flittered between wispy smoke, pepper, heather, and beach sand. A touch of salty surf lingered around the edges, but everything was soft like a scented candle rather than an actual day at the beach. Mineral and metallic notions appeared at times with sea shell collections, driftwood, and rusted metal drums. Light-bodied, the flavor profile was sweet with an acrid edge as it slid between mild tropical citrus and wispy smoke. Cracked black pepper and driftwood arrived on a matting of beach sand with a gentle mineral bite, while dried grass and faint heather lingered at the end. The finish was medium-length with sun bleached driftwood, pineapple citrus, and a kiss of oceanic brine.
When Douglas Laing described this is a “rather unusual” whisky on the label, they were not kidding. I do not believe they still produce the “Double Barrel” label, but earlier in the 2000s, Douglas Laing put together some fascinating combinations. This release had some additional intrigue as the casks date from 1998-1999 and still bear the name Highland Park— the distillery generally quit selling casks with naming rights by 2003-2004.
This “vatted malt,” as the label says it would have once been called, leaned more in the direction of Highland Park than Bowmore, but was balanced and offered up a nice maritime profile. It was an everyday drinking whisky rather than anything intellectual, though I enjoyed sifting through it and thinking about how the malts elevated the coastal or vaguely industrial notions of each.
Overall, a fascinating artifact of the whisky industry fifteen to twenty years ago.
Final Score: 78.
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 