Douglas Laing 21 Years Timorous Beastie 46.8% NV

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (89)

Well, the 40 yo has certainly been one of 2016’s F-F-Y-B whiskies! I find all these funny series by DL very smart. They do not take themselves too seriously, which is actually very serious. Quite a few bragging brands should draw inspiration from them, if you ask me.

Colour: gold.

Nose: raisins, roasted nuts, brioche, panettone, earl grey tea, maple syrup, drops of ginger liqueur, honey, a little tobacco, a little earth… All that is very smart indeed. Very very smart.

Mouth: some kind of Glenlivet with much more oomph. Overripe apples, honeydew, cider, raisins, walnut wine, toasted bread and pastries, marmalade… And then cloves and cinnamon, with a little mulled wine.

Finish: quite long, sweet and spicy. Spicy herbal tea – or isn’t that mulled wine again? Mulled white wine? Oranges in the aftertaste.

Comments: perhaps not the sheer complexity of the 40, but it’s still superbly composed