Of all the distilleries in Diageo's portfolio, Glen Spey is the third smallest and remains one of the most obscure. Virtually all of its output goes into blends, in particular, J&B (which at the time of writing is the sixth biggest whisky brand in the world). Douglas Laing have bottled this rarity from a single refill hogshead REF - DL13903. Aromas of nutmeg and cinnamon arrive with a citrus zest while the palate promises strawberry candy, spiced oak, coconut shavings and milk chocolate.

One of 347 bottles

Still owned by Ian Macleod, this Southern Highlander is noted for its emphasis on sherry casks and unpeated malt. In this example from Douglas Laing, expect Glengoyne's typical clean, crisp barley combined with aromas of barley sugar sweets, gingerbread biscuits and new leather, followed by flavours of sponge cake, green apples and honey. 48.4% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. 366 bottles from a refill hogshead REF - DL14574.

Glengoyne is a small farm-style distillery located under the slopes of Dumgoyne in at the southern border of the Scottish Highlands.

The second bottling from Douglas Laing's 2020 outturn this is also from a refill hogshead REF - DL14559. Distilled in August 2005

The notes say to expect the distillery's typical clean, crisp, fruity barley but in a mouthcoating, syrupy, even sugary style with a touch of citrus tang. Non chill filtered at 48.4%. 260 bottles from a refill hogshead.

Nose: Clean and crisp, sweet and spiced, gristy and honeyed.... so fresh and fruity.

Palate: Deliciously mouthcoating in syrupy, sugary style - warming spice and runs to barley.

Finish: Gently toasted developing to allspice, tangy citrus notes and Malted barley (FHL).

A old age Speysider from Inchgower, independently bottled by Douglas Laing after 25 years  spent in a sherry butt REF - DL14183. An outturn of 242 bottles at 51.5% ABV.

Nose: Sweet and barley-rich initially, then comes tangerines, brown sugar and a damp oak style.

Palate: Lots of spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) running to vanilla essence and stewed fruits.

Finish: Long ? detect golden syrup, a slight floral character, milk chocolate and barley.

Douglas Laing's Old Particular range consists of individually selected malts from all over Scotland, produced to the highest quality standards. These malts are neither cold-filtered nor provided with colour additives and are unique with their single cask bottlings.

The Douglas Laing Tamdhu Old Particular Single Cask 16 Years Old is bottled at 48.4% after 16 years of maturation in a refill butt REF - DL14411.

Nose: Opens with orange chewy sweets, new leather, toasted oak and runny dark chocolate.

Taste: Juicy plums, sultanas, bbq'd bananas, jam doughnuts and fresh ginger spice.

Finish: Long with all of the above wrapped into sticky toffee pudding and whipped cream.

This was Tomatin was distilled in the Highlands in December 2008. 

It spent a decade in a single refill hogshead REF - DL13774, and was bottled by Douglas Laing in November 2019 with an outturn of 384 bottles at 48.4% ABV.

Nose: Big and richly defined in Malted barley, gentle spices and fruit.

Palate: Hits big with cereal, honey, vanilla and even a hint of salt.

Finish: Dark molasses mix interestingly with all the aforementioned (FHL).

The Speyside distillery is one of the most southerly in the 'Speyside triangle', located near the town of Kingussie. Distilled back in 1998, this bottling represents a relatively early effort as production only commenced in 1990 (33 years after the initial building plans were submitted!) According to the Laings, anticipate tangerines on the nose with butter pastry and lots of toasted almonds followed by zesty citrus fruits at the finish. Drawn from a refill sherry butt (DL13295) with an outturn of 256 bottles. 61.3% Alc.Vol. Non chill filtered.

Independently bottled by Douglas Laing for the Xtra Old Particular range this whisky was aged in a refill hogshead (DL12783) cask for quarter of a century - from April 1993 to August 2018 - before being bottled a cask strength with an outturn of 315 bottles. 60.2% Alc./Vol. 

Non chill filtered.

Spiced fruit on the nose, developing to polished wood floors and a sweet vanilla, caramel character. The palate shows lemon meringue pie with lashings of cream plus malted barely, burnt sugar and coconut flakes. The finish is long and buttery with warming allspice, toasted oak and honeycomb on oat biscuits.

This whisky was distilled in 1989, and spent 30 years in a bourbon barrel (DL13917)before being bottled in April 2020. Just 280 cask strength bottles were released for the Xtra Old Particular series at 52.8% ABV.

Nose: Rich, darkly malted, intriguingly spiced and fruity.

Palate: Warming and ginger spiced as the big palate opens showing later Muscovado sugar and the gentlest oak - all running to a stewed fruit and vanilla custard finish.

Yes, that's right - a Cadenhead bottling of Heaven Hill bourbon which was aged in Scotland to help slow the process, which is much more rapid in the warmth of Kentucky in the US. Aromas of toasted coconut, confected strawberry and fresh leather. The palate has dark chocolate covered almonds, juicy pineapple and cooking spices. Long and lingering finish, Pina Colada, kiwi fruit and oaky tannins.

Ledaig 23YO 1998 Black Series D.Laing is a vintage whiskey from Tobermory Distillery by Douglas Laing & Co. Whiskey distilled in 1998. It matured for 23 years. Whiskey bottled without cold filtration.

Filled into a single ex Bourbon Hogshead barrel and left to mature for 24 years, Benrinnes always does well with a few decades under its belt. A bit like Mortlach, it's another distillery known for its weighty distillate and 'fat', 'meaty' mouthfeel.

51.9% ABV

A second addition to the INK #3 series marketed by French Retailer, Le Comptoir Irlandais is this toddler Blair Athol. While the distillery's production is primarily intended for Bell's, indies are on the rise. This one from Signatory Vintage was distilled in 2013 and filled into a rechar hogshead (a reconstituted & re-burnt cask). Akin to a malt-heavy blend, it's softer than usual for Blair Athol, offering vanilla and fruit salad on the nose as well as hints of beeswax. Likewise, the mouthfeel surprises: supple and slightly oily with flavours of barley cake, grain store and pineapple pudding, before wood spices rise in the medium long finish

46% ABV

Sourced from reputable independents, Signatory Vintage, cask #900658 was a first-fill Sherry butt and a fairly active cask at that, with more of an old-school attack then a clean, contemporary one. Pickled ginger, struck match, burnt orange, hazelnut and hints of hessian sack give the aroma a sulphury slant, though there's some redemption from the latent fruitiness. The flavours follow with roasted hazelnut, marzipan, ginger biscuit and orange infused dark chocolate - those 'rustic' notes adding a burnt fruit toast character to the finish

49.3% ABV

A 2007 Ledaig single malt from the ninth release of La Maison du Whisky's Artist series, matured in a single refill sherry butt for a decade, before being bottled in 2019. Peaty aromas of buttery toast, spicy ginger, candied lemon and liquorice fill the nose, over waves of earthy peat smoke. The palate offers notes of coconut milk, seashells, smouldering driftwood, creamy porridge and green apples, as well as medicinal peat smoke.

60.8% ABV