Back to normal programming after recovering from the summer vacation and reviving the computer and phone who died while on vacation and so we continue with a few more Douglas Laing whiskies that reached our shores. The youngsters single malts were reviewed and now we move up to the older Old Particular single malts, starting with a Glenrothes 12 Year Old that was distilled 2005, matured until March 2017 in a sherry butt that yielded 402 bottles.

Old Particular Glenrothes 12 Year Old (48.8%, DL11601, €78.75/330NIS)

Nose: Starts with porridge along with a big and velvety sherry spices wave, then unsweetened dried fruit, gentle sulphur, lots of chocolate and the smell of an empty espresso cup (after you drink one of course). After a while it gets sweeter and fruitier with strawberries and raspberries, it becomes more nutty along with some sharp spiciness.

Palate: Chocolate, mildly bitter espresso, pepper, oak spices, malt, then sherry spices with lots of cinnamon, nutmeg and sweet dried fruit and then goes back a full circle to chocolate and espresso.

Finish: Medium length, lingering spices, dark chocolate and espresso and gentle bitter oak spices.

Thoughts: This is a good sherry bomb. Mind you, it’s not a huge sherried monster like Aberlour A’bunadh (especially with this strength), but it delivers a great balance of sherry spices and fruitiness (with a focus on the spices side) in a easy accessible and drinkable whisky.

(Official sample provided by Sipil, IL Douglas Laing Importer)