A Journey to Scotland
The blending company Hunter Laing & Co. Ltd., founded with headquarters at 16 Park Circus in Glasgow, enjoys a good reputation among whisky friends. The new company took over both Edition Spirits Ltd and the bottling company Premier Bonding. The forerunner and blending company was originally created by Douglas Laing in 1949 and was jointly managed by his two sons Fred and Stewart for a long time.
In 2013, the company surprisingly split into Douglas Laing & Co. and Hunter Laing & Co.
With their company Douglas Laing, Fred Laing and his daughter Cara developed a portfolio consisting of the Provenance, Premier Barrel, Old Particular and XPO/XOP Black Series, regional malts Scallywag, Timorous Beastie and The Epicurean.
In the vicinity of the Bunnahabain Distillery, however, Hunter Laing & Co. opened the Ardnahoe Distillery on Islay on the Sound of Jura in 2018. Stewart Laing and his two sons Andrew and Scott developed a successful and diverse portfolio in the whisky world: The Old Malt Cask, The Old and Rare Selection, The Sovereign, Hepburn's Choice, The First Editions, The Kinship and the exclusive Eidolon Series with their rare Port Ellen Malts.
Independent Bottlers and Distillers: Andrew, Stewart und Scott Laing
In 2019 they not only created the smoky Islay Single Malt Scarabus Range - the respective distillery is not known - as well as the Blended Malt Journey Series with the releases Campbeltown, Hebridean, Highland and Islay and introduced them to the international market.
The German importer, the Hanseatische Weinhandelsgesellschaft in Bremen, writes:
“The Hunter Laing Tasting team worked out the typical aroma profiles of the respective region;
in particular, whisky beginners can discover the Scottish whiskey world.
Each bottling has also been given an eye-catching design that represents both the characteristics of the region and the commonality of the entire series as a Journey family.
Each edition is bottled at 46% ABV.”
A piece of art work
Hunter Laing & Co describe the blended malts of the Journey series as follows
Islay Journey
"Journeying to Islay is not easy. It takes time to get there but the island, like its whisky, is worth the effort. We have been making this journey for generations and will continue to do so, bringing back some of the finest malt whiskies that Islay has to offer.
To create this outstanding blend of fine Scotch malt whisky, we have selected whiskeys from the finest distilleries on the legendary Isle of Islay.
The balance of smoothness and complexity of flavor and aroma comes from blending whiskies, some aged in bourbon hogheads."
Tasting Notes:
"The aroma of this blended malt whiskey is fragrant with notes of smoke, ash and tar, while pungent notes of peat, brine and seaweed reveal themselves in the mouth."
Campbeltown Journey
"The sunrise on the stunning coastline of the Kintyre Peninsula brings with it a sense of unparalleled optimism.
Like this whisky, this is a place that exudes warmth and suggests the sweetness of new life. Light dances on the water and the cool salty sea breeze caresses the lips, bearing the promise of something yet unspoken that lies right in front of us.
When the sun goes down, it's not an end, it's an invitation to a new beginning - a new adventure."
Tasting Notes:
"Fresh, vibrant and fruity on the nose with pineapple, orange, honeysuckle and vanilla beans. Very clean and sweet on the palate with hints of lemon meringue pie and honey.
The sweetest oak gently lingers on the finish."
Hebridean Journey
"When you first set foot on the enchanted islands of the Hebrides, there is an unmistakable sense of ethereal grandeur.
Whether it's in the tales of ancient civilizations, the stunning monuments that dot the land, or the enchanting coastal scenery, the unseen force is as humbling as it is inspiring.
This is a whisky dedicated to ancestral wisdom, modern mysteries and the knowledge that some mysteries will forever remain unsolved."
Tasting Notes:
"On the nose we are immediately transported to the rugged Hebrides Islands off Scotland's west coast, with a wonderfully zesty coastal saltiness.
Soft peat smoke on the palate, ripe apples, malted barley and a hint of seaweed.
A long, pleasantly warming finish calls us back for another sip."
Highland Journey
"It is often said that belonging is a state of mind.
But there are places in the world that naturally evoke a stronger sense of belonging than others. In the majestic Highlands of Scotland, purple heather covers rugged hills and icy burns gently slice through rolling valleys.
Like this whiskey, the Highlands offer an undeniable sense of genuine tranquility. In this land of infinite winding paths, each leads to a place that feels like home."
Tasting Notes:
"A golden colored whiskey with a robust, full-bodied nose with rich, sweet flavors such as custard, fudge, toffee apples and fudge.
Creamy and buttery on the palate, it is initially sweet before developing like a fruit salad with custard powder, apricots, peaches and pears.
A relatively short finish - sweet with hints of oak and nuts."
The German retail prices of the Journey range are
between EUR 32 and EUR 35 per 0.7 litre bottle.
They offer not only beginners a good price-performance ratio
and surprise their participants with the good quality, especially during a blind tasting.
All Photos Copyright Hunter Laing & Co.
Producer: Hunter Laing & Company Ltd., 16 Park Circus, Glasgow, G3 6AX, U.K.
Zum Autor
Ernie - Ernst J. Scheiner ist der Herausgeber des Portals The Gateway to Distilleries www.whisky-distilleries.net Er dokumentiert über 150 Destillerien fotografisch von innen und beschreibt detailliert die Produktion der Whiskies. Seit seinem Studium an der University of Edinburgh befasst er sich mit dem Thema Whisky und publiziert in Fachmagazinen
wie Das Irland Journal, die Kleinbrennerei, Whisky Passion und The Highland Herold. Features und Stories erschienen in den Blogs whiskyexperts, whiskyfanblog und whiskyintelligence. Als Leiter der VHS Ingelheim führte, und nun als Whisk(e)y-Botschafter leitet er Destillations-Kollegs, Studienreisen und Whisky-Kultouren zu den Quellen des Whiskys.
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