The last post centred on the highland region malt Timerous Beastie. That expression is a non aged stated ongoing release from Douglas Laing. Today we will continue in the Highland region and explore what if any difference there is from an age stated version at a similar alcoholic strength.

With an age statement of 10 years this means all the whisky used in the recipe is at least 10  years of age in the cask. I cannot imagine that the NAS version would have any casks in it much younger than 10 years so immediately I am not sure how much a difference we will find.

There is no information on how the distilleries used were different or not so I guess it will have to be all in the taste and perception to work out what the difference is. The good news is the cost is basically the same so you aren’t paying a premium for an age statement of a small batch release.

The Dram

So like the label says this is at least all 10 years old and bottled at just over 45% ABV. The usual deal with Douglas Laing of course applies with limited edition bottles to their core ongoing bottles with it being a craft presentation. (Side Note: Did Ralfy trademark “Craft Presentation” meaning natural colour and NCF? perhaps he should do?)

There is still bottles available online for around the same price as the original one which is good I would say. The question is only does it differ enough to warrant buying over the original both for the people who didn’t like the first and those who enjoy the first?

Tasting Notes

Colour – white wine

Nose – sweet eating apples and pears and then acidic notes from cooking apples boiling in sugar in a pan. More rich sweetness comes from cake icing toffee and honey.

Palate – There is a dough of over proofed dough to start with then a twist of lemon rind brings in a bitterness. Texture is quite watery though even at this strength which means we are struggling to find much more interest.

Finish – The lemon lingers on the finish which is all too fleeting. There is small  hint of vanilla ice-cream but you have to be on  your game to pick it up before the finish is over.

Final Thoughts

This is a completely different dram to the original. The producers have done a good job to make something new and interesting away from the first one. Where the first is all about the rich barley yeasty malt spirit this one is fruitier and more summery with only a hint of that dough note.

For me this 10 year old version is much more enjoyable however both have limitation and drawbacks. At a price point under £40 today that is an expected outcome and one which hopefully won’t last forever.