Scotland: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

Douglas Laing

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The meeting with Stewart Laing was really very instructive. The welcome was very warm. To satisfy his visitors, nothing seems to be impossible. Even getting some hot chocolate (which is an unusual request in for an office visit...) for my son. This was of good omen...
Laing Brothers are on the whisky marked since 56 years. The family (associated to the McGibbon family through the wedding of the parents of the current directors, Fred and Stewart) has been very close to the owners of some prestigious distilleries in the past, like Bruichladdich and Bladnoch. Bruichladdich has been the property of a close friend of the parents of the current directors of " Laing Brothers". This friend was so close that they called him and his wife Uncle and Aunt
The Laing brothers define themselves first of all as Scots. All the Scottish spirit, its pride are part of the Laing's philosophy.
Unlike Murray McDavid whose owners are coming from the wine world, the Laing's only swear by single cask bottling, and like Murray McDavid for non chill filtering and for non colouring by addition of caramel of their bottlings.
The craft of the Laing brothers has been since ages the blending of whiskies (John Player Special, King of Scots or McGibbon's Golf).
One of the main markets for blended whisky is Asia and in the case of "Laing Brothers", this was certainly the most important one, and the crisis over there has obliged many blenders to review their production politics.
On the other hand, the single malt market was developing in the same time. As the blenders have important stocks of single malt for making their products, is was easy for them to bottle the best ones as single malt.
Laing Brothers have developed 3 ranges of single malt: Provenance, Old Malt Cask and Platinum.
Being welcomed in the lounge of the central office of Laing Brothers in Glasgow remains an unique and very exciting experience. An impressive collection of flasks of whisky containing samples from the different casks from their warehouses is available. Those samples are used by the Laing Brothers to decide if they are good enough to be bottled as single malts, under one of their labels.
Stewart Laing's favourite moment for a tasting is 8 o'clock in the morning, because the palate and the papilla's have not yet been aggressed by other tastes.
Everybody has his own favourite moment for tasting, the essential being that one is in good condition to appreciate a single malt on its best.
Laing Brothers whiskies have been awarded lots of times.
The use of the name "Provenance" for one of their ranges caused some juridical problems, as this name had already used by Ardbeg, and refused by the UKPTO (United Kingdom Patent Office) because it was too descriptive to be accepted as a trademark name. The "Provenance" trademark applied by Douglas Laing has finally be accepted, but to avoid any further problem, no version of Ardbeg will ever be bottled in that range.
The "Old Malt Cask" collection has been marketed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the company, and according to the original plans, 50 different bottlings would form the range. Further, the Laing brothers think that 50% of alcohol is the best proportion to appreciate all the aromas of a whisky. All this explain why the bottlings of this range are bottled at 50% of alcohol.
The whiskies marketed by this independent bottler are amongst the best I ever tasted.

Stewart Laing and Jean-Marie Putz
 Stewart Laing et Jean-Marie Putz  Stewart Laing Jean-Marie Putz
 Stewart Laing et Jean-Marie Putz  Stewart Laing et Jean-Marie Putz
 Jean-Marie Putz dégustant un Norht Port Jean-Marie Putz dégustant un North Port
 Jean-Marie Putz, tasting a North Port Brechin  Jean-Marie Putz, tasting a North Port Brechin
 Laing Brothers  Laing
Douglas Laing's samples Douglas Laing's samples
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