#TimorousBeastie40

Douglas Laings 40 year old Timorous Beastie is their first ever aged Remarkable Regional Malt. It’s bottled at cask strength (a whopping 54.7%) without being chill filtered or coloured

I was lucky enough to win one of 100 sample of this fine dram… with only 1080 70cl bottles available worldwide, and the potential to win the only golden bottle in existance, this was a dram that deserved a great deal of pondering & respect!

We lucky few were invited to send Douglas Laing our tasting notes to be in with a chance of winning said golden bottle, with the suggestion that we should not “be afraid to be creative with this, as the most elaborate, mouth-watering and quirky tasting note will win.”
To be completely honest, I’ve not given this lovely whisky the due care and attention it fully deserves, It’s been a rather busy & hectic few weeks for me! so I’ve stuck to my usual tasting note format without the addition of any flair… I’m not expecting to win the golden bottle (my vote so far goes to the fantastic review from Sorren Krebs! good work sir!!) but I still wanted to share my thoughts on this cracking dram… so here goes.

Eye

A rich amber colour, flashes of a golden early sunset when it catches the light. Viscous and rich, it coats the glass nicely and gives a clue as to the rich, chewy dram to come.

Nose

Oooh that’s a spicy woody number right there! Dry bourbon soaked oak (sort of what I would imagine an old splintered stave would smell like), warming clove & cassia bark, but rich sweetness too… marzipan mostly

Palate

Getting the marzipan more now… thick sugary almond richness with grilled peaches and a good kick of fresh red chilli and more cloves. With water the dram becomes richer and fruiter with masses of ripe tropical juices & banana coming through and a more subtle, gentle, sweeter spice… a bit like the cinnamon toast I remember having as a kid!

Finish

It has a long, sumptuous finish… the spices fade, sweet honey lingers then fades to an oaty porridge like finish. With water it doesn’t hang around as long on the finish, but you still get the honey and cereal qualities.

 

I can’t confirm that this dram is wee or timorous, but it is indeed a beastie!! Bold yet elegant, powerful yet subtle… a really well balanced dram that takes you on a journey from start to finish. It’s spicy, sweet, rich, fruity, nutty… an ever changing dram that, despite the variety, does not confuse or seem overly complicated.

Good work Fred! You & your clan have come up with a cracker here 🙂