The King of Scots

On the nose, some spice and citrus, ethanol but not too rough. On the palate, sweet notes of vanilla, definitely some spice but blended quite well from my point of view. A bit dry and short on the aftertaste. Not a bad blended scotch!

Nose: Grainy, a little sharp. Some citrus and fudge but with a rubbery, sulphurous undertone. It's pretty typical for a bottom-shelf blended scotch nose and reminiscent of Grant's. Palate: Mildly spicy and hard arrival. Almost metallic cereal notes but hardly any development. Grippy ethanol, like cheap vodka at the core. Some malty notes but veering towards simple burnt sugar, and there's that sulphur note again, rearing it's ugly head. The texture is thin and a bit watery. Finish: Short, thin and dry. Cereal tastes dwindling into mild bitterness. Douglas Laing generally produces quality spirits, and some of their blended malts and cask-strength bottlings are excellent. This blended scotch has been part of their portfolio since just after WWII but while older bottlings and special editions command respect and good prices at auction, the modern version of the blend leaves a lot to be desired. It's not exactly a bad whisky, but it's nondescript and very, very callow. If this whisky was a person who you met socially you'd facepalm and walk away. There is also a dependence on what I feel is very low-grade grain whisky at the core, teamed with rather rough and industrial malt. Girvan and immature Glenrothes? Could be. My overall impression was one of neglect - like it's a legacy product that is still being produced to satisfy a guaranteed and loyal niche clientele, but Douglas Laing really don't care about it very much or put in the effort to create something special. It's outclassed by just about every other blended scotch in that price band and I would certainly not recommend it. "Poor" : 64/100 (1.25 stars)