Douglas Laing Announces a new range – Extra Old Particular [old bottlings]
Established in 1948, leading independent Scotch Whisky specialist, Douglas Laing & Co today announce the release of their rare and ‘antique’ aged Single Cask Scotch Whisky range “XOP” – Xtra Old Particular.
Douglas Laing’s XOP carries aged Single Malt and Single Grain Scotch Whiskies from all across Scotland’s Whisky regions and is bottled in a totally natural a style. Meaning XOP bottlings are from only one selected cask, without colouring, without chill-filtration and at natural cask strength.
Launching this November and available from specialist Whisky retailers, some truly “xceptional” bottlings feature in this first batch including a Macallan 26 Years Old, an Invergordon 40 Years Old Grain and a Caol Ila 30 Years Old.
Every attention has been paid in developing the packaging for Douglas Laing’s XOP Single Casks. From the super-premium wooden gift-box to the regionally coloured bottle labels, screen-printed bottle and individually numbered certificate. The team has work tirelessly to ensure the packaging is befitting of the specialist Whiskies it houses.
Says Douglas Laing’s Managing Director Fred Laing: “Our XOP range will carry our best-of–the-best stocks of particularly old and personally selected Single Casks of both Malt and Grain Whiskies which we intend to slowly release into the market. That is one of the real privileges and pleasures to be doing so with casks laid down by my father, Fred Douglas Laing, perhaps with this moment in mind. He would surely recognise the premium qualities in our XOP selection today which he himself demanded back in the 1940s when he founded his eponymous company.”
Douglas Laing’s XOP Xtra Old Particular Single Casks will be available from specialist Whisky retailers from November 2014.
THE BALVENIE UNVEILS 25 YEAR OLD SINGLE BARREL 
The Balvenie has unveiled the latest addition to its Single Barrel range with the launch of a 25 year old single malt matured exclusively in traditional American oak casks – those that have already been used to mature Scotch whisky.
The Balvenie Single Barrel Traditional Oak is characterised by subtle spices and rich honeyed sweetness and Malt Master David Stewart only selects casks of whisky for bottling that have the character he expects of Balvenie matured for 25 years exclusively in American oak.
However, no two casks will ever produce an identical single malt. As such, the single malt from each cask of Single Barrel Traditional Oak Aged 25 Years is unique and no more than 300 bottles will be filled from any one cask. This is reflected on the bottle label – hand numbered and carrying the distillation date, bottling date and cask number in which the whisky was matured.
David Stewart samples many casks using the exceptional nosing skills he has refined throughout his remarkable 50-year career at the distillery to select each cask of 25 year old whisky that he wishes to bottle as The Balvenie Single Barrel Traditional Oak.
David Stewart said: “Over the course of my time at the distillery, I’ve sampled thousands of casks and this means I know what to expect when our spirit is matured for many years solely in traditional American oak casks. This allows me to pick out the casks of whisky that display the expected rich, sweet and slightly spicy character I’m looking for. But of course there will always be subtle difference between the whiskies from different casks and I know that more and more drinkers appreciate this and will enjoy the experience of drinking this single cask whisky.”
The new Single Barrel Traditional Oak Aged 25 Years sits alongside two other Single Barrel whiskies: First Fill Aged 12 Years which is matured in barrels previously containing bourbon and Sherry Cask Aged 15 Years which is matured in European oak casks. These three single malts showcase Balvenie matured in the three main types of casks used at The Balvenie Distillery and provide whisky enthusiasts with a ‘straight-from-the-cask’ experience.
The Balvenie Single Barrel Traditional Oak Aged 25 Years is a non chill-filtered release with an ABV of 47.8%.
Available to pre-order from specialist retailers at an RRP of £400.