The folks at D.Laing are never resting on their laurels, and they have recently announced the first installement in a trilogy of limited edition island malt. The first whisky to be released is called “Yula”, comprised of a few malts from the Islands and Islay. So why Yula you ask? there’s a story, as always:
Ancient Islay legend tells of a beautiful Norse goddess Yula, who went in search of her long lost love with an apron full of stones. The stones fell out as she travelled, forming a string of islands and leaving behind a trail of her empty quest. For Yula never did find her love, but perished instead in the treacherous seas surrounding Islay, the last jewel shaped stone to fall from her apron. And it’s here on Islay, which in old Norse means “Yula’s Isle”, that our tragic heroine is buried, her final resting place marked by two standing stones which can still be seen to this day.
This is a quite limited edition , with only (this time a real only) 900 bottles, priced at £110. The packaging is quite awesome too (If you’re a sucker for this kind of thing), with the lovely bottle shape and the rope…
Douglas Laing yula, 20 yo, Blened Malt, £110
Nose: Starting with a lovely well aged oak casks, a hint of varnish and balsamic. It gets sweeter with orchard fruit , mainly apricot and some berries , there’s only a wee hint of smoke, in the far background. It’s really very delicate. It is not a peat centric whisky at all, nose wise anyways. Chocolate and a touch of fresh citrusy notes. Classic stuff.
Palate: There is more smoke on the palate for sure but it does not dominate the a palate. There is quite a lot of exotic fruit compote , a dash of vanilla and milk chocolate. Lovely oak and wood smoke, light peat and pepper all engulfed by sweet luscious fruit, cereal and syrup.
Finish : Sweet exotic fruit, mostly melon and a salty , dry and woody edge.
A lovely dram indeed, showing nice age, while integrating the peat in a way that leaves room for the fruit and sweet notes to shine. Great example of a well blended malt. Good work, looking forward to the next 2 editions.