Scallywag Blended Malt

When most people consider quality blended Scotch, Compass Box comes to mind immediately, and rightly so, but Douglas Laing is also producing some excellent products. Here we have Scallywag, a malt blend exclusively using Speyside single malts, specifically Macallan, Mortlach, and Glenrothes (other distilleries are not explicitly named). It's matured in both sherry and bourbon casks, bottled at 46% ABV, is chill-filtered, and likely contains added coloring, giving it an amber-gold hue. I can confirm it's chill-filtered because I made a whisky and water for my wife (approximately a 5:1 water to whisky ratio with 2 ice cubes), and it remained as clear as apple juice even after 20 minutes. The nose is heavily sherry-forward but not excessively so, very much like Macallan or a more robust Famous Grouse. Notes of red grapes, raisins, and figs. Sherry oak, wood smoke (but not peat). Vanilla, semi-sweet chocolate, abundant fruitcake. Tobacco, leather, a salty element, and raspberry chocolate. There are clear indications of both well-aged and younger components. After some time, the Mortlach worm tub character begins to emerge with its meaty/mineral notes. The Glenrothes components also contribute with a more honeyed profile. Honeysuckle, plums, melon rinds, and dried apricots. Brown sugar, toffee, caramel, and a malty biscuit note at the bottom of the glass. The palate features sweet sherry and plenty of spices, but not overly so. Very light peat and wood smoke. Dark chocolate, tobacco, and leather. Vanilla, allspice, and pepper. It initially presents as all Macallan, then shifts to a more Glenrothes character with pops of citrus peel, stone fruits, and honey, oak, and biscuits. More of that Mortlach meaty/mineral funk from the nose. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and significant fruitcake. A medium-bodied mouthfeel that is somewhat thin and creamy. It's mouthwatering. The finish is long with sweet sherry, baking spices, fruitcake, and a dry quality. When I first opened this blend, I wasn't impressed. It seemed excessively spicy for 46% ABV, and the Mortlach profile was too dominant. There are only a few distilleries that use worm tubs whose character I genuinely enjoy, such as Talisker, Edradour, Oban, Old Pulteney, and to a lesser extent Springbank, though they are growing on me, so that funk was just too much. It reminded me too much of Craigellachie, which I really dislike. The first half of the bottle was used for sample exchanges, and once they were poured, I let the remainder sit for a few months. Returning to it, things significantly improved. As I progressed towards the end of the bottle, it evolved into a very solid dram. If you are a big fan of Mortlach or Springbank and enjoy sherried Scotches, I would highly recommend this one, but I would suggest consuming it more quickly to maintain its profile. At $70, the price is a bit steep, but I believe it's still worthwhile. A solid 4. Cheers

Nose: Sherry, malt, raisins, tablet, toasted cereal, roasted nuts, a little orange zest, and a smidge of vanilla. Crisp, clean oak cask. It has a full-bodied richness of aroma but no intrusive sulphur. Adding water brings out orange juice notes and slightly mutes the nose, but it's good either neat or watered. Palate: Sweet but firm arrival with stewed dark fruits, toffee, lots of malt extract, dark chocolate, and espresso. Like the nose, it has a fresh, crisp presentation. At first, you think it will be a stereotypical “Christmas cake” sherried malt, but suddenly the development jack-knifes and is overturned by a peppery explosion. The texture is good but not heavy. A dash of water tames the spices just a bit, reveals a little more complexity in the late development, and adds a creamy quality to the mouthfeel. Finish: Medium. Sherried fruits sitting on a wave of pepper, chilli, and hot ginger that slowly fades into a malty, dark fruit aftertaste. Adding water leaves the aftertaste a fraction sweeter. A good blended malt and an excellent example of just how good such blends can be. This is an exemplar of great sherry maturation and combination. According to the Douglas Laing site, it contains Macallan, Mortlach, and Glenrothes (among other sherried malts), and frankly, I’d rather have it than the introductory versions of any of those named brands. Well, OK – maybe not the new Mortlach 12 - that's pretty nice. The bottle has the words “Small Batch Release” on the label, but don’t think this is just meaningless marketing speak. This genuinely is a batch product, and although the quality has been consistently high across the years, the profile has drifted, and recent batches have been spicier than it was on introduction. This tasting was from a bottle with the code “L 02 02 18 / Batch 15” (2018) that I bought in early 2020, and it is definitely one of the spicy ones. It responds very well to gentle dilution. A half teaspoon of water does not spoil anything but mutes the spiciness just a fraction, makes it a little more cohesive, and lengthens the finish. A dash of water also immediately brings out a beautiful haze – this absolutely has not been chill-filtered, and I’d say it has only had very light barrier filtration. Bravo. This is a recommended dram for neat or diluted sipping, or for mixing where the spicy notes will work excellently against sweet flavors. Regular retail in Australia is $110, which is very reasonable. My bottle was $85 about a year ago on special and a bargain at the price - I should have bought several. “Good”: 83/100 (3.5 rock-solid stars)

Tasting: 13/23 We'll have to see how this goes. I enjoyed Rock Oyster, but The Epicurean sadly didn't do it for me. Nose: I get some nice sherry sweetness on the nose. There's fig and some lightly, slightly oily caramel with a faint hint of buckwheat produced by the kind of youthful maltiness. This is somewhere between a young (10 to 12 year) Aberlour and a young Glenfarclas, which is a nice place to be, honestly. There's some of that Glenfarclas vegetal funk, but it's also somewhat mellower like Aberlour, though it lacks the characteristic floral side of the fruitiness. There's a bit of bite from the alcohol, and this is clearly quite young, but it isn't bad. Palate: This is harsher than Aberlour 12 is, but it's also richer with some more personality, and the harshness could be explained by the higher ABV. I get that fig and caramel with the dash of buckwheat. There's more of an orange flavor to the sherry here, though it loses that sort of rose enhancement that brings out the red fruit in Aberlour 12. A bit of that vegetal flavor makes it through, which helps with the richness and gives this a bit more personality than Aberlour. The youthful alcohol is quite noticeable, but not entirely bad. Finish: The light fruitiness and some alcohol remain. There's a bit more alcohol bitterness as well. It's largely a more muddled version of the palate with more alcohol. It's not a very exciting finish. First impression: This is a surprisingly successful dram! It's a real stand-out from Speyside in the budget price range. The flavor is decently complex despite it being a blend, yet it doesn't taste overly young. This has more smoke and funk to it than Aberlour 12 does, but it isn't funky to the extent that younger Glenfarclas tends to be. It's pretty complex and balanced. It might not taste all that old, but it does taste well executed. Aberlour 12 does have more sweet fruitiness, though. This emphasizes dark dried fruits (e.g., prunes) less than Glenfarclas 105 does, having more of a young tawny character. At times, I think I prefer the clean execution of Aberlour 12, but this is always quite close in quality. Really, I think that it's a very situational call. I can imagine this being as low as a 12, but really I see it at more of a 13. With Aberlour 12 at a 13, I think that a 13 is most appropriate for this. I can definitely imagine a 14 for both this and Aberlour 12 in the future, but I don't see how either would reach a 15. At $30-35, this would be easy to recommend. At $55, it's a tougher sell. I don't think I'd buy a bottle at that price.

Scotch Speyside blend, 46% ABV, blended by Douglas Laing & Co. Ok, I admit that my mindset gets a bit more hesitant when I see the word blend on a label. But seeing as it is blended by Douglas Laing, who also created Big Peat, Timorous Beastie, and The Epicurean, my concerns turn into curiosity. This might also be the bottle that draws the most attention from my friends who don't drink whisky. I suspect it had some influence on my purchase as well. Nose: Immediate sherry notes surrounded by fresh ginger, citrus, and cinnamon. Some sweetness from figs, raisins, dried apricots, and plums. Just like Big Peat, this has those fusel oil/yeast notes when first opened. It makes me wince a little, and I'm trying to connect this aroma to something more pleasant. It usually disappears after a few days, so it's not a major issue. The scent here is generally a pretty classic scotch, I'd say. Palate: Sweet but slightly unassertive sherry that shifts to grain and nuts on the sides. In the background, we have slightly bitter cocoa beans and hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. Perhaps some dry tannins in the cheeks. Somewhere on the palate, I also detect a more confident Glenmorangie 10. I think that confirms the classic and malty scotch impression I'm getting. Finish: The sherry remains, accompanied by gently charred oak in the background, and by the way, this is the only element that reminds me of bourbon. Pungent baking spice lingers for a while. Overall: I'd say it's a decent blend. Better than many others available. I would probably suggest this to someone looking to try something new outside the standard offerings like JW Red Label, Famous Grouse, and Grant's. Another whisky similar to Scallywag would be Spearhead from Loch Lomond. It's a great single grain alternative if you're not a fan of sherry flavors.

Bottled in September 2024 in Nancy. Appearance: Light apricot. Nose: Boozy, reminiscent of Bad Game whiskies, with a honey undertone. First sip: Refreshing and crystalline, it gently cools my brain, which is already significantly impacted by alcohol molecules... Second sip: Sweet and smooth, like a gentle caress completing the initial refreshing taste. Tongue coating with a chili film, warmth in the chest, an industrial finish. I'm not sure I can judge this whisky accurately in my current state. Lacks depth, a whisky for indecisive women. It tastes better than it smells. A delicate whisky, not bad, it's like a fake Japanese whisky. Tasted at home while listening to the rambling thoughts of Dooz Kawa... The last gift the baroness gave me, this mid-range whisky doesn't live up to its memory. Fuzati is catching my eye, but I won't slip up; I'll opt for tasting a worthy whisky to honor the memory of its breathtaking beauty...

A Speyside from a different perspective, a vatted malt combining some well-known names, created by an independent bottler. I experienced this as a bit of a flavor rollercoaster but overall more positive than negative. So... The nose. Sherry, sweet but not cloying, not exactly harsh but the alcohol and toasted barrel impact is tempered by cinnamon and toffee. The mouth... Toasty, a hint of malt. Spices, hot and sweet at the front. More toffee. Caramel at the back of the mouth. The char is present, adding a bitter note. There are many flavors here, but 'balanced' isn't how I'd describe it; this is almost a creature of extremes. Aftertaste... That bitter touch and a wave of sherry clash, but neither is defeated. Scallywag is not at all timid. It has the energy of the cute dog it identifies with. In fact, it is boisterous and a bit excitable but likable if not completely lovable. Despite its shortcomings, this drinks well.