Hunter Laing & Co.

The Benriach distillery just near Longmorn in Speyside is famous for its fruity spirit - peaches, apricot and honey tones join banana and apples. The tasting notes from bottlers Hunter Laing & Co. speak of a complex and waxy mouthfeel, with a long and enjoyably drying finish.

Filled in 1995 into a sherry butt before 25 long years of maturation, this Blair Athol was specially selected by Hunter Laing & Co. for their Old Malt Cask range. Blair Athol is typically weighty and rich, and this is no exception - stewed and dried fruits mingle with black tea and caramel, moving to nutmeg, ginger and lashings of bitter-sweet cocoa powder to finish.

Matured for 24 years in a single ex-refill hogshead cask, this Dailuaine is a brilliant example of the make, with a herbacious quality throughout that is distinctive to the distillery. There are menthol, herbal and orange qualities, joined by a greamy and red berried flavour that is carried on a waxy and very soft mouthfeel.

Filled from a single ex-sherry butt from the Dailuaine distillery, this new release from Hunter Laing & Co. carries a very nutty and malty flavour, like toasted barley and a building note of rich Christmas cake. The palate offers quite a herbal flavour, with pepperiness, dates and some orange zest. A lasting flavour again of dried fruits and herbs mingling.

This classical Linkwood was matured for 15 years in an ex-bourbon barrel, showing a wonderfully floral and 'green' character, tart green apples, straw and soft aromatic tones. The palate has cooked apple and chocolate flavours, with warming pepper that lingers.

Laid down to matured in 2000 for 21 years at the beautiful Royal Lochnagar distillery, this new release comes from Stewart Laing's iconic 'Old Malt Cask' range. Charged from a refill hogshead, you can expect a fruity dram with a mineralic edge. The nose is very peachy, with toffee and a note of green ferns. The palate is richer with cherries and chocolate, with a spicy heat in the background.

This higher strength expression of the Scarabus is full of the same sweet peat smoke as the standard release but with extra texture and body. On the nose notes of orchards fruits are joined by a peat smoke that develops as it sits in the glass. Flavours of creamy toffee and vanilla balance out the peppery spiciness. An impressive finish rich in honeycomb and a lasting ashy smoke.

Scarabus is a new single malt whisky selected by Hunter Laing & Co. who marked the opening of their new Ardnahoe distillery on Islay. While the origin of this whisky is a mystery, it is a big dram, offering an aroma of sweet syrupy pears, white raisins, freshly roasting peanuts and plumes of peaty smoke. A briny sea-salt and leathery note adds depth, again nutty then spiced with mace and vanilla on a very oily and viscous mouthfeel. A fantastic new arrival and a must try for fans of Islay's oily, coastal peat smoke.

Scarabus is a new single malt whisky selected by Hunter Laing & Co. who marked the opening of their new Ardnahoe distillery on Islay. While the origin of this whisky is a mystery, it is a big dram, offering an aroma of sweet syrupy pears, white raisins, freshly roasting peanuts and plumes of peaty smoke. A briny sea-salt and leathery note adds depth, again nutty then spiced with mace and vanilla on a very oily and viscous mouthfeel. A fantastic new arrival and a must try for fans of Islay's oily, coastal peat smoke.

This bundle includes two Glencairn Whisky Glasses, the most widely used speciality whisky glass in the world.

Situated in a valley just north of the village of Rothes, the Speyburn distillery produces a whisky that unusually for the area, is made with a very light peating level. Ginger oak and apple peel aromas lead the nose, with buttery danish pastries, sultanas and fudge to taste. The finish offers a long and drying flavour with the meerest hint of smoke.

Matured for 14 years in an ex-sherry butt, this Tamdhu offers a warming and rich style of dram, with a character of stewed red fruits, melted toffee and plenty of spices - nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in particular. There is an intriguing sweet/savoury note of BBQ sauce (sometimes found in ex-Oloroso casks) and a long, toffee'd, spiced flavour to finish.