Port Dundas 1978 Xtra Old Particular Celebrating 75 Glorious Years of Whisky 45 yo

 

 

 

49,9°

Distillery : Port Dundas - Lowlands

Refill Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By Douglas Laing & Co. 

Limted Edition 

Single Grain 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This year, Douglas Laing is 75 years old. Not the person, but the trading company, of course, now firmly established as one of the benchmarks for independent bottling. To celebrate this magnificent occasion, some equally magnificent casks have been brought out of storage. This one in particular came from the famous Port Dundas distillery, which passed away in 2010, but produced 39 million litres of pure alcohol a year in its heyday. It only produced grain whisky, which is why this bottle, of which I was lucky enough to taste a drop, is a Single Grain. Produced in a very limited edition of 106 bottles, it comes in a luxury box with decanter, tumbler and other goodies. Given the colour of the liquid, it's reasonable to assume that there were a few staves from a Sherry cask in the Refill Hogshead that held the precious liqueur for 45 years.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Intense cereals, cracked wheat, crispy maize, honeyed barley, flavoured with vanilla millet. A wonderful muesli set with fruits. Caramel and red plums, spicy wood, cinnamon, dried fruits, banana, apricot, goji. Quince jelly. Syrupy on the palate, very balanced, the maturation has done its work. Caramelised wood juice, toffee, slightly drying lingonberry and gooseberry juice, discreet but very broad spices, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves. The finish is truly superb, extremely long, peppery, intense, earthy, humus, chestnut, mushrooms, relatively fat and charred. Molasses, dark chocolate, a hint of coffee, squid ink.

 

In Short, 

It's very impressive. It's not the profile I love, but I'm blown away here. Everything is perfect and lives up to expectations, from the nose to the finish. Especially the finish, which I adored. The price too is impressive, it's the median salary for a month's work in France. Is it worth it? There are many other things you can do with the money you spend on this bottle. Buy a dozen very good bottles, almost as good but much cheaper, for example.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Chris Beard - All Night Long