Dalmore 32 Year Old Douglas Laing Rum Cask Finish / 60th Anniversary

Douglas Laing & Co was established in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, affectionately known as “FDL.” The company started out as a blending business, but over time their focus shifted towards independently bottlings single malts. Fred died in 1982, leaving the business to his two sons, Stewart and Fred Jr, who eventually carved it up in 2013, with Stewart leaving to establish Hunter Laing. Fred Jr and his daughter Cara now run Douglas Laing, which continues to bottle single malt and has also revived its blending business. Additionally, the company has recently moved into distilling as well, announcing plans to construct the new Clutha distillery in Glasgow, and taking over Strathearn in Perthshire in 2019.

The Old Malt Cask series is one of the most established independent labels on the market. It was launched by Douglas Laing in 1998 and bottled by them until 2013 when the brand became part of the Hunter Laing portfolio instead.

This is a special edition, bottled in 2009 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the company. Released in June that year, this is a 32 year old Dalmore, finished in a rum cask. The range also included a Port Ellen and a Laphroaig.

Dalmore is undoubtedly the prize single malt in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio. This was not always the case though. The blenders purchased it from the Mackenzie family in 1960, having been long-standing customers. Due to the long-running importance of it to their blends, their distillery bottlings of its single malt were limited to a 12 year old expression. Nowadays however, it is positioned as a luxury brand, rubbing shoulder with the likes of Macallan, and is globally recognised. Independent releases like this are hard to come by.