Glenfarclas 'Probably Speyside's Finest' 1969 Douglas Laing 40 Year Old / 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, the range also included a Port Ellen and two Macallan.

Titled 'Probably Speyside's Finest,' the Laing's well-known pseudonym for Glenfarclas, this was distilled in 1969 and bottled from a single sherry butt at an impressive 40 years old. One of 289 bottles.

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the "angels," resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.