Douglas Laing's The Gauldrons Eclipse Cask Strength Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Douglas Laing’s The Gauldrons represents the Campbeltown region through a range of blended malts. The exact make-up is known only to the Laings, but an educated guess says they're heavy on Glen Scotia, simply because of how scarce Springbank and Kilkerran are. This limited edition is unusual for being finished in Orange Wine Casks, sourced from the cellars of Jerez de la Frontera in Southern Spain. Besides walnuts, honey, ginger and toasted almonds, the secondary maturation is reported to leave traces of tangy orange with an almost otherworldy edge. 3000 bottles were produced at 52.9% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Other reviews... Nose: Immediate hints of orange marmalade, touches of cough syrup, jammy apricots and some light notes of marzipan. There’s a thin layer of cereals lingering, as well as green olives and some ozone, but then we veer into the likes of cherry-flavoured candy canes also. Taste: A mixture of roasted peanuts, char and liquorice with a hint of sourdough. Also honeyed influences, orange pith, nectarines and a very gentle smokiness with soft mineral notes. Water highlights the distillates oiliness and enhances the stone fruits. Finish: Medium length. Sweet spices with barley husks and citrus zest. Quite cereal-forward there in the end. A whisky with character, The Gauldrons does a good job representing the Campbeltown region. There’s a funkiness combined with coastal elements, but also a pleasant sweetness to bring balance. It seems to have improved compared to how I remember it. The Gauldrons Eclipse loses some of its Campbeltown-esque qualities, outshined by the orange wine finish, presumably. However, it gains a distinct fruitiness – peels and stone – that adds a new layer. - wordsofwhisky.com

"Wow, what an interesting whisky ! Love the orange taste (even if orange wine has no orange in it). A special whiksy, really enjoyed it!" - whiskybase.com