Scallywag is the Speyside component of Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts range.
This year we witnessed the addition of a Scallywag 12 year-old version, bottled at cask strength and entirely matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks (but clearly less so than the Scallyway 13 Years).
Scallywag typically includes some Mortlach, Glenrothes, Macallan… and I suppose this is no different in that respect.
Scallywag 12 yo (53,6%, Douglas Laing 2019, sherry matured)
Nose: nicely oily but fairly neutral, with hints of cereals and oranges. Some added notes of toffee and plums – that’s the sherry. Also spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Light toasty notes.
Mouth: again this took the spicy direction. Malty and slightly grassy notes, roasted nuts, some clove-pinched oranges and plenty of oak spice. White pepper, clove, nutmeg. A little liquorice with treacle and syrupy figs in the background. Quite assertive, even a tad fierce.
Finish: medium length, still on this gentle sherry sweetness, malty notes and firm spices.
A firm Speysider which certainly beats a list of official 12yo bottlings. That said, the emphasis is on the cask strength here, rather than the (re-fill?) sherry character. Around € 75, available from Douglas Laing direct and retailers like Master of Malt.
Score: 82/100