Rock Oyster

This is the fourth blended malt from Douglas Laing. After their Big Peat (Islay), Scallywag (Speyside), Timorous Beastie (Highlands), they now offes this Rock Oyster. It represents the Islands (although it also contains some Islay whisky). I look forward to the stuff they come up with for Campbeltown and the Lowland. Anyway, this NAS-bottling is composed of malts from the Isle of Arran, Orkey, Isle of Jura and Islay. Hence, I expect quite a maritime malt.

It is peaty, but not overly so. On the contrary. I mostly get sweet malt and a truckload of apples. Quite a bit of mint as well. Touches of unbaked bread. Yeast. Seaweeds and a salty lining in the background. THis is quite nice.

Soft arrival on the palate (could do with a bit more body, I think), but fresh and lively and immediately the peat goes to work. Nice development of smoke and a lot of sea salt. Almost brackish. Luckily that is tempered somewhat by the sweet apples and the honey. Pepper and salt.

The long finish starts out sweet, but then becomes dry on peat, ashes and stockfish.

I have no idea where the oysters (or the rocks for that matter) refer to, but I can imagine this would go well with oyster. Great packaging, by the way.