Douglas Laing Double Barrel Bowmore and Highland Park

★★★★

♟$

This blend of Bowmore and Highland Park combines whisky from Isle of Islay (Bowmore) with that of the most northern distillery in Scotland (Highland Park) which is located on the Isle of Orkney. Not much else to say really, except that it is produced by independent bottler Douglas Laing and Jim Murray describes this whiksy is "liquid gold" in his Whisky Bible 2012.

Nose

This presents a distinct smell, and despite knowing that this blend contains Bowmore I am not overwhelmed with Islay peat. Bread and butter wafts in the air, accompanied with very gentle notes of spiciness; the kind of spiciness associated with sweetness like cinnamon. 

Taste

Soft and textured, the Islay peat comes out like horseradish tickling the nasal cavity with smoke and then retreating into the mouth keeping it alight with a warm glow. It does lack a strength of delivery that I enjoy is Islay whiskies, and, for that matter, Highland Park! I think blending the two has taken some good parts from each, but also muted some other great aspects of each of these whiskies. 

Finish

The moderate gentleness of this whisky continues to impress as the taste of sharp citrus mellows to provide a delightful honeyed end which lasts a while.  

Overall

This whisky is excellent, and different to Big Peat and the Old Hibredian in that it is softer with a gentler nose, but on the tongue it strikes the nasal cavity like an explosion of spice that then weakens suddenly to provide a lovely warm glow.While blending the two has created a lovely mellow whisky, it has also silenced the bellow of Islay and Highland Park a little. This whisky would be great fora a newcomer to peated whisky, because it is nice and soft and gentle.