Born in Glasgow but at home in cities big and small around the globe, The Epicurean is the Lowlands expression of Douglas Laing’s popular Remarkable Regional Malts range. It is the second-to-last member of the pack (only to be succeeded by the annual limited edition bottling The Gauldrons, which represents Scotland’s former whisky capital Campbeltown). As a relatively new whisky of youthful age and feisty character, it sometimes seems to me as if The Epicurean has a harder time winning people over than e.g. Big Peat or Scallywag. When you google its name, you will find a lot of raving reviews, for sure. But also some less favorable voices. Personally, I side with the first group for various reasons: A) I love the Lowlands! B) I love the Remarkable Malts! C) I love The Epicurean’s dapper design. D) I love his immensely citrus-y flavor profile. And E) I love how versatile it is. While this blended malt marks an ace dram to be drunken neat, it is also helluva good on ice, in cocktails or mixed. In my opinion that is one of the biggest strengths of this tophat-wearing cool cat: No matter whether you invite The Epicurean to a posh cocktail fête, a hip rooftop gathering or a rampant rock-out in some ramshackle backyard joint, he will always cut a mighty fine figure!
by Tobi
Eye: White wine.
Nose: Straight forward, strong and slightly biting with a whole lotta lemon as well as banana chips, apple slices and Sour Patch sweets. Add an ounce of vanilla and a drop of honey to the mix and The Epicurean’s rad n’ rakish perfume is complete.
Palate: This noticeably young Lowlander is quite electrifying on the tongue. Although it is not overly complex, it is a ton of fun! It is lemony, sugary, sparkling and a tad bitter. In it, citrus fruits and brittle chips meet gooseberries and wine spritzers. Especially in the current heat, that is one highly enjoyable combination of flavors and sensations. So what are you still waiting for? Let’s get that the summer party started, fellas!
Finish: Towards the end, The Epicurean shifts from sour to sweet. While strutting out of the room, this dapper fellow leaves behind a tasty trail of blossoming clover, creamy toffee and thick molasses.
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- The dram
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- The label
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- In the glas
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- Promo shot (taken from DouglasLaing.com)
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Region: Scotland (Lowlands)
Aged: NAS
Alc. volume: 46.2 per cent
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
Price range: ~35.00 Euro
More info: http://www.douglaslaing.com/ (Bottler) ; http://www.bremerspirituosencontor.de/ (Importer)
BarleyMania | Whisky & Whiskey 
While I’m sure you know that I’m among the “less favourable voices”, the fact we disagree illustrates why whisky is such an amazing drink. There’s only 3 ingredients, but the variety in flavour is so enormous that there’s something to everyone’s liking :-) Anyway, great write-up as always!
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Cheers, my friend. I also think that it is amazing how a mix of water, barley and yeast can be so rich, diverse and multifarious. And I totally agree that part of the fun comes from the fact that our tastes differ. This being said, there’s one last ace up The Epicurean’s sleeve: If you don’t enjoy it too much on its own, give it another chance in a cocktail. I already had helluva good Horse’s Necks and Appleyards based on that malt! :)
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