Not to be confused with the Laing Brothers, who formed Douglas and Hunter Laing, the brothers, Given and Alexander, were with merchants and blenders in the 1860s. This bottle dates to the 1940s, so presumably it contains primarily whisky distilled in the 1930s prior to the curtailing of production during the war. 

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Whisky: Lang’s 8 Year Blended Scotch Whisky (c. 1945)

Country/Region: Scotland/Blend

ABV: 43%

Cask: Oak

Age: 8 Years

Notes: Faintly floral and perfumed, the aroma was creamy and bright with an underlying driftwood, number two pencils, tamarind, and soft maritime brine. Wispy smoke and tropical fruits drifted toward jabong fruit (pomelo), freshly picked limes, and basil flowers as more herbal elements appeared. Light-bodied on the palate, the floral profile was similar with plenty of soft brine and florals with a touch of creamy salted butter. Tropical fruits and wispy smoke lingered in the background with more desiccated coconut and citrus arriving at the end. The finish was mellow with tropical passion flower, sandy minerals, and wispy smoke.

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Score: 7 (84)

Mental Image: When the 1980s were the Future

Conclusion: A striking blend, this reminded me strongly of the 1984 blend that Thompson Brothers put out a few years back. In fact, had I not known these were from wildly different eras, I would have thought they were the exact same producer and whisky— they were definitely from different periods, but there could be overlap somewhere. 

This had plenty of the floral notes I associate with 1980s Bowmore and which can be found from other distilleries in the past, Glen Flagler comes to mind and potentially Glengyone, which was owned by the Lang Brothers– and then subsequently traded between conglomerates along with the Lang’s Blended Scotch label (which does still exist).  

Overall, this was lovely— perhaps soapy to some, but wonderfully floral and beachy to me. It had a good interplay of flavors and a surprising brightness considering its age.