The Epicurean has always been an interesting proposition in the Lowland malt space — a blended malt that actually tries to say something about place rather than just blending for blandness. This Glasgow Edition takes that concept and sharpens it, bottling at a punchy 50.4% ABV that signals serious intent. At £53.50, it sits in that mid-shelf territory where you need to deliver more than just a nice label, and I think it largely does.
What makes The Epicurean worth paying attention to is the premise itself. Lowland malts have spent decades being dismissed as the light, floral warm-up act before you get to the 'serious' regions. That's always been lazy thinking, and this Glasgow Edition pushes back against it. The higher strength here is a deliberate choice — this isn't a whisky that's been watered down to play nice. It wants you to engage with it, and at natural colour with no chill filtration (as is Douglas Laing's standard approach with this range), you're getting something closer to the raw character of what's in the cask.
The NAS designation won't bother anyone who's been paying attention to the market over the past decade. Age statements are increasingly a luxury in Scottish blended malts, and what matters more is whether the liquid justifies the price. The Glasgow Edition positions itself as a city-inspired bottling — urban, a bit gritty, more assertive than the standard Epicurean. Whether that's marketing poetry or genuinely reflected in the vatting is a fair question, but the higher ABV at least gives it structural backbone that the core range sometimes lacks.
Tasting Notes
I'd encourage you to approach this one with a bit of water and patience. At 50.4%, it rewards sitting with it rather than rushing through. Expect the Lowland character to come through — that lighter, more cereal-driven profile — but with enough cask influence and strength to add depth and complexity. This is a blended malt that punches above its weight class.
The Verdict
At £53.50, The Epicurean Glasgow Edition is fairly priced for a 50.4% blended malt from a reputable independent bottler. It's not trying to be a single malt killer — it's doing something different, championing a region that deserves more recognition while delivering a whisky with genuine character. Douglas Laing have been consistent with this range, and the Glasgow Edition feels like a confident step up from the standard bottling. It's the kind of whisky that makes you rethink your assumptions about Lowland malts, and that alone is worth the price of admission. I'm giving it a 7.7 — a solid, well-made dram that delivers on its promise without overselling itself.
Best Served
Pour it neat first and let it open up for five minutes, then add a few drops of water to tame that 50.4% strength. This is a brilliant whisky for a highball too — the Lowland lightness works beautifully with good tonic or soda water, a strip of lemon peel, and plenty of ice. If you're in Glasgow, that feels appropriate.
