Timorous Beastie was added to the Remarkable Regional Malts range in 2015, completing Douglas Laing's geographical sweep alongside Big Peat (Islay), Scallywag (Speyside), Rock Oyster (Islands) and The Epicurean (Lowland). The name comes from Robert Burns's poem 'To a Mouse', whose 'wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie' adorns the label in suitably mischievous style.
Fred Laing has spoken in interviews about the blend's components: Glengoyne, Dalmore, Glen Garioch and Blair Athol have all been mentioned over the years, all four bona fide Highland distilleries with reasonably distinct characters. The marriage is bottled at 46.8%, again without chill filtration or added colour.
The Highland category is broad to the point of meaninglessness, but Timorous Beastie does a creditable job of distilling its softer, honeyed end into a single bottling. There is nothing aggressive here — no peat, no overwhelming sherry — just a clean, malt-forward Highland profile of the sort one might once have associated with a respectable lunchtime dram.
It has won its share of awards, including IWSC gold, and a small cask-strength edition has appeared from time to time. For everyday drinking it represents fair value, and for those who find Speyside too sweet and Islay too smoky, it makes a sensible middle path. The mouse, like the whisky, is harder to dislike than to love — but it grows on you.
