First Edition Whisky
First Edition is the name a son carried with him as he stepped out of his father's shadow. Andrew Laing, raised in the whisky family behind Douglas Laing, started his own firm to prove that good genes and a good ear for a cask can go hand in hand. |
About First Edition Whisky
First Edition is a series from Edition Spirits Ltd., founded by Andrew Laing, son of Stewart Laing of the Douglas Laing family, as an independent continuation of generations of whisky trading experience. The series consists of single-cask bottlings from across Scotland, always uncoloured and unfiltered and often at cask strength, and the labels deliberately omit tasting notes to let the drinker form their own opinion. Collectors are drawn especially to releases from Scotland's lesser-known distilleries, while newcomers get a clean, unfiltered whisky without marketing dressing.
History & Background
Andrew Laing grew up in one of Scotland's most whisky-savvy families as the son of Stewart Laing, who ran Douglas Laing & Co. together with his brother Fred before the firm split in 2013. Rather than joining the family's established firms directly, Andrew chose to start his own company, Edition Spirits Ltd., and launched First Edition as his own series, built on the same knowledge of cask selection he had learned at home. The series has since established itself as another name in the long line of Laing-connected independent bottlers that together define much of the Scottish single-cask market.
History & Background
Hunter Laing was founded by Stewart Laing following a split from the previous family firm Douglas Laing, and the First Edition range was created as an accessible entry point into single cask whisky from various Scottish distilleries.
Production & Style
Each cask is selected individually from named Scottish distilleries and bottled without added coloring, often at natural strength, to preserve the original character.
Signature Style
Versatile, Authentic, Distillery-Driven
The flavor varies considerably depending on the individual distillery, but an authentic, uncolored approach runs throughout.
Facts
| Bottler | Hunter Laing |
| Founded | 1868 (A. Dewar Rattray) |
| Pronounced | Först i-DISJ-en |
| Region | Glasgow |
| Country | Scotland |
| Owner | A. Dewar Rattray (independent/family-owned) |
| Known series | The First Editions, Old Malt Cask, The Sovereign, Scarabus |
| Official website | hunterlaing.com |
Did You Know?
Hunter Laing was founded following a split from the family firm Douglas Laing, making the two bottlers close historical relatives.
Like First Edition Whisky? You should also try:
Hunter Laing Whisky, Douglas Laing Whisky and Wilson & Morgan Whisky