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| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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June 8, 2022
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A Loch Lomond extravaganza in two elements, Half One
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Till round fifteen or twenty years in the past, Loch Lomond’s whisky was just about unknown. Certainly you had that low-cost blue official bottling, in addition to the well-known Outdated Rhosdhu 5 years outdated…
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However aside from that, Captain Haddock had carried out a lot of the advertising and marketing job whereas all of us knew that his whisky had truly nothing to do with the precise Loch Lomond. Then Glen Katrine began to launch a number of bottlings, the indies did simply the identical, the variants began to poor in too (Inchmurrin, Inchfad, Croftengea, Inchmoan… effectively I am positive I am lacking a few of them)… And at this time there’s simply loads, whereas the repute has develop into equal to these of simply another good Scottish malts. Lengthy story quick, we’ll style lots of them, as they have been, effectively, pouring in inside the final months and years. Loch Lomond malts, Loch Lomond grains, Outdated Rhosdhu, Craiglodge, Inchfad, Inchmoan, Inchmurrin, Croftengea, you title them. And from pot stills, Lomond stills, Coffey stills, and any mixtures thereof. Oh and we’ll do this at random (kind of, some order at all times appears to look at WF Towers, usually in a reasonably Brownian approach)…
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Loch Lomond 10 yo 2010/2020 (57.7%, OB, Unique to The Whisky Trade, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #349, 241 bottles) 
That is effectively ‘unpeated’ Loch Lomond. Color: white wine. Nostril: you nearly immediately realise that this child’s meant to be nosed with water, as we’re reasonably round medicinal alcohol flavoured with oak chips and kirschwasser at first, earlier than a number of gentler touches from the first fill barrel would chime in. With water: how proper was I? (oh come on…) Custard, coconut cream, guava juice, white chocolate… It is develop into simply one other malt, a really good one. Mouth (neat): artisanal eau-de-vie. We did not say moonshine! With water: as soon as once more water unlocks the fruitiness, gooseberries, oranges, apples, slightly blanc-manger… End: medium, reasonably extra citrusy, very good, clear and fruity. Feedback: at all times ensure you have slightly bottle of fine water on the facet – and a pipette or a wee mocha spoon.
SGP:551 – 85 factors. |
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Loch Lomond 11 yo 2007/2018 (55.9%, Cadenhead, Genuine Assortment, bourbon hogshead, 306 bottles)
Color: straw. Nostril: crikey, this can be a peater! The label would not say… Anyway, smoked lemons and kiwis, wakame, sorrel, working barbecue (with nothing on it but)… Proper, charcoal. With water: the normal mud, chalk and uncooked wool. The countryside up there… Mouth (neat): good peat, fermentary, lemony, with reasonably beautiful bitter notes, lemony porridge, lemon fudge and salted caramel… Good clear texture. With water: I had thought it could get thinner, quite the opposite. Smoked almonds and punchy fino. End: reasonably lengthy, actually super-good. This one simply talks to the Islays of comparable ages, on an equal footing. Feedback: as I simply stated. I additionally consider Cadenhead are sometimes slightly restrained with the oak, which is goo in my ebook.
SGP:466 – 87 factors. |
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Loch Lomond 13 yo 2005 (57.5%, Claxton’s, hogshead, cask #1962-413, 286 bottles, +/-2019)
Color: pale straw. Nostril: blimey, and voilà, one other peater. Within the model of the Cadenhead (Croftengea?), just a bit fatter, with touches of contemporary butter and orange cake, maybe madeleines. With water: a contact acetic however in any other case certainly, a fatter model of the Cadenhead. Mouth (neat): between a Moine and an Ardbeg, that’s to say bigly peaty. Oranges and lemons within the background. With water: After all of the Irish sea is not that far-off, is it? End: lengthy, ashy, very peaty. Inexperienced apples within the aftertaste. Feedback: we have at all times heard tales about distillers attempting to make some Islay on the mainland (and now the continents). Properly LL acquired very shut. Having stated that the Cadenhead was having a better drinkability index.
SGP:467 – 86 factors. |
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Loch Lomond 21 yo 1995/2017 (51.5%, Douglas Laing, Outdated Specific, cask #DL12096, 322 bottles) 
Color: white wine. Nostril: wait, maintain on, is that this malt whisky? It’s totally mushy, rounded, vanilla-ed, on a lot cake-iness and acacia honey, a pack of finger biscuits, a lightweight Champagne… With water: candyfloss and a packet of vanilla sugar. Like, Dr. Oetker’s. Mouth (neat): is not this grain? Bonbons, coconut, marshmallows, slightly varnish, candy oak… With water: gentle, rounded and skinny. Not fairly my cup of… malt. End: quick, on hay and fruit drops. Drops of liquorice tea within the aftertaste. Feedback: that is already changing into difficult, I hoped we’d style correct Loch Lomonds and we have already acquired one LL, two peaters and one grain beneath our belt, all labelled ‘Loch Lomond’.
SGP: 530- 78 factors. |
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Loch Lomond 21 yo 1996/2018 (51.5%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, bourbon hogshead, 450 bottles) 
From two BB hoggies, however peat or no peat? Properly Cadenhead might effectively have blended a peater with a daily LL… (no?) Color: straw. Nostril: no peat that I can detect this time, reasonably desserts aplenty and orchard fruits in abundance, apples, plums, pears, yellow peaches… Some contemporary almonds too (which is at all times lovable). With water: cling on, maybe slightly smoke? A little bit brine for positive. Mouth (neat): good enjoyable, first nougat and milk chocolate, then sardines and bits of pickled anchovies. I advised you, good enjoyable, however we have to know concerning the former content material of those casks. Every of them. With water: much more brine! Actually weird, and definitely not disagreeable. One of many frivolously peated variants in spite of everything, maybe? End: reasonably lengthy, salty. Feedback: one thing slightly unsure on this one, in spite of everything… However it’s extraordinarily good at occasions.
SGP:452 – 84 factors. |
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Loch Lomond 21 yo 1997/2018 (52.5%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, bourbon barrel, 378 bottles)
Barrels as a substitute of hogsheads, this time. Color: gentle gold. Nostril: some wooden smoke, some chalk, loads of weissbeer, then loads of fruits, citrus, popcorn… Yet one more variant that would not let you know its title? With water: a really weird feeling of craft whisky. Was some re-racking in contemporary oak carried out right here? Mouth (neat): a tiny wee bit skinny however with superior bourbon-led flavours. It is truly very near the 1996, simply much less salty. With water: simply superb. Linden tea, pistachio nougat (one other sin), extra sweeter weissbeer… End: medium, very nice. Oakier signature (mud, chips). Feedback: a curious feeling of a whisky being each lighter and deeper. Does that make any sense? Too unhealthy the oak was slightly loud within the end. PS: superb drop.
SGP:551 – 85 factors. |
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Good, I feel we discovered that any variants might be labelled as ‘Loch Lomond’ (identical at Springbank, Bunnahabhain, or there, Tobermory by the way in which), and that consequently, we might simply go on with any title… Be my visitor!
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Croftengea 10 yo 2006/2016 (46%, Cooper’s Alternative, refill butt, cask #5024, 725 bottles)
At all times a pleasure to strive some whiskies by The Cooper’s Alternative or mum or dad agency Classic Malt Whisky Firm. Ooh these Lagavulins… ;-). Color: nearly as white as some white tequila. Nostril: model new backyard hose, paraffin, new Nikes, then bitter almonds, with a superb few drops of lapsang souchong. A lot, a lot nicer than it sounds, however the sherry’s nearly unnoticeable, or was it a fino butt? Mouth: glorious. Salty almonds and citrons, seaweed, ashes, lime and pickled fruits. Fantastic waxy construction. End: medium, very salty. Seaweed and seashells. Feedback: drink with oysters! Like, twenty-four of them! Fan of this very salty younger child.
SGP:366 – 87 factors. |
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Let’s strive a fair youthful Croftengea (most likely simply gasoline, I am positive…)
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Croftengea 7 yo 2010/2017 (57%, Golden Cask, 325 bottles)
This one by the Home oof Macduff ought to nearly classify as new make. And 100° proof, at that. Color: as white because the whitest white tequilas. No, actually. Nostril: it is cool to seek out fermentary notes that might are inclined to go away with growing older, corresponding to cheeses, contemporary breads, health club socks and child puke (a tiny toddler, a tiny drop). All that in infinitesimal portions, we’re completely wonderful right here. Cherry juice too. With water: linoleum and paraffin. Mouth (neat): eau-de-vie, primarily from stone fruits (apricot, apricotine) and williams pear. Eau-de-vie de barley, simply smoked and salted. With water: superb, that is all salted and smoked williams pear spirit, plus almonds. I promise I am going to attempt to make that sooner or later – will report again. End: lengthy, very kirschy. Frankly, it is kirschwasser, aged in stoneware. Feedback: you are speaking to Mom Nature whenever you drink this.
SGP:455 – 85 factors. |
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Please an older Croftengea, maybe for Asia…
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Croftengea 14 yo 2007/2021 (54.9%, Oxhead Whisky, refill hogshead, cask #52, 259 bottles)
Color: gentle gold. Nostril: this one’s slightly extra acetic and acidic at first, maybe, actually extra on lemon juice, however it could then rush in direction of caramel and fudegdom, with some butterscotch and a few totally fantastic notes of mirabelle jam. Mirabelle jam huge time! With water: sure, ripe mirabelles, quinces, all that. Mouth (neat): ooh this one’s good, evidently somebody sensible has determined to age mirabelle eau-de-vie in some ex-amontillado wooden (nothing to do with actuality, in fact). With water: whoops, cautious with water, some molecules enjoying soiled methods on you. Like, pulling off outdated cardboard. So long as you add solely two drops, you will go on with good fruity notes. End: medium, glorious, oh simply do not add any waterz. Feedback: water works in mysterious methods. In any other case, excellent Croftengea, not a peat monster by the way in which..
SGP:554 – 86 factors. |
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Time to have a final one however we’ll go on within the coming days, possibly even tomorrow…
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Croftengea 15 yo 2006/2021 (52.6%, The Whisky Trade Single Casks, hogshead, cask #341, 280 bottles)
Color: gold-plated (S., what the… ?) Critically, that might be gentle gold. Nostril: this one’s gone in direction of camphor, eucalyptus and shoe polish, which is one other territory already. With water: adios, again on breads and beers. Mouth (neat): huge varnish and acetone, even glue and bacon. Are we positive?… A whacky sherry hogshead? With water: good enjoyable with almonds, pecans, peanuts and sesame. A maverick of a whisky, for positive. End: lengthy, with Croftengea’s signature saltiness. Feedback: an uncontrollable dram, I am positive it’s going to be completely completely different subsequent time we’ll strive it. A superb dozen completely different whiskies in a single bottle, how cool is that?
SGP:466 – 86 factors (for the report). |
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I agree ten is bit low-cost, let’s have one for the highway…
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Croftengea 13 yo 2007/2020 (58.2%, Dramful!, bourbon hogshead, cask #255, 76 bottle)
One other micro-bottling for, I suppose, large emotions and sensations. Color: very white white wine. In fact, no white wine’s ever been as white as this. Nostril: this one’s integrally on smoked almonds, correct almonds, outdated almonds, contemporary almonds, kirschwasser and marzipan. So long as water’s not been added. With water: there, contemporary breads, doughs, oats, then grist and slightly carbon mud. A contact of yoghurt within the background. Mouth (neat): elegant contemporary new-makey earthy and almondy make. No prisoners, however thirteen-years-old already, actually? With water: reasonably excellent, fermentary, almondy, doughy, salty, smoky… End: very lengthy, with petroly flavours on high of the bready ones. Tar within the aftertaste – ah, tar, lastly! Feedback: solely the physique will not be ‘that’ huge, or it could crush all, and I imply all Islayers honest and sq..
SGP:467 – 87 factors. |
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Inchmurrin 28 yo 1993/2022 (50.7%, WhiskySponge, refill hogshead, 178 bottles) 
Color: gentle gold. Nostril: this one’s actually all on teas, together with smoked ones. I’d consider that is the subtlest attainable affect of oak. Mint tea, linden, lemon grass, drops of thyme tea, then reasonably dried tropical fruits (papayas and guavas are reasonably apparent), then extra meaty tones, maybe lamb with English mint sauce (I do know) plus some liquorice and aniseed. With water: outdated books, parchments, earth, dried mint leaves… Very singular certainly. Mouth (neat): a really curious (but glorious) arrival on sage, tarragon and a few lemony peatiness, then vegetal earth, blond tobacco, hay and inexperienced pepper. Notes of pinewood. With water: a saltiness coming by way of – not the primary time- and a drop of fish oil. Which makes it fairly coastal certainly, in a singular approach. Additionally clams or cockles stewed in white wine, butter and garlic? End: medium, with concepts of outdated embrocations, camphor, fir honey… Feedback: nice enjoyable with the cask and a reasonably sensible, uncommon drop. Laborious to categorise although.
SGP:562 – 89 factors.
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