“On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.”
As a younger man the one factor I knew about Loch Lomond was that it was talked about in a music. I’d by no means seen the place and didn’t even comprehend it was within the Highlands (I stay within the Highlands). OK, it’s simply within the Highlands; it’s usually thought-about to be a part of the Highland/Lowland border.
A number of years later I used to be dwelling fairly near the Loch, and through that point I found the primary of two very stunning issues: my youngest daughter was born within the Vale of Leven Hospital simply 5 minutes’ stroll from the shore. That was 20 years in the past, and the place has remained particular to me ever since.
A number of extra years after that I discovered the second factor: Loch Lomond Distillery. The distillery is positioned only a 4 minute stroll from the Vale Hospital. In my youthful days I in all probability handed it many occasions with out realizing; as we speak I can’t move it and not using a smile and a want for of one in all their fantastic drams.
The distillery is a comparatively fashionable incarnation (since 1964) of a a lot older distillery positioned a couple of miles additional north, however nonetheless on the banks of Loch Lomond (the music continues to be caught in my head). Loch Lomond is a distillery that some folks suppose throws out too many expressions; they’re relatively distinctive within the model and kinds of stills they’ve in operation (a topic lined by Graham on this article), however it’s this number of tools that enables them to place out such a various vary of merchandise.
Once more, maybe an excessive amount of to checklist right here, however you will discover stuff underneath the names “Loch Lomond,” and, though a overview of the advertising and branding has been evolving since 2020, you should still discover bottles branded as “InchMurrin” and “InchMoan,” the intention being to exchange these names to scale back model confusion and exchange with flavour descriptors on the labels, resembling “Fruity and Candy” or “Smoke and Spice.” There’s additionally Spearhead single grain whisky and a variety of Ben Lomond gins. To provide the wider image: though not from the identical distillery, however the identical secure (so to talk, as additionally it is owned by the Loch Lomond Group) is Glen Scotia over in Campbeltown.
So which of their drams have I pulled from the shelf? It’s the considerably uncommon peated single grain. What makes me say uncommon? Nicely, it’s the truth that it’s constructed from peated malt! Yup, it’s a single grain whisky and never a single malt, and that comes all the way down to the method. As talked about above: Loch Lomond make use of numerous tools and while they run maybe the commonest of all (the pot nonetheless) in addition they have a column nonetheless operation. There are a selection of various incarnations of the column nonetheless, however the trade customary is the Coffey nonetheless (named for the person who patented its design, Aeneas Coffey) Though this dram is produced utilizing closely peated malted barley, because of it working by way of the Coffey nonetheless it have to be considered a grain whisky.
Now, this dram is a non-age assertion expression, offered non chill filtered at 46% ABV. There isn’t any point out of color adjustment, though the whisky is offered in an nearly black bottle, so color is just actually obvious within the glass. Loch Lomond do admit to some color adjustment if required for continuity, in their single malts. In a latest communication with the Grasp Blender at Loch Lomond, Michael Henry, he talked about the only grain is pure colored. Incredible! Michael additionally not too long ago talked about in a social media group that he want to transfer towards pure colouring. It’s nice to listen to the trade professionals make such open statements.
Loch Lomond Peated Single Grain – Evaluation
Color: A pale gold (though hidden in a black bottle).
On the nostril: I all the time appear to get a smile throughout my face when have a peated whisky to nostril, and to be trustworthy this doesn’t disappoint on that entrance. It’s younger, undoubtedly, and there’s a slight – very slight – trace of a spirit, relatively “new make” like. However, extra so, there are pretty floral notes, married with summer season fruits mixed with a shocking wee peppery and smoky layer floating by way of the candy treats.
Within the mouth: The style involves you in a pleasant, full model of mouthfeel. The pepper is there however, for me, it’s a candy smoky-ness that catches the eye. There’s some pretty blackcurrant and summery citrus, I usually affiliate peaty whisky with colder climate however I actually wish to say this tastes like such a contemporary summer season model of dram. Recent end, with a smoke that likes to hold a few wee bit.
Conclusions:
If I used to be to seek out fault, perhaps I’d be inclined to say it does style very barely on the younger facet, however actually I’m clutching on the fault discovering straws with that. I don’t suppose this can be a easy dram, nevertheless it’s not a posh dram both… however I don’t suppose it hopes to be such. It’s a whisky that I can choose up in most shops/supermarkets in Scotland for round £25, typically much less, very hardly ever extra. For that worth, a 46% ABV, non-chillfiltered peated whisky, can I actually (and even, ought to I actually) be trying to discover fault? It’s a staple dram on my shelf and I hope it stays so.
