Loch Lomond is quite a unique distillery in Scotland – its range of stills make it seem like several distilleries in one, and this is reflected in the range of whiskies it is able to offer. As well as having the usual pot stills, there are also Lomond-type stills and column (or Coffey) stills on site.
So, “Loch Lomond Single Grain” – clearly a product of the column stills, but there’s a twist – this is spirit distilled from 100% malted barley; a Coffey Malt if you will (but don’t tell the SWA!). This style is not particularly common these days (though Nikka’s Coffey Malt springs immediately to mind) but it is certainly not without historical precedent.
This soon-to-be-released expression is matured exclusively in ex-bourbon American oak casks, although the bottle carries no age statement. It will be available as part of a range of expressions from Loch Lomond being released to Global Travel Retail, so keep an eye out for the distinctive black bottle on the shelves of duty-free stores soon!
I have been lucky enough to receive a sample of this whisky through the fantastic Whisky Wire who have arranged a “Flash Blog” event (see below links for other participants). The 7th September 2016 will no doubt see lots of reviews and opinions being shared via social media using the hashtag #LochLomond.
Colour & First Impressions
A light yet vibrant gold.
Nose
Initially fruity and sweet: tinned mandarins and cream, with a touch of vanilla and perhaps some orange zest. There’s plenty of fruit salad sweets too. I found that given some time to breathe in the glass, the gentle yet warm vanilla becomes dominant.
Taste
Starts bright and fruity, consistent with the nose, before a biscuity sweetness comes to the fore. The mid-palate offers plenty more of those fruit salads.
Finish & Final Impressions
A pleasing balance of juicy fruit and sweetness. The only other Coffey Malt I have sampled is Nikka’s, but the theme of carrying a rich sweetness across a light-bodied whisky seems to be consistent (and fairly unique) to this style of whisky.
Many thanks to Steve Rush @TheWhiskyWire and Loch Lomond Whiskies for providing the sample.
Details
- Distilled from 100% malted barley
- Column-distilled
- Matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks
- Bottled at 46% ABV
#LochLomond Flash Blog Participants
Throughout the Flash Blog event I will update this section with links to other participants’ reviews of the sample.
Danish Whisky Blog (by @Macdeffe)
Friends of Single Malt (German) (by @MrSingleMalt)
Kask Whisky (by @kaskwhisky)
Braw Spirit (by @brawspirit)
Somerset Whisky Blog (by @steveprentice)
Whisky Discovery (by @WhiskyDiscovery)
Scotch and Sci-Fi (by @dvdbloke)
whisk(e)y’s tweets (by @damian_murtagh)
Billy’s Booze Blog (by @cowfish)
Loving Whisky (by @ansgarspeller)
Whisky Apocalypse (by @WhiskyApocalyps)
WhiskyGeek’s tweets (by @Whi5kyGeek)
Mark’s WhiskyWhistle Video Review (by @WhiskyWhistle)
The Whiskyphiles (by @TheWhiskyphiles)
Malthound (by @malthound)
OCD Whisky (by @ocdwhisky)
craigleewatson (by @spikeydog120)
Whisky With Friends (Dutch) (by @WhiskyFriends)
Tom’s Whisky Reviews (by @TomsWhisky)
The Whisky Wire (by @TheWhiskyWire)
Whisky Girl (by @Girl_Whisky)
The Amateur Drammer (by @AmateurDrammer)
Todo Whisky (Spanish) (by @todowhisky)
WhiskyManc’s tweets (by @WhiskyManc)
Wee Whisky Review/DJ’s tweets (by @wWhiskyR)
The Finest Cut (by @TheFinestCut)
Whisky Corner (by @WhiskyCorner)
Pipes and Drams Tweet (by @PipesAndDrams)
See #LochLomond for all content shared as part of the Flash Blog event.
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