Just before SA’s second alcohol ban, I managed to pick up my sample pack of Loch Lomond whiskies for an online whisky tasting with Michael Henry. A few weeks before, I tasted the Inchmurrin 11 year old that was bottled exclusively for the Bottega Whiskey Club.
Savi and Musi, the Loch Lomond Brand Ambassador, set up this interesting online tasting. The online tasting included the Bottega Whisky Club Inchmurrin, the Loch Lomond 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky and the Inchmurrin 18 yo whisky.
Loch Lomond Distillery, situated in Alexandria, a small town south of the beautiful Loch Lomond, produces a broad range of different whiskies. They create single malt as well as single grain and blends.
Micheal took us through the different distilling options that he has available at Loch Lomond, and it was so refreshing to listen to how he works with the various elements that he has available to come up with all the different variations.
Also Read: Loch Lomond Inchmoan 12 year old Whisky
The Loch Lomond stills include special distillation trays in the necks, allowing for more significant contact with the cooling alcohol vapour. These stills can produce alcohol up to 90% ABV where traditional stills deliver the alcohol at around 70% ABV. From there it goes into maturation.
I captured tasting notes for the Loch Lomond Signature and Loch Lomond Single Grain whisky as well as for various other brands within the Loch Lomond portfolio in the past, and you can read all about it there.
The Loch Lomond 12 year old whisky is distilled in both unique straight neck stills and traditional swan neck stills, then aged in three types of American Oak casks: bourbon, refill, and re-charred. It is non-chill filtered.
ABV: 46%
COLOUR: Dark gold
NOSE: The nose opens with sweet, fruity aromas, dominated by honeyed notes. Ripe pears, figs, and plums are layered with malty vanilla and a touch of wood. In the background there is apricot, peach and freshly cut green grass.A hint of aniseed accompanies a light smokiness in the background.
PALATE: The fruity sweetness continues on the palate, with a fruit salad of peach and pear slices sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Buttery vanilla toffee and nutmeg balance the soft peat and smoke. The peat has a mild medicinal character but lacks the ashy, tar-like qualities found in some Islay whiskies.
Instead, it’s smoother, greener, and more approachable. Woody undertones and a subtle peppery bite round off the experience. Malted puffs with bits of dry oak, lemon and apricots and bits of pepper. Something green in the background. It is a medium-bodied dram that I found very drinkable. I finished my glass without the need to add water.
FINISH: The finish is medium length, leaving behind gentle woody notes, soft peat smoke, vanilla, and pepper.
RATING: EXCELLENT
The Loch Lomond 12 year old is a flavoursome whisky. Its name, “Perfectly Balanced,” is fitting, as it strikes a wonderful harmony between sweet, fruity notes and gentle peat and smoke, with a soft, peppery finish.
It was interesting how the water changed the spices in this Loch Lomond 12 year old whisky. For me, adding a few drops of water tones down the spice notes in a whisky and brings more sweetness forward. However, with this release, the water made it spicier. I enjoyed it more without water.
Even at 46% ABV, it is smooth and easy drinking with no alcohol heat. An excellent whisky for autumn as it gently warms you from the inside. Just lovely. It is worth picking up a bottle when you see it.
The Loch Lomond 12 year old single malt is an excellent everyday whisky and a great introduction for those new to peated expressions. Over the coming months, I plan to explore more of Loch Lomond’s diverse offerings, and this is a promising start.
It retails for around £42 in the UK and I see it is available on Amazon. It is also available in SA for R 820. This makes it good value for money when you compare it to other single malt Scotch whiskies of the same age.
During August, I had the opportunity to go on a Loch Lomond distillery tour at their facility in Alexandria. The tour detailed the entire distilling process and highlighted the wide range of whisky that Loch Lomond produces.
I got to taste the 12 year range produced by this versatile distillery including the Inchmurrin 12 year old and the Inchmoan 12 year old whisky. We even got to try the new make spirit of all three these releases that that is where you can really see the differences.
I have also tasted the Loch Lomond Steam and Fire single malt whisky during my trip to Scotland and loved it.
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