Tag: Loch Lomond Group Page 3 of 4

The Loch Lomond Group operates Loch Lomond distillery at Alexandria in Dunbartonshire and Glen Scotia distillery in the Argyllshire port of Campbeltown.

Additionally, the group’s Glen Catrine bonded warehouse in Ayrshire is one of Scotland’s largest independent bottling facilities. Loch Lomond brands include: Loch Lomond, Glen Scotia, Inchmoan, Littlemill and Inchmurrin single malt whisky, as well as Clansman and High Commisioner blended whisky

Inchmurrin 11 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/22/2020

In Single Malt whisky

When South Africa went into Covid shut down in March 2020, the movement of all alcohol into the country and around the country came to a grinding halt. No alcohol sales were allowed, and all bars and restaurants closed.

The alcohol ban put a stop to the launch of an exclusive bottling for the Bottega Whiskey Club, a Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 11 year old Single Cask Scotch whisky.

The Government lifted the alcohol restrictions in June, and we all breathed a sigh of relieve. We could restock our wine and spirits again. And fortunately, the exclusive batting managed to reach its destination.

During 2019, after a long process, Savi selected an exclusive cask from Loch Lomond Inchmurrin, especially for the Bottega’s 20th birthday celebrations. And after all the wait and drama, it has safely arrived in Johannesburg. I had the fantastic opportunity to taste it live on Instagram with Muzi Mathe, the Loch Lomond Brand Ambassador.

Also Read: Kilchoman Sanaig Whisky

Loch Lomond has various brands in its portfolio. I have written about many of the Loch Lomond, and Glen Scotia releases and the Glen Scotia Victoriana is my favourite. However, I have not tasted anything from Inchmurrin yet.

The Isle of Inchmurrin is the largest of Loch Lomond’s island and was once home to chapel built by monks in the 7th century. Inchmurrin defines their house style as soft, grassy and floral notes mixed with woody influences. The Inchmurrin core range includes a 12 year old, an 18 year old whisky as well as a Madeira wood finish release.

The Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 11 yo was matured in refill American Hogshead and then finished for 9 months in new French Limousin Oak. Experts consider Limousin oak as loose grained, which allows particular characteristics of the oak to impact on the whisky. Limousin is not a wood finish you see every day and is certainly unique.

Inchmurrin 11 year old Whisky Review

The release is limited to only 371 bottles, so it is somewhat limited. It is non-chill-filtered and with natural colour.

ABV: 55.6%

COLOUR: Deep Gold

NOSE: Sweetness, fresh, green sapling with toasty malt and hints of fruit and vanilla. Rich and inviting.

PALATE: Spicier than what the nose promised. Oak spices with warming cinnamon and nutmeg balanced with roasted Brazil nuts, long grass and summer fruits. Bits of vanilla and faint wood in the background. It needs just a few drops of water to release a softer flower note. Big and bold, this release is perfect for winter.

FINISH: Oak spices, citrus with bits of fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

A delicious mouthful. I loved the spiciness balanced with sweetness. Neither overwhelmed each other. It works perfectly together. The wood notes in the background are like a beautiful ornate frame around the spice and sweetness.

I was surprised at how little water you needed to add to bring the flowers forward. Even though it has a huge ABV, it takes only a few drops of water to soften, and after adding the water, the change is pronounced.

The Inchmurrin 11 year old Scotch whisky excellent dram for winter to warm you up from the inside. It is one of those releases that you want to buy a bottle to drink and a bottle to keep.

I would, however, caution you not to wait too long before buying a bottle, because it is limited to only 371 bottles. It retails for R1 295, and you can find it online at Bottega whiskey.

Sample disclosure: I received this sample from Loch Lomond. Though received as part of a promotional event, the review and tasting notes are my honest, fair and independent thoughts on the whisky.

Loch Lomond Original Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/22/2019

In Single Malt whisky

I have tried many of the releases from Loch Lomond, but have not written about the entry-level release; the Loch Lomond Original single malt Scotch whisky. So today I write about the last Loch Lomond mini from my stash that I have tasted but not yet captured.

Loch Lomond Signature Blended Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/19/2018

In Blended whisky

Today I try another mini from the stash I found in my cupboard. This time I try the Loch Lomond Signature blended Scotch whisky. Loch Lomond is located on the boundary between the Lowlands and Highlands of Scotland. The first mention of the original Loch Lomond distillery dates back to 1814.

Glen Scotia 15 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/29/2018

In Single Malt whisky

My second blog post on the Glen Scotia miniatures. I found this at the back of my cupboard while cleaning my whisky room. Last time I looked at the Victoriana whisky and today I look at the Glen Scotia 15 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The golden days of Campbeltown were before Prohibition. Today there are only 3 distilleries left from the original more than 20. Glen Scotia along with Springbank and Glengyle still keep this unique Scottish region tastes alive. The characteristics of Campbeltown whiskies are a complex mix of flavours.

The characteristics of Campbeltown include a dryness with spicy fruit sweetness, smoke and a hint of saltiness. Imagine a cross between the Lowlands and the Western Highlands with a pinch of Island salt thrown in.

Stewart, Galbraith and Co. founded Glen Scotia in 1832 and it was family-owned until 1919. A turbulent period followed and much-needed stability arrived when the Loch Lomond Group bought the distillery.

The Glen Scotia range includes some core Single Malt expressions:

Double Cask
Victoriana
18 Year Old
25 Year Old

The Glen Scotia 15 year old whisky was released in 2015 and has been aged in specially selected American oak casks. It retails for around R800. Not a bad price for a 15 year old whisky. But the question is always; what does it taste like?

Also Read: The Singleton 15 yo whisky

Glen Scotia 15 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Campbelltown

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Golden Honey

NOSE: Barley, toasted oak, apricot sweetness with a lemony zest. Hints of spices and freshly baked goods.

PALATE: Small jam tarts, candied ginger and vanilla with fresh apricots. The Glen Scotia has a fruity sweetness that is balanced by a spicy bite with little bits of orange peel.

Slight hints of freshly baked apple pie and a salty note somewhere. Adding water makes the Glen Scotia 15 year old very drinkable without diluting the sweetness and spice balance.

FINISH: Medium length ending on fruity sweetness and orange peel with hints of pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Glen Scotia 15 year old single malt whisky is nicely balanced and makes for smooth drinking. And best of all, it is not a bad price for a 15-year-old whisky. Excellent addition to any collection and probably one of the more drinkable Campbeltown releases available in South Africa.

Have you tried this release yet?

Also Read: Longmorn 15 yo Scottish whisky

Glen Scotia Victoriana Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/30/2018

In Single Malt whisky

A long story to get to my whisky this week; the Glen Scotia Victoriana single malt Scotch whisky. Winter is not my favourite time of the year. I love the summer. When it is warm, I can move, plan, function and do things.

During winter, all I want to do is hibernate until the temperature rises again. But being in hibernation does not lead to getting things done, so winter I try to use as a time to restructure, refocus and clean.

Preparing and cleaning, so that when Spring comes, I can shrug off the old and start something fresh and new. As part of the process, I started sorting and cleaning my ‘whisky room’; the room where I store my liquor bottles. Whisky, wine, gin, brandy and all the assorted liqueurs that we gathered over the years.

I updated my database with what I have and cleaned out old boxes and paperwork that seems to gather there. And lo and behold, I found a small box with some samples in that I have not officially tasted yet. The box was from a Loch Lomond function I attended a couple of years ago.

Also Read: Inchmurrin 11 yo Whisky

Two of the drams I have tasted and written about. But there was a few more that I have not covered yet. So, over the next couple of months, expect to see a few Glen Scotia releases popping up for tasting.

The first one I want to try is the Glen Scotia Victoriana whisky. I just love the name and the label. The label reminds me of that dying hobby of stamp collection. So it is making the first appearance.

The name and the label is a reminder of the Victorian era when Campbeltown was a booming whisky hub. The small Kintyre Peninsula boasted over 20 distilleries. Campbeltown was known as “The Whisky Capital of the World.” Then Prohibition hit and Speyside and the Highlands became more dominant and this caused the end of the of Campbeltown golden era.

I had written about the history of Campbeltown and Glen Scotia when I captured my tasting notes for the Glen Scotia Double Cask, the Loch Lomond Original release as well as the Loch Lomond Single Grain whisky.

The Glen Scotia Victoriana single malt aims to re-create a modern interpretation of classic Victorian Campbeltown malt. The Victoriana is a NAS release and has been finished in deeply charred oak casks and bottled at cask strength without filtration.

Glen Scotia Victoriana Whisky Review

REGION: Campbeltown

ABV: 51.5%

COLOUR: Golden wheat with hints of green

NOSE: A very delicate nose. It’s got light cereals with hints of floral character in it. Toasted oak and smoke, bits of overripe summer berries, vanilla, toffee apple sweetness mixed with winter spices.

PALATE: On the palate, it’s different from other expressions. It starts quite spicy then quickly settled down. The first sip has lots of oak dryness, dried citrus peel, cinnamon, pepper and vanilla.

The second sip brings fruit jam with malted biscuits and salted toffee with faint hints of smoke. The Victoriana has a medium body, and a bit of an alcohol bite and water brings down the heat. Water also releases more fruit and vanilla spiciness but tempers the salt and smokiness.

FINISH: The finish is remarkable and the highlight of the Victoriana. It builds quickly and warms your insides before slowly retreating to leave you satisfied long after you have swallowed. The addition of water tames the finish a bit. It ends in hints of chocolate and smoke with lemon peel and oak.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The oaky spiciness of the Victoriana whisky can be a bit overwhelming. But you just need to take a second sip for the ripe summer berries, vanilla and smoky notes to come through. It is an exciting release that is certainly worth trying. From all the Campbeltown releases I have tried, this is my favourite.

In a few weeks, I will feature the Glen Scotia 15 yo, and perhaps that will also impress. We will have to wait and see. For now, I need to get my hands on a full-size Victoriana as this little sample was not enough.

Also Read: The Arran Malt Sherry Cask Whisky