Loch Lomond 18-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

 

A distillery’s history can usually be traced from even its ancient beginnings to the present day. There are public records to peruse; there are fans and historians who have written about them, and, of course, the Internet. Then, there are the head-scratchers, the ones with obscure pasts, such as with Loch Lomond Distillery.

 

What we can factually confirm is that Loch Lomond was first established in 1814 near Tarbet, situated at the northern end of Loch Lomond. At some point, it was dismantled. That’s seriously everything we know; anything else would be guesswork based upon unfounded rumors over 150 years!

 

In 1965, the former owners of Littlemill Distillery founded the new Loch Lomond Distillery, located in the village of Bowling, within Scotland’s Highland region. It was productive until it was shuttered in 1984. Three years later, Alexander Bulloch and the Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse, Ltd. purchased it and resumed distilling malt whisky. Then, in 1993, it added grain whisky to its portfolio. At that time, Loch Lomond was the only Scottish distillery producing malt and grain whiskies.

 

Loch Lomond’s master blender is Michael Henry; the distillery credits both him and its unique pot stills as what differentiates its whisky from what others offer. It utilizes both traditional swan-neck pot stills and straight-neck pot stills, each with 32 attached copper plates.

 

Loch Lomond also has an operational cooperage, placing it in an unusual position compared to most others. In fact, Loch Lomond is one of only four in Scotland with one! It employs a staff of ten coopers, each making, repairing, and rejuvenating about 30,000 barrels annually.

 

The Loch Lomond Distillery is part of the Loch Lomond Group, which also owns Campbeltown’s Glen Scotia, Highland’s Inchmoan, and a host of other brands.

 

That brings us to the subject of today’s review: Loch Lomond 18 Year Old, and I thank the Loch Lomond Group for providing me with a sample of it in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and see where it takes us!

 

• Whisky Type: Single Malt Scotch
• Region: Highland
• Distiller: Loch Lomond Distillery
• Age: 18 years
• Mashbill: 100% malted barley
• Cooperage: American oak casks
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV (92°)
• Price per 750mL: $159.99
• Non-Chill Filtered

 

Appearance: I sipped this whisky neat from my Glencairn glass. The brassy liquid produced a thicker rim with tightly spaced, medium-width tears.

 

Nose: As soon as I popped the cork, lucious peat wafted from the neck, and it only intensified when I poured it into my glass. I gave it about ten minutes to breathe; once that expired, I brought the whisky beneath my nostrils and started exploring.

 

There was a blend of smoky peat, bold caramel, apples, pears, citrus, and honey. I pulled the vapor into my mouth and encountered baked apples.

 

Palate: After finishing my sniffing, I took my first sip. Loch Lomond’s texture was thick and creamy; it sat on my tongue and seemed to require effort to move it back and down my throat. The front of my palate found more green apples, along with raw honey and golden raisins. Flavors of toasted oak, leather, and tobacco leaf barreled across my mid-palate. The back included smoky peat, toffee, and nutmeg.

 

Finish: Toffee, old leather, smoky peat, green apples, and golden raisins remained in my mouth and throat. It was even-keeled and seemed to hold on for all it could. Smoke was the last to let go. I pulled out my stopwatch; the duration lasted 2:09, which I would classify as very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Oh my goodness, this is an incredible pour! There’s so much to enjoy and really nothing to complain about, including the price. The nose was enticing; the mouthfeel was enchanting. I loved the flavors and depth of the palate. It even drank a few points over its stated proof; I would have guessed about 105°.

 

Loch Lomond puts out many whiskies, and this may be my favorite (so far). My Bottle rating should be obvious; this one is a stunner. Cheers!

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.