...where distraction is the main attraction.

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Loch Lomond 18 year old

(Loch Lomond cluster homepage)

After having consumed plenty of Loch Lomond's twelve-year-old, I was excited to try more of this improved, fruity, unique spirit. Unfortunately my options were a bit limited here in the USA since my favorite European sellers promptly cut off shipping to The States once Covid went wild. The 17 year old cask strength Organic bottling was of particular interest, but that one went bye-bye.  At ~90USD the 18 year old also intrigued me, but I waited until a sample could be sourced. I'm glad I didn't have to wait too long!

Like Loch Lomond 12, the 18 is aged entirely in American oak casks; though also like the 12, the type of casks aren't specified. Hoggies? Barrels? New oak? First-fill? Eighth-fill? The 12 seemed like refills, which worked very well for it. For the purposes of this review, the 12 served as the 18's sparring partner.

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Loch Lomond
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company
Region: Highlands (Western)
Age: at least 18 years
Maturation: American oak casks
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? Not much if any
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

A pleasant mix of ocean brine, pears, peaches and flower kiss candy greets the nose first. It gradually settles onto a base of barley, Fritos(!) and toasted granola. Limes, kiwi and lychee arrive first in the palate, but it feels flat and thin. It gets a little bit peppery. Then the tannins arrive. And neutral spirit. In early sips, the finish has the palate's fruits, but it becomes more acidic, tannic and ashier in later sips.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Loch Lomond 18 year old reads like a fatter version of grain whisky, but it still has a single grain's limitations, thus the flatness and inability to hold back the oak's onrush. This doesn't bother the nose, as the 18 smells very pretty, but the palate and finish gradually fall apart. With that developing note of neutral spirit + tannin, the whisky gives the impression that it will devolve into Kessler after an hour on the glass. It's not even close, the 12 wins.

Availability - Available in Europe and North America
Pricing - $70-$100
Rating - 78 (though that might be generous)

Monday, May 30, 2022

Things I Really Drink: Loch Lomond 12 year old

(Loch Lomond cluster homepage)

There are TIRDs, and then there are TIRDs. This is a real TIRD. I went through three bottles of Loch Lomond 12 year old over an 18 month period. And I don't "go through three bottles" of anything ever, except when I was in my Power's phase one decade ago.

After being genuinely shocked by the quality of a LL12 sample in 2019, I sought out a bottle in 2020. And sure enough it arrived in local OHLQ stores. As a gift pack with Inchmoan 12 and Inchmurrin 12 minis. For $29.99. The Covid Era was just beginning and this seemed like proper apocalypse whisky, so I bought three gift packs. This is why I had all of those Inchmoan and Inchmurrin minis, and this is why my daughters have three large blue caskets for their small stuffies.

As per the picture, I'm reviewing the green glass version of the 12. The owners changed the packaging yet again in 2021, so the bottle you'll see in stores now is made of clear glass and the label font is different.

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Loch Lomond
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company
Region: Highlands (Western)
Age: at least 12 years
Maturation: American oak casks
Bottling date: 14/08/2019
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? Not much if any
(from my third bottle)

NOTES

The nose begins with a waft of fermenting white fruits. Citrons, oats, wet stones and whole wheat bread crust arrive next. Hints of pilsner, cocoa and almond extract highlight the background. Malt fills the palate's foreground, with a lively bitterness and moderate sweetness around the edges. Lemons gradually take over, with wisps of wood smoke and flowers in the back. It finishes with zesty, bitter citrus, malt, ginger and a little extra sweetness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

As I noted three years ago, "Leave Loch Lomond neat and it will kick Glenfiddich 12's and Glenlivet 12's asses all around the block." And that's just the palate. The nose has a heft, quirk and complexity not found in $30 whiskies anywhere anymore. But the whisky's performance in a highball is what really made the liquid disappear from my bottles. Yes, a single malt highball. The 46%abv and lack of filtration boosted the whisky to stand up boldly to club soda, ice, bitters, and any sort of garnish. This Loch Lomond 12 year old was a joy and a surprise, and I look forward to trying the newest version as well.

Availability - Widely available, but probably with the new packaging
Pricing - $30-$40
Rating - 86

Friday, May 27, 2022

Things I Really Drink: Croftengea 10 year old 2006 Exclusive Malts, cask 485

(Loch Lomond cluster homepage)

Just a reminder, I do indeed try to purchase whiskies I've reviewed. Well, I did. International shipping has become impractical or nonexistent, and prices are......a spectator sport.

But here's a whisky I tried more than three years ago and, after enjoying its filthy style, I bought a bottle, a bottle that was opened this month in honor of the Loch Lomond cluster. The baby of this week's Croftengea trio, this TIRD whisky did indeed make it into the double-digit age range, spending a decade in a generous hogshead (judging by the outturn).

This review is of the fourth and fifth pours, still in the upper third of the bottle.

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Croftengea
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company (Hillhouse Capital Group)
Region: Highlands (Western)
Bottler: Creative Whisky Company
Range: Exclusive Malts
Age: 10 years (22 March 2006 to April 2016)
Maturation: a happy hogshead?
Cask #485
Outturn: 302
Alcohol by Volume: 56.7%
(from my bottle)

NEAT

Firstly, the color is much lighter than the filtered photo shows. I'll call it light gold. Cold kiln, rotting seaweed and broiled eel hit the nose first. Mmmmm. Then pear, orange peel, cassia and winter wood stoves. Savory + Sweet + Soot perform in unison in the palate, with lots of lime juice around the edges. Then pear juice mixed with chipotle Tabasco sauce. It gets meatier and mintier with time. It finishes with pear, lime, mint candy and lots of salt.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1⅓ tsp water per 30mL whisky

The nose begins similarly. Then the fruit notes drift towards floral notes. More cinnamon, a hint of wood glue. Things get slightly flintier. The palate gets simpler, sweeter, though there's still plenty of charred meat and peppery smoke. It finishes sweet and tangy, with mild kiln notes.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

My notes differ quite a bit from those I typed 3+ years ago. The whisky reads less odd now, or maybe I am odder. That's not impossible. But from the first moment of the first pour it's clear that a great-but-not-amazing Croftengea is a legitimate alternative to the more popular Islay peat monsters, and preferable to some of them. I'm going to repeat myself here, but......if the official Loch Lomond 12yo (46%abv) can sell for $30-$35, how about a Croftengea 12yo? It could even have a 50% premium, pointing to a $45-$55 tag, and I'd buy two bottles, in lieu of Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10.

Sorry, I've strayed from the review. For my face, this whisky works better at full power. The palate isn't particularly complex but it's very well balanced and would drink much better in November than May. This is young, hardy stuff with plenty of spirit, but it's neither raw nor par-baked. And the price was right, back in the day.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - it was less than $80 with shipping included
Rating - 86

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Croftengea 15 year old 2002 SMWS 122.21

(Loch Lomond cluster homepage)

Sherry cask Croftengea is unknown territory for me. Fortified wine and aggressive peat often don't dance well, but when they do the result can be fabulous. SMWS had a solid approach with this whisky. The Croftengea spirit spent its first four years in a bourbon barrel, then its next 11 in a second-fill sherry barrel. Then again, there are second-fill sherry casks and there are second-fill sherry casks. Lemme see...

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Croftengea
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company (Hillhouse Capital Group)
Region: Highlands (Western)
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 15 years (16 April 2002 - early 2018?)
Maturation: 4 years in bourbon barrel + 11 years in 2nd fill sherry cask
Cask: 122.21 - "What's cooking?"
Outturn: 220 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 56.8%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose begins with grilled pork ribs and new sneakers, followed by orange peel, marzipan, Andes candies and vanilla bean. Salty barbecue pork, cocoa powder and grapefruit arrive first in the palate. Then there's ink, Thai chiles, tangerines and smoked almonds. A flawless balance of peat and sweet. Dried cherries join the pork in the finish above a swirl of savory, salt, smoke and sweet, with a squeeze of lime.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1⅓ tsp water per 30mL whisky

Dusty smoke blankets baking chocolate, coffee ground, blueberry juice and toffee in the nose. That smoke needs time to build in the palate. Lemons, horseradish, smoked almonds and a smoky porter fill in the rest. It finishes like a cigar and a glass of porter, with dried berries on the side.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Another terrific SMWS Loch Lomond! Priming Croftengea in a bourbon barrel, then pouring it into a moderate 2nd-fill sherry-season vessel did indeed do the trick. At this rate, I might need to stop making fun of that bottler. Or not. At least the name, "What's cooking?", sort of works, with all the pork, nuts, fruits and chiles. The nose and palate are pristine, and the finish elicits monosyllabic nonsense from the drinker. I cannot ask for anything more.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - less than $100 four years ago
Rating - 90 

Monday, May 23, 2022

Croftengea 16 year old 2005 The Whisky Trail, cask 272

(Loch Lomond cluster homepage)

I wish Croftengea received its own official 12 year old release alongside its three sibling malts, Inchmurrin, Inchmoan and Loch Lomond. It's often the hardiest, heaviest and dirtiest of the distillery's whiskies. Meanwhile Ballechin, Ledaig and Port Charlotte have frequently had more success than their own distilleries' unpeated whiskies.

So how about it, Hillhouse? No? Well, I'm glad we had this constructive talk.

This Croftengea Week will go backwards, from the oldest of the three whiskies to the youngest. Today's single malt was released within the past year, which is kinda out of character for this blog.

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Croftengea
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company (Hillhouse Capital Group)
Region: Highlands (Western)
Bottler: Elixir Distillers
Range: The Whisky Trail
Age: 16 years (28 February 2005 - 13 April 2021)
Maturation: ???
Cask #: 272
Outturn: ???
Alcohol by Volume: 56.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose leads with heavy, fishy, seaweed-y peat, with wet sand, Vegemite and ripe brie. Oh yeah, that's the stuff. But wait, there are also toasted oak spices, limes, honey and peaches in the background. The palate starts in a similar manner with antiseptic, menthol and heavy industrial smoke. Cynar amaro and tart limes in the midground, ginger beer and sweet citrus in the background. It finishes with that big dark smoke, Cynar and tart limes.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1⅓ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Somehow the nose gets wilder. Add some horse manure to the peat. Lots of beach notes. Brie and grapefruit. It's alive. The palate has become intensely bitter, which works will with all the tart citrus, and a hint of ginger candy, all of which sits on a pillow of seaweed peat. Peated oranges finishes it off.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I would gladly choose this style over nearly everything coming from Islay today. It is zany (and probably technically imperfect) whisky, but it's a delightful twist on brawny peat. That this still thunders after 16 years makes me hope indie bottlers are holding onto some casks to see what happens as Croftengea ages another decade. And may those casks let the spirit live, like it does in this whisky.

Availability - I think it's still around in Europe
Pricing - €110?
Rating - 89

Friday, May 20, 2022

Mathilda Malt: Littlemill 29 year old 1988 Old Malt Cask for K&L Wine Merchants

As noted on Monday, I've always celebrated my older daughter's birthday with pours of Littlemill single malt. This year it was one pour, and few Littlemill samples remain. Thankfully, my sample stash is properly stocked with special items, like this week's Ledaig and Craigduff.

This year's Littlemill was from a refill hoggie bottled for K&L Wine Merchants in California. At 29 years old, it's the oldest Littlemill I've ever tried. I loved the 25yo K&L exclusive I sipped last year. Hope this is another good one!

Distillery: Littlemill
Region: Lowlands
Independent Bottler: Hunter Laing
Range: Old Malt Cask
Age: 29 years (November 1988 - 2018)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Cask #HL 15208
Outturn: 144 bottles
Exclusive to: K&L Wine Merchants
Alcohol by Volume: 55.8%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose is a bit closed, though it does start off with some lemon, oregano, juniper and vanilla. It picks up small doses of rosewater, nectarines and coconut with time. The palate is herbal and fruity: nectarines, citrus blossoms, thyme, oregano and cayenne. It finishes floral and peppery with hints of brown sugar and limes.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Lemme see if this opens it up. Well, the nose is less herbal, less floral, simpler overall. But I do get some nice barley notes in the midground. The palate feels thicker and brighter, with the nectarine and cayenne pepper playing very well together. It finishes sweeter and simpler, possibly hotter.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Aside from a few nose moments, the oak was nearly silent. Huzzah! But at the same time, spirit wasn't very talkative. No actual flaws, just sort of quiet and modest. Also a bit forgettable when compared to this week's Mathilda Malt mates. Though I'd normally not recommend tinkering with a whisky of advanced age, this one may play best after some extended dilution experiments. So if you have this bottle open, and it's not doing much for you, water it down, carefully.

Where do I go from here? After this modest malt, Croftengea crashes in next week!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - $250, three years ago
Rating - 85 (diluted)

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Mathilda Malt: Craigduff 33 year old 1973 Signatory, cask 2515

Time for another 1973, just because!

Glen Keith was Seagram's laboratory of fun during much of the distillery's early existence, producing various malt styles for the company's blends. Somehow Andrew Symington of Signatory was able to get his mitts on casks of the Glenisla and Craigduff styles. Per Symington, the Craigduff spirit was made from lightly peated barley and had "concentrated peated water" added to its wash charges. I tried and enjoyed one Glenisla two years ago, and look forward to this Craigduff curio.

Distillery: Glen Keith
Type: Craigduff
Ownership: Pernod Ricard (previously, Seagram's)
Independent Bottler: Signatory
Region: Speyside (Moray)
Age: 33 years (4 April 1973 - 16 August 2006)
Maturation: refill sherry butt
Cask#: 2515
Outturn: 371 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 47.5%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose? Dunnage and mango. Do we really need any other notes? Okay, if you insist. There's also pipe tobacco and a chocolatey smoke that sits somewhere between Nesquik and Godiva milk chocolate. Honey and lemon glide around the edges. After an hour it shifts to dark chocolate, mint and strawberry Nesquik. Dunnage leads in the palate, followed by a bold bitterness mixing with limes and grapefruit. Then gravel and raw walnuts. Hints of soil, brine and palo santo smoke. It finishes with the grapefruit, raw walnuts, salt, and savory.

DILUTED to ~43%abv, or >½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

I'm going easy with the water here due to the whisky's advanced age and low abv. Thankfully, the water doesn't ruin things. York peppermint patties, pipe tobacco and chalk dust arrive first in the nose, followed by guava and lemon bars, with a little bit of smoked salmon in the background. The palate reads tangy, bitter, and sweet in even measures, with raw nuts and strawberry candy featuring. The finish matches the palate all the way down to the strawberry candy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

In my favorite 2022 tasting to date, I tried this alongside the '73 Ledaig. Pure sensory pleasure, these whiskies are from a different era, perhaps several whisky generations ago. It's a tragedy that 99.99% of Craigduff was lost to blends like 100 Pipers (barf, in particular), but again I'm very thankful that Signatory rescued some casks. It would be interesting to see a contemporary distillery (Glen Keith, perhaps?) try this out. Different still shapes, fermentation times, and spirit cuts would result in additional variants. How about it, Loch Lomond?

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - I cannot bear to look
Rating - 90

Monday, May 16, 2022

Mathilda Malt: Ledaig 16 year old 1973 Gordon & MacPhail

My failures as a father are legion. Just ask my father, children, ex-wife, neighbors, random passersby. Actually don't ask them. Please.

But my daughter, Mathilda, already has a palate more sophisticated than mine when I was 25. And she is eight years old as of yesterday. Her birthday breakfast request? A scramble with black beans, zucchini and feta cheese, along with kombucha and Japanese senbei. Those are things I didn't eat, or know about, let alone request, until I was nearly twenty years older than her. She will seemingly try anything, and wants to know about every culture everywhere. While that is not 100% my doing, my influence has been enough to allow for one Father Flex today. 

I often celebrate her birthday with a bunch of Littlemill reviews, but since I'm nearing the end of my Littlemill sample supply, I will be fortifying this week's selection with potential gems from other distilleries.

The whisky anorak generation that preceded mine has waxed romantic about the first few vintages of Tobermory's peated Ledaig malt. Thanks to generous whisky friends, I've had a chance to try two 1972s and they were both wonderful pours indeed. Today's whisky is from a bottle split of a 1973 Ledaig that was distributed solely in America more than 30 years ago. Gordon & MacPhail tragically bottled it at 40%abv, as they did with hundreds of other Connoisseurs Choice single malts in their early years.

But still, it's 1973 Ledaig.


Distillery: Tobermory
Brand: Ledaig
Owner: Distell International Ltd.
Region: Isle of Mull
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Range: Connoisseurs Choice
Age: at least 16 years old
Vintage: 1973
Maturation: "Oak Casks" 🤔
Alcohol by Volume: 40%
Chillfiltered? ???
e150a? ???
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Forget the abv, the intense, nuanced nose arrives gorgeously. A variety of phenols appear (barbecue, pine smoke, pipe smoke, antiseptic, and kiln), merging seamlessly with the fruit (mango, citron, baked apple). Maybe some fruity shisha too. The peat retreats to a secondary role, letting the fruit expand, offering notes reminiscent of old Laphroaig. It continues to roar after 90 minutes, focusing on the citron, mango, kiln, and naan fresh off the tandoor.

The palate has the nose's balance but comes in a bit light. Tropical fruit punch, salt, bitter herbs, lemon, and seaweed-y smoke sound as one. It gets sweeter with time, holding on to the bitterness, and gaining an antiseptic note.

The finish sticks around for a decent amount of time, offering the seaweed smoke, honey, tart lemons and kiln.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

My Gourd, that nose is an All-Timer. I don't know how it was done, nor how that process was lost, nor if it can be replicated, but the fact that this sensory experience came from a max-diluted teenage whisky is staggering (if noses can stagger). The water shows its influence in the palate, though, limiting my superlatives here. Everything works in the mouth, but it's hushed and thinned. Despite that, I held onto this pour for nearly two hours, relishing the moment, knowing this experience may never be repeated.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - I ain't looking
Rating - 91 (the nose, tho)

Friday, May 13, 2022

Inchmurrin 19 year old 2001 SMWS 112.88

(Loch Lomond cluster homepage)

Gotta sneak in one Inchmurrin with a little bit of age on it, but I'd rather it not be oaky, so I'm going with this second-fill former bourbon barrel bottled by SMWS. Will this Inchmurrin quartet end on a good note?

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Inchmurrin
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company
Region: Highlands (Western)
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 19 years (28 August 2001 - 2020)
Maturation: second fill bourbon barrel
Cask: 112.88 - "The Godfather"
Outturn: 212 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 58.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose has much more ocean to it than Wednesday's 9yo, and it goes for peach pie, as opposed to the 9's apple pie. Orange creamsicles fill the midground, thyme and pumpernickel the background. The peach and thyme notes mix well in the palate too. Lots of tartness. A bit of tangy chiles. Then rye seeds and tannins in the background. Tart and tangy fruits and chiles finish it up, with a sweetness that builds over time.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Nothing but peach and beach on the nose. The palate shows more tannin and vanillin, with smaller notes of orange candy and grapefruit. It finishes with orange candy and oaky American chardonnay.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I sipped this side-by-side with the aforementioned TWE 9 year old, and the 9yo won. The 19's nose is very satisfying, while the palate is simpler and woodier than the 9's, especially once diluted. That being said, this is very good whisky I'd gladly drink again. The rye and pumpernickel notes are especially fascinating. I'm not sure how Loch Lomonds react to oxygen, but this would be an interesting bottle to consume very slowly over time, perhaps improving in the middle or end of its life.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86 (neat only)

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Inchmurrin 9 year old 2010, for The Whisky Exchange

(Loch Lomond cluster homepage)

After Monday's disappointment, I'm going to take a step back, hoping that it will actually be a step forward. By that I mean, I'm going to review a baby Inchmurrin, all of nine years old.

I don't care what the Bene Gesserit say; expectation is the mind killer. Because Loch Lomond often proves to be a wild card, I will face my expectation. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. Where the expectation has gone, there will be nothing. Only I and a glass of whisky will remain. Though the glass will be empty by then.

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Inchmurrin
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company
Region: Highlands (Western)
Age: 9 years (June 2010 - July 2019)
Maturation: barrel?
Cask #: 2493
Outturn: 121 bottles
Exclusive to: The Whisky Exchange
Alcohol by Volume: 55.3%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(thank you to My Annoying Opinions for the sample!)

NEAT

The nose starts off with malt, baked apples, chalk dust and white peaches. Melon gummies and peach gummies. A hint of almond extract meets up with the malt and baked apples, reminding me of apple pie. But on the palate I get spiced pear tart, tart limes and rye bread, with grapefruit and salt in the background. It finishes with baking spices, dried apricot, salt and something bready.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose continues to thrill. The candies remain, but there's also an intense note of a booze-soaked shortbread-layered trifle. The palate gets a little more tannic and floral, but holds onto the fruitiness, especially the citrus side. It finishes with oranges, limes and salt.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This is more like it! Loaded with bold fruit, pastry and candy notes, this Inchmurrin magically avoids being too sweet, making it my favorite Inchmurrin yet. If more <10yo whiskies showed this level of character and restraint, then you'd hear less carping from me about baby whiskies. Mr. Opinions was also a big fan of this one, and we found many of the same notes, so you know we are right.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 88

Monday, May 9, 2022

Inchmurrin 10 year old (1990s label) vs. current Inchmurrin 12 year old

(Loch Lomond cluster homepage)

Inchmurrin is like the vegetarian sibling to Inchmoan's red meat-eating cigarette smoker. (Croftengea is like the......well......have you seen, "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover"?) As per, John Peterson, the longtime Production Director at Loch Lomond, Inchmurrin is essentially unpeated Inchmoan. And as it turns out, I now like Inchmoan. I've had mixed experiences with Inchmurrin. Good officials, bad indies. While that may sound counter-intuitive, remember we're talking about Loch Lomond here.

The original 1990s bottling of Inchmurrin 10yo has never been beloved, but perhaps that's because drinkers anticipate QC issues from that era of Loch Lomond's life, which in turn colors their experience. But I'm willing to give it a chance now. I'll match it up with a 2019 bottling of Inchmurrin 12yo. As with the Inchmoan 12, I have a trio of minis with the same bottling code, so I have plenty to sample from. I liked the pre-reboot 2014 version of the 12. Perhaps this will be even better?


Inchmurrin 10 year old, bottled in the '90s, probably colored and filtered, 40%abv

NOTES

The nose begins with an uninspiring combo of cardboard, yeast, Wonder Bread crust and light wood smoke. It slowly shifts towards wort with hints of cinnamon, mint and flowers. In the palate, chemical bitterness mixes with burnt notes, black pepper, imitation vanilla extract and simple syrup. The pepper "improves" as it turns into a slightly sour chile oil. Mint leaf and notebook paper float through the background. That odd bitterness and fake vanilla remains in the finish, along with the burnt stuff, sugar and notebook paper.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Yeah, I understand the old reviews of this one now. The nose reads sort of like a "Craft" American whiskey, underbaked but also sort of woody, yet filtered through cardboard boxes. Meanwhile, the palate would almost be...palatable...if not for the chemical edge. Because the whisky wasn't an utter crime, I almost gave it a score of 70, but no, this is not good whisky by any measure.

RATING - 68


Inchmurrin 12 year old, bottled in 2019, no colorant and no chillfiltration, 46%abv

NOTES

Neat - The hot, yeasty nose offers caramel on top, bubblegum and citron peel below. Menthol, butter and floral notes develop with time, with hints of clove and carob in the background. The citron peel expands as well. Its palate is more interesting than the 10's. It's more herbal and savory with a wormwood streak beneath. Rather than vanilla, it has toasted oak and toasted almonds. Then a mix of lemons, metal and slightly burnt whole wheat toast. It finishes with Irish soda bread, lemons. honey and a savory hint.

Diluted to 40%abv - The nose shifts to orange and lemon peels, Demerara syrup, hints of florals and mushrooms. The palate becomes hotter, harsher, all pepper, chemical bitterness and vanilla, as it retreats towards the old 10 with some more sweetness underneath. Mint candy and that bitterness finish it off.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I'm fascinated by how the palate collapsed into Inchmurrin's old ways once it was reduced to 40%abv. Probably not the most encouraging of signs. Meanwhile, the nose may have improved at that lower strength. The neat palate makes one go, "huh, that's different", then, "I'd sure like something else to drink." And it is certainly different than the 2014 12yo that Florin and I enjoyed so many moons ago, and not different in the right direction.

RATING - 78 (when neat)



Perhaps I was due for some disappointment after that stellar group of Inchmoans. On Wednesday and Friday, I'll see if a pair of single Inchmurrin casks can turn things around.

Friday, May 6, 2022

Inchmoan 25 year old 1992

(Loch Lomond cluster homepage)

This is the first (and, as of today, lone) Inchmoan release from the 1992 vintage. With the distillery's installation of additional stills in 1990, this whisky may be from one of the earliest Inchmoan spirit runs. It's also the oldest Inchmoan release so far, giving drinkers their first opportunity to try this malt with some serious age on it. Like all Loch Lomond releases in 2017, it wasn't terrifyingly priced either. Had I known then what I know now about Inchmoan, I would have certainly purchased a bottle or two. But alas, shoulda coulda woulda in the whisky realm...

At least I got in on a bottle split.

My drawings are improving daily!

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Inchmoan
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company
Region: Highlands (Western)
Age: 25 years (1992 - 2017)
Maturation: refill bourbon barrels(!!!)
Outturn: ???
Alcohol by Volume: 48.6%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? Not much if any
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose leads with dried kelp, roasted seaweed and wet concrete. Mint leaf and dark chocolate fill in the  midground, while yuzu and baked peaches rest in the back. The palate is tart, salty and citrussy. Hints of antiseptic, tropical fruit and wormwood mingle about. A mild ocean-like peat merges seamlessly with it all. The finish matches the palate with the tart citrus and tropical fruits lasting longest, the wormwood tickling the edges.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Another great Inchmoan, this time bottled at the perfect ABV. It may be a bit short on depth, but it arrives as a single unit, and the nose is fabulous. I'm sipping the last drips of my sample right now and the bitter nip in the palate boosts this up one(!) more point. The world needs more long-aged peated Loch Lomond like this. If you have a bottle of this stuff, hug it and open it!

Availability - It's still around five years later, but shhhhhh
Pricing - $200-$350
Rating - 89

Thursday, May 5, 2022

Inchmoan 14 year old 2004, cask 68 for HolyDram Israel

What a start to this cluster! I don't remember the last time I had consecutive whiskies that both surpassed my expectations. Wednesday's wine yeast fermented Inchmoan was a particular delight. I'm going back to the official bottlings for the next two Inchmoans. Today's Inchie is a single hoggie selected for the HolyDram crew in Israel. Thanks to those two previous whiskies, I have high hopes for this one.


Distillery: 
Loch Lomond
Style: Inchmoan
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company
Region: Highlands (Western)
Age: 14 years (March 2004 - August 2018)
Maturation: bourbon hogshead
Cask #: 68
Outturn: 220 bottles
Exclusive to: HolyDram Israel
Alcohol by Volume: 52.4%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Generous dark plumes of smoke (Ballechin / Croftengea levels), infused with pine and moss, cover the nose. New tennis balls, apple peels and fudge linger below. The palate has the same massive piney/mossy smoke as the nose, now with bitter herbs, charred kale and sea salt in the midground, tart apples and mango seed in the background. It finishes peaty, tarry, tangy and tart.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose becomes more simple, solid, peat-forward, with touches of lemon and eucalyptus. Much closer to a southern Islay style. Salty, mossy smoke remains in the palate, joined by lemons and lemon candy. The bitter herbs return after a few minutes. It finishes with bitter citrus peels and heavy smoke.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Three Inchmoans, three styles. This one is for all you peat monsters out there. Its enormity reminds me of Ballechin's earliest batches, "The Discovery Series", powerful beyond the abv and a real competitor to more famous peaty brands. The cask was dumped at just the right time, with the spirit sturdy and the oak hushed. I'm not sure how a burly golem such as this cask drinks during Israel's summers, perhaps Gal & Co. should send any remaining bottles to a wintry country such as this one.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - €100?
Rating - 87

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Inchmoan 10 year old 2009 SMWS 135.22

I partnered yesterday's very decent 12yo American oak Inchmoan with a single 10yo American oak cask Inchmoan. Sounds like a normal side-by-side on the surface, but as I found out after I'd taken part in the bottle split, this 10-year-old was no normal whisky. Per Loch Lomond's Master Blender, "This cask was from a batch of our wine yeast fermentation spirit--"

Y E S

This is the kind of tomfoolery I support. Everyone else can go dry shave their wet casks in the privacy of their cooperages all they want. But yeast is interesting, it's a primal force, man. Its flatulence has bewitched and destroyed the human brain for millennia. I'd love to see more distilleries tool around with fermentation to see what arises from the cauldron. Maybe nothing, maybe everything.

Anyway, here I go...

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Inchmoan
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company
Region: Highlands (Western)
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 10 years (19 July 2009 - 29 April 2020)
Maturation: 1st fill bourbon barrel
Cask: 135.22 - "Beautiful bizarre!"
Outturn: 188 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 59.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose starts off brothy, fishy and slightly sugary, like I've just raided the snack rack at Lawson's in Kyoto, and half the bags have this...scent. Then those notes slip away, aside from a hint of broiled eel, and a different whisky appears. One full of blossoms, honey, green apples and honeydew. The palate is all yuzu, pineapple gummies, lychee, watermelon Jolly Ranchers and cara cara oranges. Just the essences without the sugar overload. It finishes with tart citrus and tropical fruits, and crisp in-season apples.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Yuzu, kabosu, white peach and honeydew on the nose, with brothy sencha in the background. Mint, mango, roses and Juicy Fruit gum lead the palate, with some good herbal bitterness in the midground. The finish matches the palate, with that herbal bite keeping it from getting too sweet.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Had I not found out about this whisky's unique fermentation, I would have been very confused about how this style came about. Very confused and very happy. I love this stuff. It is indeed a "beautiful" thing, but not really "bizarre!" Though it's not quite what one first expects to find in a peated Loch Lomond whisky, or a peated whisky, or a whisky, it's fascinating, yet very drinkable. It is the sort of thing for which I would pay a premium. Thank you, Loch Lomond, for giving this a try. Please do so again some time.

Availability - Sold out?
Pricing - £48.99 in 2020
Rating - 90

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Inchmoan 12 year old (2019 bottling)


Inchmoan is the first of the four Loch Lomond styles reviewed during this wee LL whisky survey. Whisky Magazine has an article about the distillery, wherein John Peterson provides a rundown of how the different styles are made. I can't really keep it straight, but to summarize: Inchmoan = Inchmurrin but with 40ppm of phenols in the barley.

I've tried two Inchmoans before today. The first was a remarkably foul effluvium bottled for someone's enemies at Whisky Fair. The second was......Inchmoan 12 year old, and I didn't like that one either, but it was approachable and fascinating.

I am trying the 12 year old again, but this time I'm combining/vatting three 50mL Inchmoan 12yo minis with the same bottling code, rather than sipping a sample from an unknown bottle. And it's getting paired up one of this week's other Inchmoans in order to gain additional perspective.

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Style: Inchmoan
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company
Region: Highlands (Western)
Age: minimum 12 years
Maturation: recharred US oak and refill bourbon casks
Bottling date: 09.08.2019
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? Yes
(from a trio of minis)

NOTES

Neither like smoke nor kiln, the nose's unique peated side reads closer to peated wheat and peated yeast, with a hint of diesel. Kale chips, saline and charred marshmallow fill in the corners. The palate is lightly sweet and lightly metallic with hints of citron and nectarine. The peat builds with time, developing its own style, like peated oats and peated newspaper. It finishes very well with guava, nectarines, cigarette ash and a pinch of herbal bitterness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This was a lot better than the sample I tried three years ago. The whisky remains quirky, but it's much more of a solid unit now with the odd phenolics merging solidly with the fruit, and the recharred wood staying out of the picture. It's less of a beast than Croftengea sometimes proves to be, and may give Islay fans a different view into peated whisky. A promising start!

Availability - Asia and Europe only (I think)
Pricing - $40-$65 in Europe, cheaper in Japan thanks to the yen's drop
Rating - 84

Monday, May 2, 2022

The Loch Lomond Cluster

Loch Lomond Distillery makes delicious whisky. Mark that down as something I did not see coming. They were producing some pretty foul products as recently as 10 years ago then, as soon as the Exponent investment firm bought the company, Loch Lomond whiskies shifted in quality almost overnight. Thus the quirky stills weren't the problem, nor was the warehouse stock. It's curious what a change in management will do. What the newest owners, Hillhouse Capital Group, another investment firm (this time, from Asia), choose to do still remains to be seen.


Despite the marketing claim that the distillery has been around since 1814, the current distillery was constructed in 1966. It was created by Duncan Thomas and Barton Brands to be an autonomous production facility, producing both malt and grain whiskies for blends. As a result, Loch Lomond has a variety of stills that no other distillery can claim. Pot stills with rectifying plates in their necks can be adjusted to produce different spirit styles, plate-free pot stills offer up classic single malt distillation, and continuous stills produce grain whisky (with all malted barley!). This results in 11 different styles, a number they can increase or decrease depending on the brands' needs. If Hillhouse gets around to aggressively reducing these styles, as has been rumored, that would be a tragic misreading of the distillery’s strengths.

For 2022's first cluster, I will be trying 15 single malts from four of the style types: Inchmoan, Inchmurrin, Croftengea and Loch Lomond. Going into this series, I've enjoyed Croftengea the most of all, but have had good experiences with Inchmurrin and Loch Lomond as well. Inchmoan is the only one that has left me unmoved thus far.

So, four weeks, four styles. (There will be a breather week in the middle to celebrate Mathilda's birthday.) No midpoint post this time around, but there will be a concluding entry, and possibly a Loch Lomond single blended malt (or some goofy SWA term) of my devising at the end.

THE LOCH LOMOND BUNCH:

1. Inchmoan 12 year old (2019 bottling) -- "...it's much more of a solid unit now with the odd phenolics merging solidly with the fruit, and the recharred wood staying out of the picture..."
2. Inchmoan 10 year old 2009 SMWS 135.22 -- "I love this stuff ...... It is the sort of thing for which I would pay a premium."
3. Inchmoan 14 year old 2004, cask 68 for HolyDram Israel -- "This one is for all you peat monsters out there ...... powerful beyond the abv and a real competitor to more famous peaty brands."
4. Inchmoan 25 year old 1992 -- "Another great Inchmoan, this time bottled at the perfect ABV."
5. Inchmurrin 10 year old (1990s bottling) -- "...underbaked but also sort of woody ...... filtered through cardboard boxes."
6. Inchmurrin 12 year old (2019 bottling) -- "...makes one go, "huh, that's different", then, "I'd sure like something else to drink.""
7. Inchmurrin 9 year old 2010, for The Whisky Exchange - "Loaded with bold fruit, pastry and candy notes......my favorite Inchmurrin yet."
8. Inchmurrin 19 year old 2001 SMWS 112.88 - "[The] nose is very satisfying, while the palate is simpler and woodier than the 9's..."

-- breather week --

9. Croftengea 16 year old 2005 The Whisky Trail, cask 272 - "I would gladly choose this style over nearly everything coming from Islay today."
10. Croftengea 15 year old 2002 SMWS 122.21 - "The nose and palate are pristine, and the finish elicits monosyllabic nonsense from the drinker."
11. Croftengea 10 year old 2006 Exclusive Malts, cask 485 (my bottle) - "...young, hardy stuff with plenty of spirit, but it's neither raw nor par-baked."
12. Loch Lomond 12 year old (my bottle) - "Leave [it] neat and it will kick Glenfiddich 12's and Glenlivet 12's asses all around the block."
13. Loch Lomond 18 year old - "...like a fatter version of grain whisky, but it still has a single grain's limitations, thus the flatness and inability to hold back the oak's onrush."
14. Loch Lomond 21 year old 1996 Cadenhead Small Batch - "Everything in this whisky works better at 46%abv."
15. Loch Lomond 30 year old - "As much as I adore fruity whisky, the extra depth brought out by dilution improved the experience."