Loch Lomond 18Loch Lomond is a storied location in Scotland, even today. It once held an array of illict and legitimate distilling operations but over the years, almost all fell by the wayside. The Littlemill Distillery was founded in 1772, the oldest licensed distillery in Scotland. The original Loch Lomond Distillery was founded in 1814 but the current one was built in 1996 by Littlemill. The distillery produces both grain and malt whiskies but is unique in that it has 2 styles of malt still, a straight neck pot still and the more traditional swan neck pot still. Different still types, peated or unpeated barley and differing cut points allow the distillery to produce a wide arrange of tastes. The current distillery changed hands a number of times but was most recently taken over by the Loch Lomond Group in 2014, with Master Blender Michael Henry at the creative helm. This means the Loch Lomond 18 featured here was created before the current team was in place. 

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Region: Highland
Age: 18 years
Strength: 46%
Price: $95.99
Maturation: First fill Bourbon, refill and recharred American oak
Location: Alexandria
Nose: Apple blossom, citrus, iodine, almond, smoke, brown sugar, marzipan, lemon grass, alfalfa, banana, vanilla 
Palate: Citrus, baked apple
Finish: Oak, smoke, banana

Comments: A few drops of water plays with the balances a little and is worth exploring even if it doesn’t drastically improve the original pour.

Adam – The Loch Lomond 18 opens with a quietly complex nose; it’s an easy thing to miss at first but then unmistakable once you really get your nose in there. Flower blossoms and citrus circle politely with vanilla and the barest touch of iodine, like some giant ceilidh of elements. The nose rewards repeated exploration, hinting at nuts and prairie grass before swirling away with a breathe of smoke. Compared to the temperate nose, the palate opens bodly, almost surprisingly so for a whisky this old. Apple and citrus leave a lively, slightly acidic mouth feel before settling as quickly as it arrived with a finish recalling oak, light ash and some faint, indistinguishable fruits. It’s an exiting journey, to be sure, and a great price for an 18 year old whisky but, I confess, I found it a little discombobulating. Compared to the welcome, inviting nose, everything once it hits the tongue seems to zip and zag without rhyme or reason, gone again before you’ve barely had a chance to grasp what just passed your senses. Like a great story rushed in the telling.

Henry – A restrained nose of light floral, marzipan, brown sugar, and iodine which takes some patience in the glass in order to fully develop. Tannic astringency dominates the palate. Underneath, there are delicate layers of pie spices, overbaked apple, and sweet campfire smoke, which coalesces into a hint of ash among the floral sweetness of the finish. 

Compared to the welcome, inviting nose, everything once it hits the tongue seems to zip and zag without rhyme or reason.

Ben – The nose gives me the impression of opening an old fashioned medicine cabinet. It covers the whole tongue. I like the Loch Lomond 18 very much. It brings to life a lot of things that were in the nose. It’s large, it’s mature. That char from the casks is something I very much like. Maybe there’s a little ashtray at the end but I don’t mind that. There’s a funny thing in this. Almost cooked banana? It doesn’t take over but it’s in there somewhere.

Bill – The citrus is hitting big on the palate, right on the sides of the tongue and I’m really liking it. It’s drier. There’s a bare hint of soap on the beginning of the palate but then it’s gone.

Kim – Baked apple from a campfire on the palate, with a nice robust feel that coats the mouth with a delightful finish that leaves you wanting more.