Review by: zSolaris
Distillery: Loch Lomond.
Bottler: Jewish Whisky Company.
Region: Highland.
Age: 15 Year. Distilled March 2005, Bottled May of 2021.
Cask Type: Aged in a refill bourbon hogshead. Finished in a Grand Cru Bordeaux barrique.
Cask Number: 3141592.
ABV: 53.5%.
Price: $150.
Color: 0.6, Old Gold.
Nose: It is very sharp and prickly. It’s somewhere between a slightly underripe apple and apple flavored candy. If I stick my nose in the glass for a prolonged period (like 20-30 seconds), I get this very subtle meaty note. It was very reminiscent of a few Octomore’s I’ve had, only with the volume turned way down to like 2 out of 10.
Palate: It does need a little bit of water to open this up, just a drop or two is all I used. It has a very thicky and chewy mouthfeel, one of the thickest I’ve had. It’s a touch meaty and I just want to chew on it. There’s a bunch of funky notes that come out as well. A note that I can only describe as somewhere between fried onion strings and Funyuns comes out first. Then there’s a bit of green apple. That’s followed by earthy, funky mushrooms and a little bit of smoke.
Finish: Quite long. It’s very meaty and chewy. I get a note that reminds me an awful lot of grilled watermelon, it’s kinda like a mix of a well cooked radish and those watermelon flavors. Some earthiness, funky mushrooms, and a touch of smoke finish this off.
Conclusion: Inchfad. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably scratching your head as to which line that is from Loch Lomond given how many different things they make there. Inchfad was what they called their heavily peated single malt whisky at one point, nowadays it seems to be Croftengea. I haven’t had any of either before, at least not explicitly, so I was excited to give this a go and also very curious about the Grand Cru Bordeaux finish. This is probably the whisky that has made me think the hardest in quite a while. It’s an odd one with layers of flavors that sometimes feel a bit contradictory but somehow work. The nose is sharp with some fruit notes but introduces a subtle meatiness. The palate has one of the thickest mouthfeels I’ve ever had along with some funky notes of fried onions and earth. The finish has more of the funk along with a grilled watermelon note. All of it seems like it pulls in more than one direction and yet the chaos of it all is still quite enjoyable. Perhaps a touch more cohesion would have made things better, but it may have very well also made it a bit boring. The chaos makes it stand out and is quite memorable. Would I buy another bottle? Unlikely, though I am happy to have made the purchase I did.
Final Score: 83.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 
