Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Loch Lomond.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Highlands.
ABV: 46%.
Age: 18 years. Bottled in 2018.
Cask type: Bourbon/sherry cask vatting.
Price: $94 USD for 750mL.
Color added. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. seven months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder (consistent across the entire bottle.)
Nose: overripe peach, cream, cut plant stems, compost, forest decay, Concord grape juice, toffee.
Palate: medium body ~ hot at first, green bell pepper, more cut stems, some leafiness, wet wood, some flashes of something industrial.
Finish: medium length ~ oak, tannins, more green bell pepper, peach candy, iron, gentle smoke in the background.
Conclusion: Wow, what a rollercoaster. Suuuuuper weird. I think the quality is actually pretty good here (in that the whisky’s divergences feel purposeful rather than as a result of technical flaws), but I’m honestly not so sure these notes work together. At least not for me. The green bell pepper really takes over, and while it plays nice with the woody decay and plant-green notes throughout, it’s a rather forced marriage to notes of toffee, grape juice, and peaches on the verge of going bad. It keeps my interest with its complexity, yet each sip is consistently bizarre and disjunct. Definitely a mood whisky.
For a while I wondered if this bottle was corked or sun-damaged, until an acquaintance brought a sister bottle of Loch Lomond 18 to a local tasting and it tasted exactly the same as this one. He said that the best qualities of this whisky come out with a cigar pairing, and I can kind of get there in the abstract—but I don’t smoke, so I’ll have to be content with my imagination there.
Final Score: 76.
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 