Loch Lomond is one hell of an interesting distillery. I’ve written about it in other places, just not on Words of Whisky yet. Their setup of different stills is just incredible to watch, and gives them endless (well, thirteen, to be exact) possibilities to create different types of new make spirit.
Of all these new makes, they can then blend together some interesting stuff. Created from peated and unpeated whisky in both traditional pot stills as well as their trademark straight-necked pot stills, Loch Lomond 12 Years Old is quite the concoction. And as it turns out, also a formidable dram.
Loch Lomond 12 Years Old (46%, OB, 2018)
Nose: Opens up on sweet barley notes and dark honey, as well as subtle red fruits and soft spices. Hints of cardboard and rye bread. Not the most complex, but certainly enjoyable and well-balanced.
Taste: Proper sweetness. Caramel and fudge mainly, but also a sliver of cotton candy, with a nice dose of spices. Some cracked black pepper corns, as well as nutmeg. Finally just a wee bit of peat.
Finish: Soft notes of peat linger.
Score: 83
The balance and the soft notes of peat lift this whisky above your average entry level whisky. Pleasant stuff from Loch Lomond.
The spirit of The Open