Loch Lomond 18 Year Old is a single malt aged in ex-bourbon casks only, which were carefully selected by the master cooper of the distillery when it was distilled at the turn of the millennium, Tommy Wallace. This 2020 release comes in at 46% alcohol and without chill filtration.
Loch Lomond Distillery is able to produce a number of single malts with different character and degrees of smokiness, thanks to a number of different types of stills. Of its 11 stills, three are column stills and are designed for grain whisky. Of the remaining eight, only two are classic stills and the rest are straight-necked Lomond stills. The composition of the single malts in this whisky is a secret, but it is clear that there is a combination of smoked and unsmoked barley.
This Loch Lomond has the characteristics of both young and old whisky at the same time. On the nose it feels young for a moment, with fresh apple and grapefruit peel that are reminiscent of the 14-year-old edition, but after a few minutes in the glass comes the sweetness of honey combined with old wood. On the palate it is full and round, and the experience it gives on the nose is received together – a combination of new and old, apple and wood, something that is a bit reminiscent of a cigar box. The finish is woody and earthy, reminiscent of Lapsang Sosong tea, tobacco and light smoke. This is a whisky that ages in the glass – it is 15 years old on the nose, 18 years old in the mouth and 24 years old on the finish. An interesting experience that requires a developed palate to truly understand – not a whisky for beginners.
