Loch Lomond Single Malt Whisky review

Loch Lomond Single Malt is a non age statement whisky from Loch Lomond distillery in Highland. Founded in 1965, the distillery has a 4 million liter capacity with 1 wash still, 1 spirit still and 4 Lomond stills. It was closed between 1984 and 1987. In 1993 the new owners acquired a Coffey still for grain whisky producing. The distillery has released 7 different malts, though the brand is known for blended Scotch as well. They’ve used lots of different names for their malt bottlings:

Inchmurrin
Inchmoan
Inchfad
Crotengea
Glen Douglass
Craiglodge
Loch Lomond

Each of their malts have been released with varying peat levels. They also make blended whisky under the names of High Commissioner, Scots Earl and Loch Lomond. The Loch Lomond Group has also Glen Scotia and Littlemill brands under its name but those malts come from the distilleries in question. Loch Lomond Single Malt is the entry level bottling for the distillery, while Loch Lomond Original is their subtly peated single malt. They also have other malts under the name of Loch Lomond – the 15yo and Peated, to name a few.

This Loch Lomond Single Malt, which I’m reviewing here, has been double matured. I couldn’t find much info about the cask types. Only the marketing text “carefully matured, before being married in the finest oak casks”. So double maturing but in what, new oak casks?

The Adventures of Tintin – Captain Haddock to be precise

I must say, this is not interesting in any way. Not a bad whisky but more on the mediocre side – a dram you can find 13 in a dozen. I really couldn’t come up with much words, especially when trying to reference it with a movie. Fortunately I ran into one interesting fact about Loch Lomond. Apparently it was the favourite whisky of Captain Haddock in Tintin. So let’s call it by the name of Adventures of Captain Haddock.

Matured in:

Virgin oak casks?

Colour: Golden amber

Nose: Bit creamy with notes of cereal and oak stepping up. Light, yet harsh – little bit of caramel and leather. Reminds me a lot of grainy blends.

Taste: The taste is a bit more pleasant than the nose. Sweet barley and honey with hints of pepper and mint.

Finish: Cereal again – fairly long but one-sided, dull finish. Biscuits with spices but otherwise pretty flat.

Balance: All in all a dull whisky, for a single malt, this is just not interesting enough. The price is very low, though. But for the same price you will find lots of better whiskies. Light whisky without character, some might even confuse it to blended whisky in a blind tasting.