Fruity and dangerous Loch Lomond variants
Not so long ago, I gave into the feeling of nostalgia, and acquired two old Loch Lomond bottles just for aesthetic reasons. The blue tube, blue label no age stated Loch Lomond was a bottle you could get anywhere for an insanely cheap price, in my early days of whisky discovery. Among the most humble of humble whisky, the whisky did not do much on the palate, but I just loved the design of the bottle, the colour, just the vibe of it. So, at this or that auction, I bought one again. And its green sibling, which was a peated variant. Just imagine these simpler bottlings, compared to what Loch Lomond has become. Recently, it got a new bottle design, and the brand is going strong. The sales must be good, because the chatter around the brand is impressive. With the beloved Inchmurrin and more robust Inchmoan variants also still there, the distillery is going from strength to strength. For today, we found an older sample of Loch Lomond malt that was gifted to LPA by our friend Erik. From the same source came an independently bottled Inchmurrin. To top it off, also an extremely peated variant by the name of Croftengea.
Inchmurrin 11 years old, vintage 2013, bottled at 57,2 % abv by Hogshead Imports
First things first: Bottled in 2025, this Inchmurrin matured in a first fill barrel.
Upon Sipping: I love the classic green glass, gives a whisky some mystery. This is quite fresh on the nose, with a whiff of wood smoke and some farmland smells. Wet cardboard too, you should be able to stand that, otherwise pass up on this one. Loch Lomond whiskies are just never simple. Of course, there are some simple traits like plain vanilla, but that was to be expected. On the palate, the liquid holds the middle between creamy and oily vanilla juice, before more complex flavours mix themselves in the conversation. Pineapple juice and chewy tangerine. Some bitterness on the finish, the wood rubbing off. With water, you will get a lot more sugary sweetness, but the balance between spirit and wood remains tense. This is a dangerous malt to play with.
Word to the Wise: A bold choice by Hogshead Imports, because this is one single malt that can keep you up at night, trying to crack the code. Inchmurrin is a masterful spirit!
Score: 86 points.
Loch Lomond Organic 17 years old, bottled at 54,9 % abv
First things first: Organic produced single malt whisky, matured for 17 years and bottled on 5 May 2018 after spending its years in first fill bourbon casks.
Upon Sipping: A blast of barley and vanilla shoot from the glass, straight into your nerve centre. It has a whiff of smoke about it, that makes it more interesting than a straight up vanilla bomb. The grain element is very strong, which makes me think of producers who experiment with ancient barley strains. It is very pure and close to the core ingredient. There is something meaty in the background after some breathing. Some brine, some broth, quite some spices. Mighty interesting! On the palate, this Loch Lomond Organic is much closer to what I expected, with lots of vanilla, but also a smoky fruitiness that really catches me off guard. This continues down to the finish, where the whisky picks up a flavoursome tropical note. Wow, just wow! I love this.
With water, the nose becomes even more expressive. What puzzles me, is why it seems to be so edgy on the nose, while the palate spoils us with a fruity overdose. I am guessing there is a lot of wood smoke rubbing off on the rather unbothered Organic single malt. The palate remains ever so elegant, also with water, but the wood impact is enhanced maybe a tad too far. It turns more bitter, towards oranges past their prime. The whisky’s integrity remains.
Word to the Wise: This is an absolutely brilliant display of what whisky on first fill bourbon can also show us. Normally, it would be a vanilla party, but this Loch Lomond Organic moves swiftly past the pitfalls of that, and shows something extraordinary. Delightful stuff, very complex.
Score: 87 points.
Croftengea 2015, 8 years old, bottled at 60,3 % abv by the SMWS
First things first: Bottling 122.63 was named “Brilliant bouillon” and is a Croftengea matured for 8 years in a first fill bourbon barrel. Distilled on 26 March 2015, the cask produced 217 bottles of whisky rocket fuel.
Upon Sipping: Easily mistaken for an Islay malt, I must say, with a fresh, maritime and lemon infused nose. Wet rope and tar. Loch Lomond has gotten copy-catting down to an art! Good peated whisky we always like, no matter the provenance. Loch Lomond makes a good dark horse in the category. On the tongue, it is amazingly sweet, leaning towards tropical, making this a very singular expression actually, or at the least close to Bowmore. Alcohol hotness is a problem, but not as big as it can be, so we are fine. Still, let’s add some water. Ah yes, now we are leaning more to a meaty character, with some broth and bacon, but the vanilla side keeps it weirdly fruity. The palate is now covered with a more oily, almost pudding creamy sensation, but the fruitiness remains strong, with hints of warm bread just from the home oven. With more and more water, this tropical ginger note becomes stronger and stronger. Can ginger be tropical? I don’t know, but it is the word combination that comes to mind.
Word to the Wise: Leave it to Loch Lomond to throw you a curveball every now and then! This Croftengea totally took me by surprise, with hot peat, lots of broth and meat, but also a tropical note. Often a combination of elements that results in a brilliant whisky, and with just three or four more years in the cask, I can see this going interstellar!
Score: 88 points.