Whisky may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words Loch Lomond. Arguably Scotland’s most beautiful body of water, the nearby whisky distillery leans into its proximity and gains some additional Scottishness. But they need not worry, as the distillery seems to be producing some of the best Scotch around, including its new 50 Year Old.
Last year, Loch Lomond earned the title of the most-awarded distillery at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, where it picked up 21 individual awards. Buoyed by that success, it recently packaged up one of the oldest whisky in its stocks and sent it out into the world for £25,000 (approx. $33,000) a bottle.
You won’t see the 50 Year Old in any judging competitions. With just enough liquid to fill 100 crystal-cut decanters, there isn’t enough to spare for those extensive blind tastings. We were one of the lucky few to receive a press sample and while we’re not about to start giving out “Double Gold” medals, we can at least explain why it’s worth your time (and all of your money).
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Distilled in 1973 using unpeated barley, this whisky spent a large amount of its time in a refill ex-bourbon cask. That’s standard practice for the distillery, which likes to keep its spirit’s character during aging. While most of the whisky’s flavor comes from the cask it’s aged in, Loch Lomond’s unique way of distilling means it has a very distinctive character of orchard fruits, sweet honey and light smoke. The longer the aging and the more active the cask, the more of that original character is lost.
A refill bourbon cask is a usual suspect with ultra-aged whisky, as its inactive nature gives a whisky time to mature over longer periods. After 38 years, the whisky then went into first fill ex-bourbon casks. These casks are far more active and would have had a big influence on the whisky in a short space of time, instilling tropical fruits, vanilla and spice. After six years, it then finished its maturation in a single Oloroso sherry hogshead for six years, another active cask known for heavy, dried fruit notes.
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Cask finishes, as loosely defined, is the practice of moving whisky to a different cask for the final part of its aging. A whisky can spend decades in a bourbon cask, and then just a few months in a sherry cask, and it counts as a finish. The aim is to shove an extra dimension of flavor in short order. It has, at times, also felt like lipstick on a pig, with a heavy cask brought in to mask what’s underneath.
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That is not the case with Loch Lomond 50 Year Old which, twice moved over 12 years, is on the upper end of the ‘finishing’ scale. But the end result is a whisky with distinct sources of influence: distillery character, bourbon cask and sherry cask. Each of them works in harmony, resulting in that holy grail for aged whiskies: complexity.
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The balance is no mean feat. Countless whiskies out there have tried and failed, not just with cask finishes but with ultra-aged whisky in general. Active casks can often leave whiskies dry and tannic. Oloroso casks can overpower those light tropical notes, and give it an artificial taste. But this is a whisky that takes you on a journey, one that is as calm as a morning punt on Loch Lomond. It resembles the one the whisky has taken over half a century.
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Loch Lomond 50 Year Old: Tasting notes
ABV: 42.6% (cask strength)
Color: A reflective bronze, far lighter than most whiskies of this age.
Nose: Remarkably light and floral for such an old Scotch whisky. Orange peel, blossom honey, tinned peaches and whisps of peppermint. Some tropical fruit in the mix like mango and pineapple.
Palate: A really light spirit on the palate, almost like water, but full of flavor. Lots of American oak influences like coconut, caramel and vanilla. Some light spiciness emerging through, like nutmeg and ginger.
Finish: A long finish that dramatically evolves into those classic sherried notes: dried fruit, cherries and sweet spices like cinnamon.
Score: 9/10
– 10 A unicorn: Spend whatever it takes
– 8.5–9.5 Top shelf: Impress your fellow whisky geeks
– 7–8: Great: Buy two bottles – one to drink, one to keep
– 5.5–6.5: Very good: Keep it on the shelf – a good daily drinker
– 5: Not bad: There’s better out there for the same money
– Below 5 – Disappointing
Loch Lomond 50 Year Old is available to purchase from lochlomondwhiskies.com and worldwide through specialist retailers, priced at £25,000 ($32,000)
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