Loch Lomond Reserve

The nose is pretty terrible. Ever piss on a campfire? Smells like that, firewood and ammonia. Taste is tolerable. Unidimensional burnt oak, with a little bit of peat smoke. There’s a reason why scotch is normally a lot more expensive than $26.

Colour is pale orange-brown. The nose is quite satisfying - not very spiritous with a hint of smoke, fruity sweetness with bold grain and wood tones; even some steak meat notes show up sometimes along with smoke-dried salami however the overall aroma might not be called very bright - it’s just neutral. The taste is more prominent. It obtains notes of grass, bread, vanilla, spices and citruses which are the most defining here. Also some flower dust. Some peat and smoked salami. Though, again, the taste is a bit spiritous and bitter. Finish is more about burnt oak and bread with some light sweet notes. LL Reserve is not that simple, though all the terms are not well expressed but decent in general. Well, I rate it fairly high above average relatively to the cheapest blends (such as Tullamore D.E.W or Ballantines). And I even might choose it over some of the single malts as well.

Life is to short to try bad liquor...

Nose: Fragrant and dusky-warm, fruity and floral (dried orange peel, peach, apple and vanilla), butterscotch toffee, malt extract, a mild and warm smokiness. The dry glass aroma is vibrantly vanilla. Palate: Soft arrival with a rounded and comfortable texture. Malty, cereal (like oatmeal porridge), crème brûlée, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, sweet orange preserve, stewed apples with cloves and cinnamon, and some very light smoke. Finish: Short/medium. Honey, malt and vanilla. This is a bottom-shelf priced whisky that is way better than it has any right to be. The nose is richly fragrant (oddly reminiscent of Bruichladdich, although a bit heavy-handed) with prominent floral and fruity tones. A warm and inviting nose without any banal ethanol presence (it’s there, but not intrusive). The palate follows the pattern and is balanced, hearty and relaxing. This is the whisky equivalent of that old crochet throw-rug you inherited from great aunt Agatha – maybe nothing inherently valuable, but hard to beat for familiar, cosy warmth. There is a strong vanilla oak tone right throughout that makes me think there were at least a few fresh casks involved somewhere along the line. At the price this is an amazing bargain and highly recommended. I'd go so far as to say it is currently (2018) the bargain blend to beat all others. Honestly, if you're still drinking one of the other "regular suspect" old-guard blends then give this a try next time you need a mixer - you will not regret it. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)