After reading @cascode and @DrRHCMadden thoughts on some of the offerings by Loch Lomond, I decided to finally get around to opening up the Loch Lomond 30-year sample that’s been sitting around in my cabinets for far too long. The nose starts with a mix of mildly sour gooseberries, vanilla custard, wet hay and dusty old leather-bound books then cocoa powder dusted prunes, flinty minerality and espresso followed by musty grapes, sour apple candy and pineapple that transitions to ginger, cardamom, sassafras and lacquered old oak furniture with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium to full mouthfeel starting with creamy sweet tropical fruits, charred hay bales and dusty old leather-bound books then a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to vanilla crème brûlée, cocoa nibs, prunes, flinty minerality and espresso followed by musty grapes, caramelized peaches and salted mango that transitions to ginger, cardamom, sassafras, anise and mildly bitter black tea with low ethanol burn. The finish is long with black pepper, cocoa nibs, prunes, orange custard, mangos, ginger, cloves, dusty leather-bound books and lacquered old oak. Well, this was a surprise that the nose seemed worrisome as it leaned on the mildly sour side but the taste was a wonderful tropical fruit and old polished oak mixture that suffered from a moderate bitter and sour spice before finishing long with a balance of sweet and sour fruits, mild earthy spices and old polished oak that lingers for minutes after each sip. This was my first Loch Lomond and it was an absolute stunner that really came together well after 30+ years of aging, but with a price tag of $600+, I’m perfectly happy with just a sample as there are plenty of options I like better for much less.