Ctrexman
Loch Lomond 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands , Scotland
Reviewed
October 28, 2019 (edited August 10, 2021)
Found this as a new product on sale for $32. What a great surprise! This is some real interesting scotch. Poured neat, nice thick glass coat. Nose is exotic, mango, red grape and pineapple roasted over a burning pile of autumn leaves. Peachy pine wood and sweet notes of earthy peat. Has a lot going on to pick at. Palate is reminiscent of Bunnahabhain 12 yr which is a massive complement. Deep rich flavors power through with creamy malt, roasted fruits, sweet oak, pine sap and dark roast coffee peat smokiness. Finishes long with lingering coffee, oak, pine, malt and fading peat. This isn't the strong Islay campfire peat smoke, its as I mentioned before more of sweet smoldering burning leaves situation which is very different and unique. Its complex, vibrant and delicious with natural color and non chill filtered at 92pf! At the price I paid its an absolute steal....88/100.........Imo much better than popular entry level 10/12 yr single malts, this carves its own path with excellent depth and balance of fruit, wood and peat
32.0
USD
per
Bottle
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
Just picked up another bottle of this while working down on the gulf coast. The small liquor store in Rockport are pricey so this was an easy pick. Still as good as I remember from last bottle. Strong rich grilled fruits and burning leaf pile smoke. Totally quaffable
@Jan-Case Haha you're completely right that it wouldn't be a single cask! (Unless maybe you could combine wood from multiple casks like Compass Box does for Spice Tree? 🤔) More seriously, you're right that multiple casks is a rarity among IBs and while I'm often disappointed by that, when the cask and distillate are good, you can get a really special output 😀
Awesome review and great notes. Your description of the smoke could not be more fitting
@ContemplativeFox good find. I agree on the additional sherry cask that would improve things but then it wouldn’t be single cask anymore which Claxtons usually only do. I will try to get my hand on a sample of something comparable from Loch Lomond and then decide.
@Jan-Case It definitely could be. I think it all comes down to the quality of the barrels, but Claxton does have a solid reputation. I personally would prefer a little bit of a sherry finish, but there is no reason it has to have it. It's interesting that it's described as "heavily peated" since I don't normally think of loch lomond as having a ton of peat, but with heavy peat I suspect that it would fare well without any sherry! I did manage to track down one review (https://thewhiskyphiles.com/2020/07/01/loch-lomond-13-years-old-2005-the-single-cask/). It looks like it's rated a bit above the middle of the road, but 3 points higher than they gave Loch Lomond 12.
@Ctrexman @ContemplativeFox well this sounds very interesting honestly. So I can assume that this one here actually might be a good pick?: https://pinkernells-shop.de/p/loch-lomond-13y-2005-heavily-peated-single-malt-scotch-whisky-claxton-s-the-single-cask It is about the same age but at cask strength which sounds like that could flatten out the bumps it usually has.
@cascode when you and ctrexman are in accord I have to pay sharp attention--probably try to snag this tomorrow.
The 15 year Glen Scotia is still core range, I think. It's a very good representative of the distillery character. I have a particular liking for their Victoriana NAS, but it's not to everyone's taste and is a bit more mad than the 15.
Agreed, Im very interested in trying some Glen Scotia as well
One of my favourite distilleries - all too often overlooked or dismissed. They produce an amazing range of expressions and are a major supplier of new distillates to the SMWS. Their Loch Lomond Reserve is IMHO the best value budget blended scotch currently available.