Nose: Fragrant, warm and malty. Peach, apple, orange peel, a little honey and vanilla. There is a mild, soft ashy smoke in the background and a wholesome leathery quality that is very agreeable. The dry-glass aroma is malty vanilla. A little ethanol is apparent but given that this is one of the cheapest blended scotches available it’s a remarkably good nose with an “old-school” profile. It reminds me a little of what Teachers Highland Cream was like in the 1990s. Palate: The arrival is soft, sweet and malty. Cinnamon spice, tannic black tea, cereal and bitter orange emerge in the development together with a hint of the same sooty smoke from the nose. The texture is a little thin and spirity (but no more than most blends) but there is some silkiness from the grain whisky. You can happily drink this neat or with a dash of water as a sipping whisky. Finish: Short. Some sweet tones but the tea flavour from the palate lingers and turns a little bitter, which is the only fault. There is a puff of smoke in the aftertaste. This is a bottom-shelf priced whisky that is way better than it has any right to be and it has become my go-to daily dram for mixing. At the price it is very good value yet after being on the market for about five years it remains largely undiscovered and is a quiet giant-killer. I think it has dropped just a fraction in quality over time, largely in the finish, which is not quite as long now, but it is still a remarkably good budget blend. All other blended scotches (as far as I’m aware) are composed of malt and grain whiskies from many sources and are engineered to achieve a specific profile. Uniquely, Loch Lomond Reserve is produced by just one distillery and its character is a snapshot of the Loch Lomond house style. There is no legal classification for such a blend, other than simply “blended scotch”, however it could justifiably be considered, unofficially, as a “single blend”. Well worth the money and highly recommended, but don’t compare this to your favourite malt or even a premium blend, because it is not trying to compete in that arena. However, against anything else in the AUD$30-50 range it is clearly the winner. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)