Inchmurrin 11yo 2014/2025

Inchmurrin 11yo 2014/2025

Cask Masters, Brave New Spirits
Single malt - South Highlands
Golden orange
48.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, peaches, roses, honey, mangoes, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, thick, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Orange peel, honey, black tea, malted grains, lemon zest, mangoes, passionfruit, golden syrup. 
Finish: Medium. Golden syrup, black tea, molasses, peaches. 

Comments: 

Fruity, floral, lots of malty notes. Quite intense, and surprisingly heavy bodied despite the lower ABV. Rather sweet, and gets sweeter on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Loch Lomond “Croftengea” 17yo 2007/2024

Loch Lomond “Croftengea” 17yo 2007/2024

Whisky Jury
Single malt - South Highlands
Golden
59.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Winter melons, lemon zest, peat, oranges, smoke, gooseberries, hints of cinnamon. With water, oranges, tyre rubber, charcoal ash, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Lemon zest, malted grains, leather, soot, charcoal ash, winter melons. With water, malted grains, leather, smoke, lemon zest. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, winter melons, malted grains, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Smoky, yet fruity, some ashy cinnamon especially on the nose. Water brings out some more citrus, with smoke too. It builds to a nice malty finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Inchfad 17yo Secrets of Bonnie Banks

Inchfad 17yo Secrets of Bonnie Banks

A Cask Noir Production, Brave New Spirits
Single malt - South Highlands
Copper red
48.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, brown paper, leather, cream, aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Strawberries, leather, cinnamon, sandalwood, driftwood smoke, vanilla, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Medium. Leather, aluminium foil, white pepper, hints of driftwood smoke. 

Comments: 

Cask 430, a Pinot Noir cask. Sweet and winey, with feinty notes, some spice and a little smoke. I’ve tended to drink the smoky end of Loch Lomond, it’s interesting to explore other expressions.

Verdict:

I like this.

Loch Lomond “Croftengea” 11yo 2010/2021

Loch Lomond “Croftengea” 11yo 2010/2021

The Hidden Spirits Whisky Company
Single malt - South Highlands
Straw
51.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, peat, lemon zest, jasmine, smoke, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Pickle brine, lemon zest, smoke, leather, tobacco leaf, peat, autumn leaves. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, peat, tobacco leaf, smoke, autumn leaves. 

Comments: 

Cask LL1021. Sour, slightly spicy, and a long earthy finish. I’ve not had a lot of Croftengea, but the ones I’ve had have been generally intense and floral, yet smoky. This one has less of these floral notes, instead a lot more herbal and vegetal notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

Croftengea 12yo 2006/2018

Croftengea 12yo 2006/2018

Cooper's Choice, The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Single malt - South Highlands
Golden
51% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peat, tobacco leaf, smoke, cream, malted grains, hints of toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, airy, slightly slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Raisins, walnut skins, toffee, honey, preserved lemons, chocolate, smoke, cream, hints of leather. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, toffee, chocolate, smoke, hints of condensed milk. 

Comments: 

Peated Loch Lomond, something quite hard to find nowadays. This one is bitter and uncompromising, with a thick layer of smoke, peat, and walnut skins over chocolate, preserved citrus and dairy. It's intense, not many whiskies can follow this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Inchmurrin 12 yo

Inchmurrin 12 yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - South Highlands
Amber gold
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Salt caramel, orange peel, honey, pears, lemons, orange blossom, hints of leather.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery.
Tasting: Sweet sour . Orange peel, orange blossom, lemons, salt caramel, peanuts, hints of leather, hints of peat.
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, salt caramel, lemon zest, hints of ginseng.

Comments:

Lightly peated whisky made at Loch Lomond's famous Lomond stills. This is very floral and sweet, with a tart edge. The peat adds a little salt and savoury note. Nutty in the finish, very enjoyable. Easy sipping whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 122.16 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 15 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 122.16 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 15 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - South Highlands
Yellow gold
59.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tobacco, roast pork, honey, peat, smoke, hints of plums, hints of caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, volatile, static.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Tobacco, plums, peat, honey, leather, charcoal.
Finish: Long. Coal smoke, leather, peat, plums.

Comments:

Smoky and delicious. It's got a nice combination of peaty, leathery notes with grilled meat on the barbecue. Excellent.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 122.15 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 15 yo 1992/2008

SMWS 122.15 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 15 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - South Highlands
Pale gold
59.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, vanilla, honey, curry powder, peanuts, hints of sweet lemon.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, hot, volatile.
Tasting: Sour salty. Smoke, curry, roast chicken, lemons, oranges, honey, curry powder, hints of curry leaf.
Finish: Short. Lemons, curry leaf, roast chicken.

Comments:

Strange tasting. Not quite sweet enough I think, could do with a little more aggressive fruitiness to offset the salt and meat notes. Still quite satisfying, I can't very well give this my lowest rating.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 122.19 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 16 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 122.19 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 16 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - South Highlands
Pale gold
50.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramel, molasses, smoke, HP sauce, hints of peat, hints of banana.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, holds together, thickens quickly.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Smoke, grilled ham, lemon, peat, pears, hints of magic marker.
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, smoke, peat, honey, hints of lemon.

Comments:

Croftengea, peated Loch Lomond, a rare pleasure that I discovered too late. There's a lot going on in this particular one - sweet, savoury and something tangy in the nose, lovely meaty notes i the taste. Then turns bitter and smoky. Very unusual, and very tasty.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 122.17 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 16 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 122.17 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 16 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - South Highlands
Light gold
58.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, tar, salt ham, smoked chicken, butter, apples, hints of coal.
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, hot, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Smoke, apples, raisins, smoked chicken, soy sauce, butter, hints of lime.
Finish: Long. Smoky, coal, smoked chicken.

Comments:

Peated Loch Lomond (hence branded Croftengea) made in Lomond stills. Tastes a little like roast chicken that sat too long in a coal fire. The hints of lime make me think of Thai food - perhaps a little like pad thai perhaps? Interesting, and quite delicious.

Verdict:

I like this.

Loch Lomond Single Highland Malt

Loch Lomond Single Highland Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - South Highlands
Golden
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Vanilla, something metallic, lemon curd, brassy, stale beer, cream, hints of roast chicken.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thin, watery, static.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Oaky, milk, orange juice, custard apple, hints of cinnamon, hints of nutmeg.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, white pepper.

Comments:

Strange tasting - very much like a Rosebank, with the fruity brassy light character. But somehow the lemon notes overpower the other flavours. I couldn't find much in this. Jim Murray describes this as a "disaster" but I disagree. It's great if you like your lemon, but I prefer it in moderation. My first foray into Lomond still whisky doesn't look too promising, but it wasn't a disaster. "Not bad" will do.

Verdict:

Not bad.