Discovering The Bonnie Banks with Loch Lomond Whisky Distillery
Originally in The City Magazine
Loch Lomond Distillery’s 50-Year-Old whisky is as special as the loch from which it gets its name
I had my first sip of Loch Lomond Distillery’s Inchmoan as we sailed past an island located in the middle of the distillery’s eponymous home. According to the driver of the boat – and I have no reason not to believe him – this particular islet – in fact, the original Inchmoan – was where women found guilty of adultery were sent. A mere paddle away is another outcrop, where local drunks were deposited. The story goes that not only have whisky barrels been dug up on the latter island (ingenuity knows no bounds), but the drunks regularly attempted to swim between islands. It seems the 18th-century inhabitants of the middle of Loch Lomond knew how to have a good time.
I had been invited to Loch Lomond Distillery in aid of the launch of its 50-Year-Old single malt. Back on dry land, we entered Cameron House, a five-star baronial mansion on the banks of the Loch, to be greeted by the expansive bar, the whisky list fitting for one of Scotland’s premier venues.
The 50-Year-Old was distilled on 19 November 1967, lying in wait for 40 years, before master blender Michael Henry joined Loch Lomond Group in 2007, and chose the cask as the flagship Loch Lomond whisky.
We were given a tour of the distillery, including the cooperage, where traditional methods are still used alongside more modern technology. Feeling deeply insecure surrounded by burly,
old-school craftsmen, I tried to assert myself by grabbing the hammer and chisel, and immediately lost any remaining respect by daintily chipping away at the barrel ring like I was hanging a small painting on what I thought might be a dividing wall.
I needed some way to recover. Luckily, we returned to Cameron House for a tasting of the 50-Year-Old. It starts out spicy, cloves and cinnamon combining with sultanas and a hint of Scottish tablet. The tablet’s silkiness sticks around, but strong fruit flavours take over, most notably big doses of pineapple and banana,which give way to warm stem ginger and tangy grapefruit. Henry was right to bottle it now: the angels don’t deserve any more of a share.
A special drink needs a box to match, and Loch Lomond’s partner Method Studio has gone the extra mile, with handcrafted, solid oak chests imitating the Loch’s dark waters. Each individually- numbered chest is leather-lined and indigo-dyed until almost black, and hides a solid brass vial miniature for you to indulge in.
The tasting was bittersweet; the whisky really is an exceptional expression of Loch Lomond’s single malt, a singularly rich, fruity concoction. I knew, however, that I probably wouldn’t be indulging again for a while (unless a particularly benevolent PR fancies sending a bottle), such is the exclusivity, delicacy and artistry on display. Slàinte mhath: I’m glad I got to know you.
