New Whiskies

Batch 17

by
Batch 17 whiskies

Chief engineer Dave Broom tastes six new single malts from Loch Lomond Group this week, including three from Glen Scotia in Campbeltown, and three from the Highlands: two Inchmurrins and a Loch Lomond.

Scoring Explained

Overview

  • Glen Scotia Double Cask

    Score

    71

    Glen Scotia Double Cask
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    46%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Campbeltown
    Flavour camp
    Fruity & Spicy
    Nose
    A medium- to full-bodied nose with a light earthiness that brings to mind wormwood and gentian. Dried lemon peel then leads into lots of cumin and turmeric, bringing to mind a spicy fruit chutney. With water, it becomes more raisined and sweet (this has been finished in a Pedro Ximénez cask).
    Palate
    Rounded and generous, with a sweet mid-palate which helps to blur the tannins. The palate doesn’t quite reach the weirdly wonderful nature of the nose.
    Finish
    Soft and darkly fruited.
    Conclusion
    All change at Glen Scotia… and the ‘interesting’ wrap-around Highland cow bottle has gone. Well worth a look.
    Right place, right time
    A well-upholstered country gentleman eating a cheese and chutney sandwich.

    Glen Scotia 15 Years Old

    Score

    73

    Glen Scotia 15 Years Old
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    46%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Campbeltown
    Flavour camp
    Fruity & Spicy
    Nose
    Ripe, sweet and soft. Medium- to full-bodied, with a little more cask influence here than on the Double Cask, allowing it to be more crisp in nature.
    Palate
    Thick and still sweet, with rum-and-raisin ice cream, then whisky-soaked fruits. Good weight, with structure given by a clean nuttiness. Supple and very sound. Water perhaps lightens it too much.
    Finish
    Clean and soft when neat, a little dusty with water.
    Conclusion
    A very decent dram indeed.
    Right place, right time
    The clocks go back. Out comes the fruit for the Christmas cake.

    Glen Scotia Victoriana

    Score

    79

    Glen Scotia Victoriana
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    51.5%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Campbeltown
    Flavour camp
    Rich & Round
    Nose
    Bigger and sweeter than the previous pair; there’s also a hint of smoke in here which could be from the heavily charred finishing casks. There’s liquorice, jammy fruits alongside pine/larch, Seville orange and light nuttiness behind. Nice layering.
    Palate
    A ripe, sweet start, then some Parma Violet, cooked fruits, plum jam and a treacle-like undertow. Well-balanced and, while it’s fat, there’s good, sound structure here.
    Finish
    Maybe just a little firm.
    Conclusion
    Make no mistake, Glen Scotia is back. A fine conclusion to a very heartening new range.
    Right place, right time
    A Women’s Institute stall at the church fete.

    Inchmurrin 12 Years Old

    Score

    80

    Inchmurrin 12 Years Old
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    46%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Highland
    Flavour camp
    Fruity & Spicy
    Nose
    Big and sweet, with masses of fruit and a hint of mint. Becomes quite juicy before a really lovely oaky note adds a warm toastiness – think of toasted crumpets with butter and honey. Water makes it considerably fruitier.
    Palate
    A fruit bomb. You are immediately plunged into blackcurrant fruit pastille, then carried forward to mango and and papaya before a perfumed element develops alongside citrus. Water means that you lose this frankly outrageous burst of flavour. Has power and some weight.
    Finish
    Well… fruity!
    Conclusion
    Aged in refill, first fill, and recharred American oak casks, you can’t drink this without a stupid grin on your face.
    Right place, right time
    Sailing out of control down Willy Wonka’s river while Oompa-Loompas fling buckets of fruit at you.

    Inchmurrin 18 Years Old

    Score

    77

    Inchmurrin 18 Years Old
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    46%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Highland
    Flavour camp
    Rich & Round
    Nose
    Stewed Assam tea, some wet grass and fruits behind. Does show some heft and in some ways looks to Original (see below) while having some of the fruitiness of the 12-year-old. Mature with a little hint of Danish oil and, with water, big tropical fruits.
    Palate
    Good control of distillate and oak allows the fruits to balance themselves against the fat, slightly oily, distillery character. When diluted a light cereal nuttiness develops.
    Finish
    Hint of pepper and nutmeg.
    Conclusion
    Has real substance. Well-made.
    Right place, right time
    Cutting the grass on an autumn day with a mug of tea and a jammy piece on the side.

    Loch Lomond Original

    Score

    70

    Loch Lomond Original
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    46%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Highland
    Flavour camp
    Malty & Dry
    Nose
    Bready, in fact almost yeasty, with notes of warm (and slightly soggy) Weetabix, sweet nuttiness and, in time, suet pudding dotted with fruits. Water brings out a hint of wet wool and Vegemite.
    Palate
    Clean with a lightly nutty start before it fattens out and sweetens in the mid-palate. There’s less cereal than on the nose, but it’s just a little flabby. Water helps to crisp things up and show more substance in the middle.
    Finish
    Spicy.
    Conclusion
    A decent dram that just needs to be knitted together.
    Right place, right time
    Making bread on a moist morning.
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