Inchmurrin 18 Year Old

Two years ago, the Inchmurrin range was revamped. There is now a 12, 15, 18 and 21 Year Old. The bottles are pretty slim and colored, just like the tubes (similar to the Glen Scotia makeover, which uses even more eclectic colors). Moreover – and this is new – the Inchmurrin is bottled at 46% today as opposed to the 40% from a few years back. In front of me is the Inchmurrin 18 Year Old in a bright blue bottle. The contents is pretty pale.

Grain cookies, caramel and hints of citrus and pineapple. Maybe even some litchi. But again with that dirty edge that I just do not appreciate. Luckily it is a lot less than on the older bottlings. Hazelnuts try to save the day. So does chocolate.

Whoa, wait! This palate is not even half bad. Still too much sweet malt, but the fruit develops nicely. Lemon, litchi again and some pear drops. The pineapple is less obvious, but still there. Syrupy sweet, this is.

The finish is fairly spicy and sweet on vanilla and ginger.

This is the best whisky I have tried from this distillery, but that means little I am afraid. Having said that, I would not want to pay 60 EUR for this.

By tweaking the distillation process (making use of no less than three types of stills), Loch Lomond produces no less than seven different types of single malt. Their best known is probably Loch Lomond single malt. But this one does not have a very good reputation, which was confirmed after tasting the NAS version. Hopefully, this 18 Year Old can turn the tide (to use a seaman’s term, keeping Capitain Haddock in from Tintin in mind).

Ouch, that nose is simply awful. It would seem the spirit matured not in oak casks but in cardboard boxes. I even get some cleaning solvent. Hints of flower and butter, which also cannot please either. Wait. I do get some wood. But it is not oak as if from a cask. It is rotting wood in a old barn. After a few moments, some fruit does appear in the form of overripe oranges. Too little, too late.

On the palate, these oranges come first and it seems to be going in the right direction, but it does not last. Immediately it is overrun by more wet cardboard and hints of burnt butter.

The finish is merciless, hassling you for several minutes.

Bottling this should be punishable!