Loch Lomond Single Grain

I've recently put myself in an inconvenient position of being unable to mentally pass on from one distillery to another leaving the most of its off-the-shelf range whiskies untried, so here's yet one another review about the lot offered by the newly reformed Loch Lomond distillery. Due to the scotch whisky regulation issues LL Single Grain cannot be considered to be a single malt though they use only malted barley during the production. The reason is simple and it lies beyond all the adequate measures - at Loch Lomond they use way too many different techniques so it's hard to tell if the malted barley that has undergone the continuous distillation in a Coffey still can still be considered a single malt at the end of the process. Well, off we go to the whisky itself. It definitely has much from both single malt and single grain types of whisky and still it remains a whisky from Loch Lomond what becomes obvious as soon as you open the bottle. Aroma is full of bright vanilla, even Vanilla Coke as vanilla here is massive, heavy and biting. Also there are some ripe peppery-sweet yellow apples and pears. It lacks of a certain complexity relevant to all the single malts but still is a better piece of a whisky-art then Girvan for example (no matter how many years this bloody Girvan has been matured in oak casks). The taste is bold and aggressive with sour notes, fresh herbs, vanilla and some oriental delights such as baklava and rahat-lokum. The finish is nice, short and warming and it also delivers a vodka style so familiar from the Girvan tasting. LL Single Grain is nice in overall and I place it higher than LL Original Single Malt but that's only because the Original was a bit of a disappointment. As I see it, the single grain whiskies have already lost a war against single malts over the market no matter how much some of the big companies try to start this "matured single grains are no worse than classic single malts" trend.

- Loch Lomond Distillery (maior lago de água doce da Escócia e também do Reino Unido) - Highlands - Single Grain (conforme lei promulgada em 2009 pela Grã-Bretanha) - Destilado em “Coffey Stills” (separa mais eficientemente os óleos fúseis do destilado, removendo os aromas indesejáveis do new-make spirit e produzindo um destilado mais suave) - Produzido apenas com cevada maltada - 46% ABV - Whisky NAS (demonstra ter algo entre 3 e 5 anos) - Tem corante (ver rótulo em alemão no verso) - Sem info sobre ter ou não filtragem gelada (aparenta não ter) - Garrafa de 1 litro Olfato: adocicado, leve e frutado. Baunilha, crème brûlée, creme de confeitaria, cítrico de cascas de laranjas, malte, amadeirado leve com apimentado que remete a pimenta do reino, levemente herbal puxando a chá verde e leve calor do álcool. Paladar: muita correspondência com o olfato, porém com um pegada muito mais quente do álcool. Traz um apimentado potente, seguido de bastante dulçor e amargor moderado. O amadeirado é mais perceptível do que o olfato, porém ainda de forma discreta. Frutado cítrico, baunilha e crème brûlée também fazem presença. A percepção de boca ainda é de um whisky leve e pouco denso. Finalização: média para curta, com residual doce, picante e levemente amargo. O calor do álcool persiste por mais tempo do que os outros sabores. Impressões gerais: whisky simples, com baixa oleosidade, leve e sem muitos mistérios, remete a whiskies triplamente destilados. O calor do álcool, em todos os aspectos sensoriais, é o ponto baixo deste whisky, entretanto seu preço acessível contrabalanceia esta desvantagem. Whisky para ser degustado com gelo, um filete de água ou mesmo drinks, mas pode ser, também, degustado puro caso o calor do álcool não te incomode.

Nose: The Loch Lomond Single Grain whisky opens with a delicate and inviting aroma, featuring notes of sweet vanilla and toasted cereal grains. Subtle hints of fresh fruit, particularly green apples and pears, add a refreshing layer to the nose, complemented by a gentle touch of honey and a faint whisper of oak. Palate: On the palate, this whisky delivers a smooth and creamy texture, with a balanced sweetness that is both approachable and satisfying. The vanilla notes from the nose carry through, accompanied by a soft, malty character and a touch of caramel. There is a pleasant interplay between the sweet and grainy elements, with a slight nuttiness that adds depth and complexity. Finish: The finish is medium-length and pleasantly warming, with lingering notes of vanilla, cereal grains, and a hint of spice. The overall experience is one of refined simplicity, making it an excellent choice for both casual sipping and as a base for cocktails. Overall: Loch Lomond Single Grain whisky is a well-crafted and enjoyable spirit that showcases the versatility of grain whisky. Its balanced profile and approachable nature make it a solid choice for both whisky enthusiasts and those new to the category. With its smooth texture and delightful flavors, it earns a commendable score of 87/100. Score: 87/100

Although this whisky is in a lower price range none of the whisky lovers need to keep them away from it:) but this is a must to taste!! Especially if heavy peat isn’t your favourite this should be in your “home-bar”. This is a masterpiece of Aeneas Coffey’s continuous still distillation. A demonstration that in good hand a column still can produce high quality, enjoyable whisky. Despite of the light colour you can smell promising, intense sweet fruit aromas (banana, pineapple). You can smell toffee, and pie but the fruits are dominating. The dominance of the fruit will continue on your tongue and palate. On the other hand the sweetness is reduced a little bit giving some space to the barley (because this spirit is 100% made of malted barely like single malts). The finish is quite long to enjoy further the mix of all what you tasted. Maybe you can read out of me lines that this is not the most complex whisky in the world, but sometimes you don’t want the complexity, you don’t want to amaze your mate, just sit down in the end of a hard day and bring some joy from the nature:)

Nose: Citrus, fruity, kids' sweets, sweet, grassy, grainy Palate: 'Hot' and a little oak spice. Sweet and tropical fruit. Pastry, vanilla, dark chocolate. Wisps of char smoke. Finish: Short finish. Citrus and orange. Light spiciness on the aftertaste. Sweet, 'hot', unrefined, but not particularly unpleasant for it. Pub whisky - a bit 'meh', but OK. I tried this back-to-back with a dram of Spearhead. The Spearhead has a more mature (if still 'meh') flavour profile. Spearhead is made on the same stills, using the same ingredients, but a different cut and barrel management approach. Interesting to see the difference.

LOCH LOMOND SINGLE GRAIN SWEETNESS DELICATE MID PEP, FRUITY, SUGAR CARAMEL 2.75 DELICATE, BITTERNESS, IODINEY, FLAT, HIGH PEP 1 OAKY HIGH SUSTAINED BUT BITTER 1 SINGLE GRAIN HIT OF THE PEP IS INCREDIBLY HIGH, CHEMICAL, MACHINE OIL, PEACH AND SWEETNESS FAKE SUGAR CANDY 1 INTERESTING SWEET ZESTY LEMON RICHNESS, FLAVOUR PROFILE IS ACTUALLY QUITE BEAUTIFUL, YOU GET ALSO A HIT ON YOUR NOSE IN THE MID OF THE SIP, FRAGRANCE OF FLOWER AND SWEET PEARISH 3 BITTERNESS OAKY 1 1.5