Loch Lomond Inchmoan 12 Year Old
Loch Lomond is surely the Scottish distillery producing the widest variety of whiskies. Their whiskies fall into one of three ranges each with its own subtlely different brand:
Loch Lomond - sits in the middle of the range, lightly peated but still a little sweetness. I looked at the 10-year-old from this range last week).
Inchmurrin - no peat at all, this range is all about orchard fruits and sweetness.
Inchmoan - heavy peat here with plenty of smoke and spice.
So Loch Lomond’s core range comes in a few options. There are three 12-year-olds (as per above) and today we’re diving into arguably the most beloved - the peated Inchmoan 12-year-old.
Bottle
This bottle is great - not as short as I normally like but a good, sturdy feeling bottle. But what I love most is the easy distinction between their huge number of different whiskies. They use label colours to differentiate between the different ranges and age expressions (of which there are many) but it is done in such a way as to not look like a rainbow! The blue used on this bottle is exquisite - it compliments the colour of the whisky perfectly, I love it! And finally, as with last week’s review of the 10-year-old, I have to mention the stag logo on the shoulder of the bottle - it is beautiful!
Colour
Although this whisky is not chill filtered it does have colouring added so the lovely muscat colour is at least partly artificial.
Nose - This is a peated whisky but the nose is very gentle. Beneath the smokiness lies the sweetness of syrup or toffee and just a hint of orchard fruits.
Palate - The peat is bold yet refined, with flavours of smoked bacon, black pepper, and bonfire embers mingling with a creamy malt backbone. A gentle citrus tang and dried fruit sweetness emerge, adding balance and complexity.
Finish - Long and warming, with a satisfying interplay of lingering peat smoke, toasted oak, and a touch of dark chocolate bitterness.
Overall
This is a fabulous bottle of whisky and is typically available for about the same price as the 10-year-old I tasted last week. It is a lovely blend of smoke mixed with some of the rich sweetness Loch Lomond is known for. I love the bottle design and styling as well as the wonderful spirit. Loch Lomond is rapidly becoming one of my favourite distilleries and this is likely to be a staple in my cupboard going forward. It is frequently available for around £35 making this an excellent deal, especially for something slightly out of the ordinary.
I already have a bottle of the regular Loch Lomond 12-year-old and 14-year-old as well as the highly recommended Cooper’s Collection Spanish OakCask Finish that I am looking forward to even more now. Keep an eye out for these over the coming weeks.
Available from Master of Malt for around £40