Review #210 - Loch Lomond 18 Year
One of the most reasonably priced 18 year old Scotch whiskies - this single malt is priced more like a blend of an equivalent age. Loch Lomond is known for their affordability, while still presenting quality spirits.
There isn't a lot of information about the specific types of casks used to mature this 18 year whisky - the bottle only states 'American oak,' and our bottle is from 2019, before the most recent rebrand. On the brand's website, they state that the current version of the 18 year old uses three types of American oak casks, but still don't add further detail; because of that, we don't have any certain flavor expectations going into the review.
This is presented at a pleasant 46% strength, meaning no chill filtration is necessary to avoid the clouding effect under cold temperatures - indeed, they state on the label that it's not chill filtered. Loch Lomond Group has still been known to add a little bit of artificial coloring to their whiskies in recent years, but they seem to be moving toward more natural presentation - hopefully that trend continues.
Loch Lomond 18 Year
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 80 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 95 (2024)
Age Statement: 18 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: American oak casks
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 5 times over 2 years; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80% (blind tasting), 70%, and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Slight funk and hints of peat, with a little earthy side and some herbal notes. Still a bit spirity for an 18 year old, but somewhat mellow overall; oak is light and drying, and there are hints of prune, raisin, and plum sauce. With time, soft barbecue and minerality come forward, along with light fruit and brown sugar.
Palate: A medium mouthfeel, with a mixture of oak, fruit, and other spice flavors. That tickle of peat from the nose arrives in the palate, and it's aided by dry wood spice, clove, and soft pepper. There's a bouquet of orchard fruits: red apple, orange, crisp pear, banana, lemon, and nectarine all appeared across our various tastings. With time, a bit more acidity or astringency from the oak is present.
Finish: Medium length, with a pleasant warmth and a more measured oak influence; the astringency has dissipated. The soft peat smoke is still present, and it's balanced by sweeter notes of grape soda, brandy, and vanilla; in the aftertaste, occasional flavors of minerality, savory orange, and flowers can be found.
Final Note: There are decent flavors here, and some nice complexity on the palate, but the overall strength of flavor is what stops this from scoring higher - it was nice, but quite mild during each tasting. There's aren't a lot of mature wood notes for an 18 year old whisky, either, but nothing about it was offensive. Despite the sometimes muted or plain flavors, it's still a good value for its age statement.
Our Average Rating: 6.6 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.04
Check out our other Loch Lomond reviews:
Review #198 - SMWS 122.40 'Smoky to a Tee' - Loch Lomond (Croftengea) 10 Year
