Whisky : Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 13 Year SMWS 112.73 “Sweet and savoury excitement”

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 53.8%

Cask : 2nd Fill Madeira Hogshead

Age : 13 Year (Distilled 21 May 2007)

Nose : Caramel, fruity hard candies, and chocolate.  Sweet sticky butterscotch, caramel, and praline jumped right out along with some spirited heat.  As the dram settled down a box of chocolate truffles came to mind; chocolates with nuts, nougat, and espresso beans.  Mild saltiness and nutty quality of olive oil.

Palate : Medium body with nice oily viscosity and a dry finish.  Notes of sweet dried prunes and fig jam were followed by leather, worn wood, and old velvet cushions.  The mid-palate settled into notes of chocolatey Yoohoo! soda and spice with pepper, paprika, and a hint of funky white pepper.  Tangy notes of dry almonds and balsamic at the end.

Finish :  Lingering nutty-herbal dryness.

Score : 5

Mental Image : Theater Department Bake Sale

Notes :  I love the tropical fruits that really come alive with Loch Lomond’s Inchmurrin— but this had none of those.  I expected the cask to play nicer with the malt, but it seemed to run a bit roughshod over the whole affair.  This was interesting, especially the notes of antique furniture.  I love any dram that reminds me of my Grandmother’s house, even if, as a child, I was bored out of my mind whenever I went over.  Memories of her baking and loving affection are laden with sweet nostalgia— even her telling us kids not to roughhouse on her couches or chairs and sit silent.  Children are meant to be seen, she would say, not heard.  She was full of gems and advice such as that.

This did not deliver on the same level as grandma.  It was a bit hot and spicy.  Despite a full maturation in a second fill madeira hogshead, this never felt cohesive or well integrated to me.  While this was a perfectly fine dram to sip on, I could not help but wonder if this would not have shined a bit brighter as a component in a blend.  To some extent this is the product of our obsession with single casks; not everything is great by itself and sometimes you need a blend to unify casks into something more than the sum of their parts.  

Yet, a dram like this is also perfect for sharing— it was interesting and fun to try and if someone did not like it, there was little lost as the bottle was shared amongst a group.  My opinion is hardly the be-all end-all and I am sure there were plenty who enjoyed this a lot more than I.  I think single cask bottles beg for the sharing format, it is more fun to try more thing, and that is much easier to do when you can share bottles with others and not get stuck with a closet full of FOMO that you will never finish.