Whisky : Loch Lomond 12 Year SMWS 135.24 “Intrigued? You should be”

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 57%

Cask : Ex-Bourbon (10Y), First Fill Charred Red Wine Barrique (2Y)

Age : 12 Year (Distilled 13 Sept. 2007)

Nose : Caramel, wood, and preserved fruits.  Dried berries and carnations with ribbons of caramel, hints of salt, and wood oil.  A musty twang, like fruity black vinegar and ponzu sauce.

Palate : Medium-bodied with fruit, sweet vinegar, and salt.  Fruity notes led off with burnt orange rind and pickled mango before salty fermented shoyu appeared.  Green mango with a dipping sauce of shoyu, vinegar, and fish sauce.  Caramelized fruits with balsamic vinegar and subtle anise arrived at the end. 

Finish :  Lingering vinegar twang and unripened fruit.

Score : 5

Mental Image : Balsamic Fruit Salad

Notes : Also known as “Very berry!” outside of the US.  I have no idea why the TTB required the name on this one to be changed unless there was some trademark issue with Starburst or Cheerios or any of the other foods and beverages that have used the term.  Either way, the berry name seemed apt at first, but this dram took on a very strange— albeit fascinating— vinegar edge.

This was intriguing— so maybe the US rename was better— and I had trouble deciding how I felt about this.  The profile was pretty wild as it moved between fruit, salt, and tangy umami notes.  There were still some of the typically pleasant Loch Lomond tropical fruits you might expect on an Inchmurrin, but that charred Red Wine cask really added something strange to the mix.  At different moments there was even an impression of grilled fruits.

Overall, I came down right in the middle on my scoring.  However, this was one of those weird 5s where I think if I had a bottle and I tasted this more than the three sessions I gave it, I might actually end up at a 7.  I think this was the kind of flavor profile that would be very likely to grow on me given enough time and I doubt I would have regretted grabbing a whole bottle for myself.  It may have been more interesting than good, but it was plenty of fun and sometimes that is the best you can ask of a single cask.