Whisky: Loch Lomond Croftengea 9 Year (2012) SMWS 122.43 “Conjuring up all sorts of images”

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 61.9%

Cask: 2nd Fill Bourbon Barrel

Age: 9 Years (Distilled 27 March 2012)

Nose: Maritime with wispy smoke, orange and tangerine citrus, honey, ginger, shortbread cookies, hints of algae and tide pools.

Palate: Medium-bodied, crisp and citrusy, maritime, lemon drops, tide pools, dissolved limestone, shortbread cookies; candied ginger, pineapple, and orange; wispy smoke with hints of something metallic.

Finish: Long and lingering with citrus, sand, and surf.

Score: 7-8

Mental Image: Favorite TV Show’s Hawaiian Holiday Episode

Narrative & Notes: I poured this as dram #6 on a “Holiday Mystery Whisky Advent Calendar” and guessed it was a 17-19-year-old Caol Ila. The citrus and maritime notes pointed toward Islay’s biggest distillery, though the dram lacked much of the herbal or medicinal elements that often appear in the distillery’s spirit. It reminded me a fair bit of the “unpeated style” special releases that Caol Ila has done a few times, with faint hints of smoke coming primarily from the refill casks.

I was, of course, way off on that guess. Even worse, this was a bottle I submitted for our calendar! I was genuinely impressed by this young Croftengea, and I may seek out more of this peated Loch Lomond spirit in the future. The flavors were crisp, clean, and well-integrated, while the finish was impressively long. I rarely write this, but I thought the flavor profile was far richer and more complex than the aroma, with lovely layers of citrus, sea, and pastry.

Overall, this was right up my alley.