Whisky: Lochside 49 Year (1967), The Cooper’s Choice Cask 806

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 40.5%

Cask: Bourbon Cask

Age: 49 Years (Distilled Feb. 1967, Bottled 2016)

Nose: Fruit and mineral, slightly medicinal and artificial (nostalgically so), carrot cake, brown sugar, malty biscuits, a touch of creaminess.

Palate: Medium-bodied, austere and fruity, oak and cooked cereals, hints of earth and botanical garden; more dried fruits, grains, and almond toward the end.

Finish: Long and drying with oaky tannins and fruit skins.

Score: 8 (87)

Mental Image: Morning at the Botanical Garden Camping Trip

Narrative & Notes: Fruity, and mineral the aroma reminded me of Flintstone vitamins with a touch of calcium buildup on a water kettle.  The fruits were always a touch artificial, which gave the aroma a medicinal edge as orange, lemon, and grape emerged from the vitamin melange. The aroma shifted as carrot cake with brown sugar and a touch of cream arrived alongside digestif biscuits and a malty sweetness.  Medium-bodied on the palate, and initially austere with tropical lilikoi and passionfruit curd alongside musty oak barrels and mellow earth that gradually moved toward dank underbrush and slightly floral botanical garden notes.  Toward the end, a bowl of oatmeal provided some comforting nostalgia with sweet, creamy cooked grains adorned with brown sugar, dried fruits, and hints of slivered almonds.  The finish was long and drying with oaky tannins and fruit skins.

Lochside was not long for the world of scotch; in 1957 it transformed from a brewery to a grain distillery before adding malt production in 1961.  Though grain production ceased in 1973, malt production lasted a few more decades before ending in 1992, with the distillery torn down in 1997. I enjoyed my previous encounters with the shuttered distillery so when I had a chance to try an incredibly old Lochside, age and vintage, at the Swan Song, I could not say no.

The aroma was relatively subdued with a fascinating calcium and mineral quality that reminded me of Flinestone’s vitamins, though not in the same as the Dickel vitamin note.  The fruity quality was always a touch artificial, but never unpleasantly so, with bigger malty notes waiting to arrive, eventually leading to a warming and comforting bowl of oatmeal.

The flavors were well-balanced with a clear transition and development between different layers.  They were mild enough that one could get lost in the glass and skip all the flavor note contemplation or searching.  If there were any flaws it was the slightly tannic nature of the palate and the drying finish which was a touch too much for my taste. I also wished some of the flavors popped with more vibrancy.

Overall, a real delight aside from a few minor qualms.  It is sometimes easier to identify what is missing or slightly off on a great whisky than it is to pick apart all the minor infractions of something that is generally good.