Loch Lomond Whiskey 12 years - Single Malt Scotch Scotland

The Loch Lomond Distillery has a rather unusual history. The first distillery dates back to 1814 and was located north of Loch Lomond, closing a few years later. Today, the Loch Lomond Distillery is located in the town of Alexendria, south of Loch Lomond. It was re-founded in 1964 by the former owners of the Littlemill Distillery and took up residence in the former premises of a dye works. It closed 20 years later. The distillery resumed distillation in 1987 under the leadership of an independent bottler, named "Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Company Ltd." Its eventful history has allowed it to acquire unique characteristics in the landscape of Scotch whisky. It has several different stills, including a rare Lomond-type still.

The name of the still is purely coincidental and has nothing to do with the name of the distillery or the lake. Its unique feature is that it uses the base of a pot still with a straight, vertical swan neck as a distillation column. This type of still can produce distillates up to 90% vol, whereas a "traditional" still cannot exceed 70% vol. Another of the distillery's skills is a slow 92-hour fermentation before distillation. The Loch Lomond distillery produces a variety of whiskies, including grain whiskies, grain-malt blends, and single malts. Loch Lomond's other strength is aging, as the distillery has had its own cooperage since 1994. Founded by the renowned master cooper Tommy Wallace, his expertise is renowned for creating remarkably aged Scottish whiskies.

Aside from malting the barley, all other stages of whisky production are carried out on-site. If you're a fan of comics, and Tintin in particular, Loch Lomond should ring a bell. It's the whisky that Captain Haddock drinks. This reference is more of a coincidence, as at the time Hergé wrote the story, the distillery wasn't in operation. Regardless, the Loch Lomond distillery is worth a visit.