First of all: what a name! Of all the wacky/descriptive/imaginative names to come out of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), Doctor Blowtorch is easily my favorite. This single cask bottling is from one of the Loch Lomond distillery imprints, this one being Croftongea; this is apparently one of the peated varieties used in their blending, along with two other imprints Craiglodge and Glen Douglas.
I have had such marvelous luck with SMWS/Loch Lomond bottlings lately that I simply couldn't pass this one up. Here are the official tasting notes:
Salty sea air blew through hospital corridors and operating tables as scorched heather mixed with charcoaled driftwood. Dried rosemary, sage and thyme blended with lemon cough syrup and sweet rubber before toffee and cinnamon encountered rum and raisin ice cream. On the palate came roasted chestnuts and smoked mussels with a fresh waft of vapour rub and mint as lavender bushes burnt alongside charcoal and chimney soot. Water brought out fragrant notes of satsumas in bonfire ash and sandalwood incense while oily textures came from juniper berries and bacon. The palate now embraced burnt citrus skins and charred eucalyptus as antiseptic bandages wrapped around peppered mackerel and burnt fruit loaf.
They really know how to write these drams up, don't they? I think it's safe to say this will be a highly medicinal Highland-style (more earthy than coastal) peated expression, and I am quite intrigued specifically by the scorched heather, the savory spices of rosemary and sage and thyme, and the smoked mussels. This has my favorite flavors written all over it.
This was matured in a 2nd fill bourbon barrel for 9 years before being bottled at a nice 57.4% ABV. Let's see how it does:
Nose: Well, this is pretty aptly named. The doctor portion is well represented - heaps of iodine. Peat. Coal smoke (the blowtorch?). Alcohol fumes. Salt. Rosemary, for sure - a really interesting note. Vick's Vapor Rub, also an interesting scent.
With water: Still quite herbal and peaty, but it actually loses any sweetness it had and also dulls the iodine a bit. The slack is taken up by an elegant coastal salinity - lots of minerals and salt. Shellfish, even.
Mouthfeel: Very thick and viscous.
Palate: Well, it's super hot - the alcohol is front and center. After that, it's surprisingly sweet to go along with the smoke. Lavender, ash, olive oil, slightly overcooked bacon, and vanilla ice cream.
With water: it's still a beast. Medicinal brine. Olives and flowers. Honey-glazed meat. Antiseptic. Has a sweet core with a lot of smoky savory flavors wrapped around it.
Finish: Long and smoky. Some oak, some pepper, some lemon, but mostly smoke. There is also a floral aftertaste in their somewhere which is pretty nice.
Verdict: I really like this. Another win for Loch Lomond. This reminds me quite a bit of one of the peated Glen Scotia's from SMWS I had not so long ago: heavily medicinal is balanced with sweetness and coastal saltiness. I am going to have a few appointments with Doctor Blowtorch, that's for sure. Recommended if you see it in the wild.
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