The ninth of nine whiskies at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") June 2022 Outturn tasting at the Jack Rose Saloon on Sunday, June 5th. From Inchmoan (one of the many Loch Lomond imprints), this is always interesting stuff - they aren't afraid to take chances at Loch Lomond, and it almost always pays off. This is a heavily peated 9 year old, bottled at a nice, full 58.5% ABV.
Here are the official notes:
We must set the scene – imagine you are buying, in a petrol station, a bag of English mustard seasoned smoked pork cracklings and you cross the road, open the bag, sit on a bench watching fisherman unloading their daily catch. Huge smoke on the palate as you find in your coat pocket roasted peanuts seasoned with a smoky harissa spice mix. Thank goodness you also bought a bottle of water as you unwrap a smoked roast beef sandwich with plenty of horseradish before you finish with a scorched Scottish fruit slice aptly named fly cemetery and a strong black tea poured out of a flask.
Hmmm, sounds intriguing alright. Gasoline, mustard, cracklings, fish, smoke, nuts... what?! Let's immediately dive into this:
Nose: Gasoline! I usually only scent this with really high ester rums - where it is pretty common - but the scent of benzene is clear on the aroma here. My notes then say: "WTF rainwater and mustard." Very unusual.
Mouthfeel: Thick, chewy.
Palate: Smoky as hell, with oil, peanut husks, red peppers, and the distinct flavor of horseradish. I have no idea what is going on at Loch Lomond, but I like it. Very very unusual flavors here.
Finish: Long, filled with smoke and anchovies.
Verdict: As my final dram out of 9 (before three "bonus" drams), I expected this to be muted by the many many flavors that came before it. Not so - this was intense and commands your attention instantly. Just crazy stuff. One can only hope that Loch Lomond/Inchmoan releases some official version of this. Amazing. Recommended with a giant warning label: not for the faint of heart.
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