Loch Lomond – 10 Year Old (70cl, 40%)

This is a ten year old Highland single malt from Loch Lomond Distillery in Alexandria, bottled at 40% in a 70cl bottle. It brings together whisky from straight neck pot stills and traditional swan neck stills, matured in three kinds of American oak cask: bourbon barrels, refill casks and re-charred casks. Master blender Michael Henry marries the different spirit and cask influences. The nose has fresh apple and ripe pear with citrus, sweet vanilla, cinnamon and light peat smoke. The palate opens with creamy caramel and vanilla, then caramelised apples, juicy pears, cinnamon, smoke and wood, and the pear moves towards lemon. The finish is mild and sweet, with caramelised apple, soft dark spice and a fine thread of smoke.