Loch Lomond Waypoint Series - Release Number 1

 It's not very often your favourite distillery launches a new range, but this month they did! @LochLomondMalts's new Waypoint Series

Let's try the first release!

Loch Lomond say:

"Introducing the Waypoint Series, a celebration both of where we come from, and of thoughtful flavour exploration. At Loch Lomond Whiskies, we respect tradition and are endlessly inspired by our surroundings, but we always navigate our own path.

The Waypoint Series celebrates our deep connection to the remarkable landscape surrounding our distillery and captures the feelings it evokes. Exciting and diverse, the Waypoint Series is our tribute to the location that brought it to life.

The Waypoint Series captures our sense of place, which provides constant inspiration for our whisky making team. Where we’re from is who we are. It gives meaning to our whiskies and shapes their individual characters.

Let the journey begin…"

Photo: Stephen Martin

The first release in the series is Falls of Falloch a 16yo Cognac finished bottling.

In the heart of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park The Falls of Falloch is a beautiful 10 metre (32 feet) waterfall on the River Falloch which flows into the northern end of Loch Lomond.

The whisky is slightly unusual in being spirit distilled exclusively in Loch Lomond's Swan Neck pot stills (a style known as Inchfad).

Matured for 15 years in FF, RF and Re-charred ex-bourbon casks and finished for 12 months in ex-cognac casks before being bottled at 46.2% NCF, Natural Colour.

Tasting notes: Beginning with aromas of soft citrus and honey blossom, it opens up with a sweetness of stewed apple & honeysuckle taste before oak notes from the cognac casks come to the fore. The finish is medium with notes of soft citrus.

My thoughts:

Appearance: Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thick oily legs.

Nose: Musty and vegetal to start: grape must, honey, almond milk and a hint of citrus. There's some orchard fruit, quince and a hint of smoke or cask char.

Palate: Fairly thick sweet arrival: honey, stewed orchard fruit, marzipan and a little icing sugar. after a few sips this gets a little chewy with thick vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce. The fruit turns a little tropical, it's very drying and a little spicy. As the liquid disappears the vegetal note from the nose is left behind on the tongue with a bite of citrus and a distant waft of smoke.

Finish: Dry and spicy with that vegetal note.

Overall: Where do I start? It's great to see more natural colour releases from Loch Lomond and all 46%+ are now non-chill filtered, where is 46.2% come from though? I am concerned a little about the price on this one, yes it's 16yo but £82 is a bit steep. Some of that must come down to the packaging - whilst it does look beautiful I'm worried that we're paying a little too much for 'the story' these days from Loch Lomond Group - look at the £98 Icons of Campbeltown release from sister distillery Glen Scotia.

Anyway back to the whisky - to be honest I'm not a fan - maybe it's the Cognac finish? I wasn't keen on Glasgow's 1770's Cognac finish either- it's that slight vegetal note all the way through that I don't like.

Maybe it's the Swan Neck distillate - yes I'm being very geeky and blind I bet I couldn't tell the difference between ex-bourbon Swan Neck and Straight Neck distillates - but something was always prickled my spider senses since I didn't like a Chardonnay Wine Yeast fermentation bottling from a Swan Neck pot still.

If you like cognac finishes you'll probably love it - tell me I'm wrong!

Geeky Stuff:

The first time I saw this bottle, from a picture at this year's Open Golf, it reminded me of the style used by @BainsWhisky in their 18yo boxes: