New Arrival of the Week: Loch Lomond Steam & Fireplace

For individuals who like their whisky on full aspect now we have a fantastic New Arrival this week. It’s from Loch Lomond distillery and utilises some heavily-charred American oak within the ageing course of to create a whisky that’s laden with sweetness and fireplace. Introducing Loch Lomond Steam & Fireplace.

Michael Henry master blender at Loch Lomond with his still

Grasp blender Michael Henry along with his wonderful stills

Loch Lomond – a Scotch whisky distillery like no different

Loch Lomond, situated within the Highlands simply north of Glasgow, is a whisky distillery like no different. Not like most single malt producers it has a Coffey nonetheless in-house so it could actually make its personal grain whisky. Single malt manufacturing is a bit uncommon too as grasp blender Michael Henry has two units of pot stills to mess around with. Right here he explains how they work:

“We now have two shapes of stills: a set of conventional swan neck stills such as you’d see in different distilleries, after which now we have three units of straight neck pot stills which can be distinctive to us. The straight neck pot stills, we will run these in two methods. The primary is we will take a really tight lower on the spirit run and acquire the brand new make spirit at 85% power. And the second is to take a wider lower on the spirit run and acquire about 65% power.”

The straight neck stills produce a lighter, fruitier type of spirit at a high and low power, whereas the normal swan neck nonetheless makes a weightier extra conventional Highland type. However the variety doesn’t finish there. Loch Lomond makes use of completely different ranges of peating: unpeated, medium, and heavily-peated. It have to be fairly a job retaining monitor of all these forms of spirit. No matter the kind of malt used, fermentation occasions are lengthy, 92 hours, to create every kind of fruity flavours that are accentuated in the course of the distillation course of.

Loch lomond single malt global 2023 steam and fire

Introducing Loch Lomond Steam & Fireplace

With Loch Lomond Steam & Fireplace, Henry makes full use of this uncommon distillation set-up. It’s made up of spirits from the swan neck and distinctive straight neck stills with unpeated malt, and a small peated malt part from simply the swan neck nonetheless. However the enjoyable doesn’t finish there as a result of the ageing course of is kind of distinctive too. Initially the whisky that can develop into Loch Lomond Steam & Fireplace is aged in first-fill bourbon barrels and refill American oak casks within the basic Loch Lomond home type, however then it’s handled to a 9-10 month ending interval in first-fill closely re-charred American oak barrels – sourced from the distillery’s personal cooperage. This provides Steam & Fireplace its distinct candy and fiery flavour profile.

Henry elaborated on the method: “Fireplace is a strong component which has a particular influence on the flavour whisky takes from the oak. It’s key in breaking down the floor of the oak releasing the flavours locked inside, with the temperature of the flame and size of charring time crucial in figuring out the flavours imparted.”

It’s a NAS (no age assertion) launch bottled at 46% ABV. That is one which took a bit time to return round within the glass however when it did, pow! The nostril is so candy tempered by a bit smoke, and on the palate that trademark Loch Lomond fruitiness is available in however nonetheless with these toffee and chocolate notes to the fore. It’s very good neat however these candy, easy flavours imply that it’s additionally a cracking whisky for mixing. Strive it in an Previous Normal with chocolate or orange bitters – or each for the complete Terry’s Chocolate Orange expertise.

Loch Lomond Steam & Fireplace single malt is out there from Grasp of Malt. Click on on hyperlinks for worth and to purchase.

Tasting notes from The Chaps at Grasp of Malt

Nostril: Actually candy smelling, honey, toffee, orange liqueur, even some jam roly poly in there, and a bit smoke.

Palate: Candy and creamy with muscovado sugar, marmalade, and chilli jam.

End: Darkish chocolate comes by means of with fudge and lingering wooden smoke.

Henry Jeffreys labored within the wine commerce and publishing earlier than turning into a author. He’s options editor for the Grasp of Malt weblog in addition to contributing to varied publications and has appeared on BBC radio and TV. He received Fortnum & Mason Drink Author of the 12 months 2022/23 and is the creator of three books: Empire of Booze, The House Bar, and The Cocktail Dictionary.