Where Discovery Meets Patience

Earlier this year, Loch Lomond continued its Waypoint Series with the second iteration, a Travel Retail Exclusive. I must admit, I was immediately captivated by the box. It is not mere packaging; it is truly an art piece.

The Waypoint Series is a collection of whiskies inspired by the scenic landscape around the Loch Lomond Distillery. It reflects a pursuit to push the boundaries of whisky craft and aims to capture the spirit of discovery in every release. The brain behind this whisky was Master Blender Michael Henry, who crafted each expression to convey a unique story. He combines creativity and tradition, utilizing selective cask finishes to achieve this objective.

This 17-Year-Old pays homage to the iconic Conic Hill. It blends predominantly unpeated spirit with just a touch of peated distillate, distilled exclusively in their swan neck stills. The whisky was matured in a combination of first-fill and refill ex-bourbon American oak casks and finished for 7 months in first-fill Limousin wine casks.

About Loch Lomond Distillery

The distillery is situated near the shores of Loch Lomond, an iconic Scottish lake that is also the largest in Great Britain by surface area. The basin in which the loch lies was carved out by glaciers at the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago.

What makes Loch Lomond Distillery truly unique is its versatility. It utilizes standard swan-neck pot stills, which are common in distilleries. These stills produce three types of spirit: unpeated, medium-peated, and heavily peated. Since modifications to the stills are impractical, most distilleries rely on cask finishing to add flavour diversity.

Loch Lomond is different as it also has straight-neck pot stills. It is a combination of a pot still base and a straight neck, whereas for swan neck stills, the lyne arm is angled. The still design was developed by Littlemill Distillery to give a triple-distilled character from double distillation. The purpose is to select sweet, fruity notes and to stop the heavy, sulfuric flavours. This is made possible by perforated copper plates and a cooling ring that increase reflux, thereby helping capture more delicate flavours. It is worth noting that the distillery uses specific yeast strains based on the pot still's shape, and a long 96-hour fermentation allows for secondary fermentation, generating complex esters. So, back to the straight neck still: during fermentation, a fruity character develops, which is concentrated and captured during distillation. As for swan-neck stills, the distillate is floral but leans towards fuller body and spicier notes.

Moreover, straight neck stills give the distillery the liberty to take different portions of the spirit, which alters the characteristics of the distillate. There are two cuts: high-strength and low-strength. The high-strength cut is around 85% ABV and is a lighter, floral spirit. The latter is around 68% ABV and has a fruitier character with a fuller body. By experimenting with different levels of peated barley, the distillery yields an impressive array of unique spirits. This includes single-grain distillation, which is made possible by their Coffey-style column still.

What is unique is that Loch Lomond’s single grain is distilled in continuous stills using 100% malted barley. It is the same malted barley wash used for their pot stills. Single grain whiskies do not have to be produced from malted barley; they are typically made from cereals like corn or rye and can be malted or unmalted. In contrast, single malt whiskies must be made using malted barley and distilled in pot stills. Under Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) rules, the distillate is classified as a single grain, although it is made from malted barley.

Once distilled, all distillates are matured in ex-bourbon casks, which help retain their distinct flavours. Moreover, the American oak adds the signature sweet honey note. Of course, some whisky is eventually finished in special casks. The philosophy here is to enhance existing flavours while bringing in new ones.

Loch Lomond also has its own onsite cooperage. Most of their casks come from Heaven Hill or Jim Beam, which are inspected and repaired if necessary, before use. Every year, the team maintains and repairs over 30,000 casks. An important step is the De-char / Re-char (DCRC) process. Ex-bourbon casks typically have heavy char; a machine uses a wire brush to remove it while minimising the amount of wood removed. It is different from shaving the cask, which could compromise the cask's integrity. This prepares a consistent surface ready for a fresh char. The benefits of having one's own cooperage mean that the experience helps control char levels, depending on the distilling team's needs. This is absolutely necessary in maintaining the consistency of whisky maturation.

Getting To Conic Hill

Located on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, Conic Hill offers lush greenery and expansive views of the loch and its islands at its summit. The beauty of this hill is that one does not need to go all the way up to enjoy the scenic views; the views start from the way up.

Whisky Review: Loch Lomond 17 Year Old Waypoint Series Conic Hill

This expression is non-chill-filtered and presents at a respectable 47.4% ABV. What is interesting is the use of gently toasted first-fill French oak casks from the Limousin region, which previously held wine. Unlike their charred counterparts, toasted barrels are heated more gently to yield a dark brown toasted colour rather than blackened char. This contributes more vanilla flavours and spices, since the wood sugars are unlikely to have caramelised.

The box features hand-drawn artwork by Brett Beckon, a renowned Welsh Illustrator who uses art to bring fantasy, realism, and historical subjects to life. It shows an amazing, imaginative interpretation of the Falls of Falloch, highlighting the joy of exploration and the serene beauty of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. On different facets of the box, we have the tasting notes and other information about the distillery.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Hami melon and yellow cherry tomato. Red apples and ripe starfruit. Apricots and pears. A hint of lemon zest. Fresh orchard fruits with decadent vanilla and light spices.

Palate: Yellow raisins and red apples up front. Rainier cherries and vanilla cream follow, with a topping of desiccated coconut and candied ginger. Ripe peaches glazed with honey. The mouthfeel is decadent, yet the clarity of flavours shines through. Toasted nuts are intertwined with barley sugar. The texture is silky, and the sweetness is controlled rather than cloying.

Finish: Gentle smoke emerges, complemented by cinnamon and ginger, with a touch of clove. Some wax develops. Goldenberries and golden delicious apples linger. This finishes with some freshly toasted walnuts.

Conclusion

This is a fantastic single malt that shows remarkable clarity of flavours from the ex-bourbon casks while adding depth from the Limousin oak finish. Wine finishes tend to be tricky. I often find the wine influence to be overpowering, masking the distillate’s unique beauty. Sometimes there may also be sulphuric or musty notes, which can be distracting. This expression is well balanced, and the spirit takes centre stage.

It is important to be patient with this whisky. I found that the liquid gradually opens up. For the neck pour, the liquid is rather spicy, perhaps due to the gently toasted casks. Well, it is a trade-off after all. There is an impressive amount of vanilla influence in the dram, but unfortunately, it will start off slightly harsher and with some jagged edges. But this is mitigated by oxidation in the bottle, which softens the sharp edges and knits the flavours together. Moreover, I noticed that the subtle peat notes became more discernible.

This development is truly rewarding, and for me, this expression punches above its weight. It is not the first time a bottle has presented itself brashly, but it has mellowed and improved over time. I have heard of cases where individuals shunned bottles due to their initial impression at the first pour. It is important to give every whisky some time.

Beyond the parallels to exploring the landscape around Loch Lomond, I believe this dram is about the discovery of flavours over time. Perhaps it is similar to ascending Conic Hill. With each step we climb, the view gets clearer and more stunning. Each revisit to this dram brings about new flavours and feels like edging a little further along the trail. It may be a slow journey, but that is how we should enjoy whisky – to savour it slowly. 

Penned by Pivoine