Spearhead single grain whisky

1. What they say

MADE DIFFERENTLY, RIGHT DOWN TO THE INFRARED TOASTING

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY THAT YOU HEAR ABOUT A SINGLE GRAIN WHISKY THAT’S MADE EXCLUSIVELY FROM 100% MALTED BARLEY. OR THAT YOU POUR FROM A STURDY AND STRIKING SQUARE BOTTLE. IT’S NOT EVERY DAY YOU SIP A SCOTCH THAT’S BEEN FINISHED IN INFRARED TOASTED BARRELS. WE SIMPLY DON’T DO EVERYDAY.

IT’S WHAT WE PUT IN, THAT NATURALLY COMES OUT.

2. Official tasting notes

• Nose: VIOLET FLORAL NOTES, DARK BERRIES – BLACKCURRANT AND BLACKBERRY, VANILLA PODS, CARAMEL, DARK CHOCOLATE
• taste: VELVETY MOUTHFEEL ROLLS OVER THE TONGUE. RED APPLE WITH LIME CITRUS, VANILLA FUDGE AND LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
• Finish: LONG SMOOTH AND SWEET WITH MELTED BROWN SUGAR

3. Details

• ABV 40%
• Age NAS
• Bottler Loch Lomond Distillery
• Bottling Spearhead
• Cask Infrared toasted
• Category Single grain scotch whisky
• Cost £33.45 from Master of Malt
• Origin Loch Lomond Distillery
• Outturn n/a
• Region Highland
• Released 2022
• Vintage Undeclared

4. What I say

A single grain whisky produced at Loch Lomond’s diverse distillery. This one used 100% malted barley but has been distilled in their Coffey still (rather than traditional double distillation in pot stills) hence the label ‘grain’ rather than ‘malt’ whisky. To prove they don’t really adhere to convention this was then matured in both fire and infrared-toasted casks!

5. The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

• Colour: Full gold (10/20) numerous, medium-fine plus large tears and legs.
• Nose: Toffee, butterscotch, vanilla, a little perfumed and solventy, fruity, pear drops and cinnamon spice, later some dried apple rings and applemint, some white chocolate shavings later
• Taste: Medium-light bodied, touch more woody and spice forward on the palate, honey, golden syrup, zesty citrus peels, orange oil, lemon and lime zest, grapefruit pith, cinnamon and ginger root plus lemongrass, slightly drying.
• Finish: Medium-short, zesty and spiced in equal measures, touch more drying oak wood.

6. Overall

As you would expect this has all the diversity and flavour of a single malt whisky, if anything the Coffey distillation has allowed the extraction of cask flavours to come through even more in the final whisky.

7. Score 84/100