Loch Lomond is a distillery of unusual versatility. Its combination of traditional pot stills and distinctive straight-necked stills allows it to produce a range of spirit styles that most distilleries would need entirely separate equipment to achieve. The Original is the entry point to the range — a no-age-statement peated single malt aged in American oak and bottled at 40%.
The distillery sits on the southern shore of Scotland's most famous loch, and the Original is designed to be approachable rather than challenging. It is, in effect, a sampler of the Loch Lomond house style: lightly peated, cereal-forward, with a green, grassy freshness that distinguishes it from the more traditional Highland profiles.
The nose leads with caramel and tropical fruit over toasted oak, with a fresh-cut hay and green grass note that sets the tone. The palate follows with honey sweetness, vanilla, fresh herbs, cereal, and hints of bitter chocolate, with pepper and ginger providing warmth. The peat is delicate — a background suggestion rather than a defining feature.
The finish is short, with pepper and lemon peel fading quickly. It is not the most complex of single malts, and at 40% it could use more weight, but it serves its purpose as an introduction to a distillery that rewards further exploration. The 12 Year Old and the Inchmoan are where Loch Lomond truly shows its range; the Original is simply the invitation to keep going.
