Loch Lomond Distillery unveil 'oldest ever whisky' with 50-year-old single malt release

The expression has been limited to just 60 decanters worldwide, and is described as the "pinnacle of the Loch Lomond Whiskies collection".

Distilled in 1967 in the distillery’s distinctive straight neck
stills, the new bottling has been drawn from a single cask and bottled at 46.2 per cent abv.

Matured in an American oak hogshead and then in European oak hogshead for half a century, the 50 year old whisky is said by the Loch Lomond team to be "brimming with rich oak spice and tropical fruit".

The distinctive nature of the new expression is testament to the innovative distillation techniques used by the distillery, explains John Peterson, production director at Loch Lomond Distillery: “Our straight neck pot stills were unique in 1966 when they were first installed, and they are still unique to this day, providing us with greater control over the quality and flavour profile of the spirit.”

Crafting the Loch Lomond 50 Year Old single malt has been the work of Loch Lomond Master Blender, Michael Henry, who added: “The expectations are high when you are working
with a whisky as special and scarce as this and it came with great responsibility, but selecting and perfecting this single malt was a true honour.

"Our stills are synonymous with the fruity notes they give to the whisky. The Loch Lomond 50 Year Old has been granted the
time to truly concentrate that character, resulting in a rich, tropical fruit flavour.”

Picture: Loch Lomond

Inside, the bottle of Loch Lomond 50 Year Old rests carefully
upon sculpted oak waves, alongside not an ordinary whisky miniature, but a solid turned
brass vial, lined in glass and reminiscent of the straight neck pot still.

Callum Robinson, creative director at Method Studio, who created the distinctive 'Tempest Chest' the decanters come in with his wife Marisa Giannasi, said: “There are few distilleries
named after a body of water as opposed to a place, and we drew great inspiration from Scotland’s most romantic, dramatic and historic loch.

"The Loch Lomond 50 Year Old is borne out of a truly mystical place of wood, fire, water and metal and our aim was to harness this energetic, elemental group of ingredients to create something unique, and worthy of its heritage.

“Each chest is designed to capture, in a three dimensional object, the mood and movement of moonlight dancing on tempestuous water.

"This is mirrored in the language of the hand-blown decanter and its beautifully faceted hand-cut base, perfectly binding the two together.

It was a privilege to create a vessel to house something so precious.”

Each bottle comes with a miniature, in a solid turned brass vial, lined in glass, designed to be reminiscent of the distillery's straight neck pot still.

Picture: Loch Lomond Distillery

Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, said: “For 50 years the Loch Lomond Distillery has been one of Scotland’s best kept secrets.

"With the launch of the 50 Year Old single malt, we are putting Loch Lomond firmly on the Scotch whisky map and we are proud to become one of a very select few distilleries in the world which have released a 50 year old whisky.”