This whisky is part of the travel retail exclusive Remarkable Stills collection from the Highlands distillery of Loch Lomond. The collection celebrates the breadth of whiskies that can be created at Loch Lomond. Each shines a spotlight on a key element of the distillery’s style. Remarkable Copper is characterised within the range as being a marriage of different ages of whisky creating more pronounced ‘tropical fruit and vanilla’ flavours with just a hint of smoke.
The Loch Lomond Remarkable Copper Single Malt unites spirit drawn from both unique straight neck and swan neck stills. This spirit has a signature for creating exotic tropical character. This spirit is aged in American oak casks of three types – ex-bourbon, refill, and re-charred casks – to bring forth sweeter vanilla-like notes.
Loch Lomond distillery is unlike any other as it utilises both traditional swan neck and unique straight neck stills. They also use a variety of yeast strains and extended fermentation times. They take two cuts of spirit (high and low strength) and produce unpeated and peated single malt through the stills. Loch Lomond is one of a handful of Scottish distilleries with a cooperage on-site. However, they are the largest with over 30,000 casks being checked, repaired, or rejuvenated each year. Their cooperage gives full control over cask selection and maturation.
This innovative and imaginative variety of process allows Loch Lomond’s Master Blender, Michael Henry, to create a complex range of whiskies. These have a depth of character within each whisky released.
Loch Lomond is located in the small Scottish town of Alexandria, close to the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, near Glasgow. The first mention of a distillery by the loch was in 1814. However, the current Loch Lomond Distillery dates back to 1965 when it was built by the Littlemill Distillery Company Limited. The current owners, Loch Lomond Group, took over in 2019 when they revived the brand and expanded the range.
Loch Lomond Remarkable Copper comes in a 70cl bottle, bottled at 48.1% ABV and without chill filtration. It is priced at £80 and is available through global duty free retailers.
Our Tasting Notes
This bright golden whisky is remarkably rich with notes of fudge and toffee. There is loads of creamy vanilla like crème anglaise, butterscotch and even so far as to be akin to a Victoria sponge cake – with buttery cream, icing sugar and a hint of strawberry jam. There is a fruitiness of red apples meeting some toasted almonds. Underlying through all of this is dusty earthy spices (clove and cardamon), menthol and black tea or tobacco.
On the palate the sweetness continues with sweet malt, golden syrup, dark honey and toffee. The fruitiness becomes richer with luscious peach and apricot while still maintaining the red apple character. The patisserie cream has an edge of sweet vanilla. The smokiness that is merely hinted at on the nose comes into its own. It is dusty and earthy with just a hint of old spice cupboard. And finally a dash of powdered ginger.
On the long and lasting finish the dusty earthy spice lingers with an oaky woodiness and malt. There is plenty of warming and drying spices and sweeter gingerbread. Sweet vanilla cream is consistently present. The finish also has a deliciously drying touch of old tobacco.
What’s The Verdict?
This is an expressive and luxuriant bourbon cask whisky. It manages to be both decadent yet classic in each sip. The mix of ages clearly brings a depth of freshness, lusciousness and earthiness. It deserves the title remarkable. If you are a fan of bourbon cask whiskies this is definitely one you need to seek out next time you are flying (or cruising) internationally.
