
October 19, 2022

Old Lochside and Lochnagar

Another wee session that doesn't make much sense, except that both names start the same (how clever, S.), while we haven't got any proper (meaning old enough) sparring partners for any of those. But we have no shame whatsoever, so we'll simply pair these two… What's more, both places are in Aberdeenshire.
(photograph Colin Smith)

Lochside 40 yo 1981/2022 (49.2%, Gordon & MacPhail, Private Collection, The Recollection, refill sherry hogshead, 141 bottles)

We're in Montrose this time, and who says Lochside says Ben Nevis, and owner Joseph Hobbes well before the Spanish company DYC bought Lochside and launched a slightly lacklustre official 10 years old. Colin Ross told us many funny stories about Joseph Hobbes, especially how he would have delivered casks to private jets, right under the noses of excise officers. We'll tell you other funny stories later… Colour: deep gold. Nose: only Clynelish could compete, there, I said it. Amazing mint + tropical fruits combination, plus pine needles and heather honey. I'll say no more, Lochside is another name that could make us cry. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit... With water: toasts and cigars, cherry wood, humus;, stewed vine peaches… Mouth (neat): fruit bomb alert. Some oak for sure, some tea tannins as well, but you cannot beat this superb mango-y arrival. Add stewed bananas and a little cedarwood that's adding some dryness… With water: not that water was needed, but this saltiness, sardines, anchovies, olives… Well they just come unexpected. Finish: medium, on a fruit salad, plus herbal teas and once again a salty touch. Comments: sublime Lochside, it's just that the St Magdalene and the Glen Mhor in the same series were even more to my liking (and amongst 2022's utter stars for sure).
SGP:661 - 91 points.

Didn't we say a Lochnagar?

Royal Lochnagar 42 yo 1978/2020 (48.1%, OB, Cask of Distinction, for Gareth Christopher, American oak hogshead, cask #722, 90 bottles)

An extremely rare bottle that even those tax evaders at Google (bang, page rank further down) do not seem to find. But it is real! Colour: gold. Nose: it's already gone to the other side, but what a lovely side, with mosses, fern, many mushrooms, ceps, kumquats, cedarwood, old books, pinecones, and really many herbals teas, from chamomile to cinnamon and thyme. A very old bottle of chartreuse, gunpowder tea… And perhaps elves… The other side indeed. Mouth: it's inverted. I mean, in general, very old whiskies may remain bright on the nose, and dry and woody on the palate. On the contrary, I'm finding this palate rather fresher, even if some old oak starts to feel, with cigars, old teas… But there are also citrons, lemongrass, combava, guava, citron eau-de-vie (we've tried some 'Cédrat' by Brana the other day, it was very nice)… In short, this old Lochnagar remained very much alive. A bit oaky for sure, but totally alive. Finish: no changes, just more herbal teas, perhaps rosehip? I'm also thinking of cherry stem tea, which I just adore. It seems that it's rather big in Beirut. Poor Beirut… Pickled lemons in the rather rugous aftertaste. Comments: we sometimes call these 'intellectual malts'. A little pretentious, perhaps? Technically 89/100, but it is a 42 years old Lochnagar, a lovely Distillery that sits very near to Balmoral Castle as you very well know. So, given what happened there only a few weeks ago, and since there are/were only 90 bottles, that'll be…
SGP:461 - 90 points.