Campbeltown Loch Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

VITALS:

- $70

- 92 Proof

- NAS

- Campbeltown

First off, let me start by saying that I had to use a stock photo for this one rather than my typical empty bottle photo because I waited too long to write this review, and that empty bottle ended up in the recycling bin as empty bottles are wont to do.  I still wanted to get this review up, though, so stock photo it is.

I honestly didn't even have this bottle on my radar, but one day I got a text from one of my liquor store guys with a picture and the question of, "Do you want it?"  My knee jerk reaction was, "Of course!" But, I refrained and did a bit digging, and I learned that this is a blend of all five whisky brands that hail from Campbeltown -- Springbank, Longrow, Hazelburn, Kilkerran and Glen Scotia. Springbank bottled the blend as the label suggests.  So, with that 30 seconds of research on my phone, my response was still, "Of course!"

The nose was soft and very malty. It reminded me of the inside of a Whoppers candy, even with the added chocolate note. I also got a good amount of sweet tobacco leaf. It seems a bit of an odd combination, but all that, along with notes of honey, lemongrass and butterscotch gave this a sweet, soft and interesting nose.

As to flavor, right up front I got the butterscotch that only seemed light on the nose. I also got a healthy amount of caramel, which, I acknowledge, is a very similar flavor, but one with some distinction. The tip of my tongue was hit with a light black pepper spice as well, helping detract from the immediately sweet profile.

As I worked my way through this bottle (which I did with relative speed), I got some brighter notes. Not quite the lemongrass I was getting on the nose, but there was a golden raisin note that I really enjoyed. I also got a sort of nutty, earthy note that was sweet at the same time, kind of like cashews with a bit of a grassy note.

The finish, however, is what made this bottle worth it for me. The finish was like a rich dessert, full of nougat and caramel, along a rich dark chocolate note that helped keep it from leaning too sweet. The bright notes seemed to fade away, leaving on the finish the taste of a well-made dark chocolate turtle bar. 

While the idea of the blend comes across as a gimmick, the fact of the matter is Springbank still staked their name to it, and, like seemingly everything Springbank does (yes, I'm a bit of a fanboy), this was another winner!

Grade: B+