How great to see a newly bottled Lochside 1981 in 2019 (although it was actually bottled in 2018 but only released at the recent Whisky Fair in Limburg).
You know, the last time I tried and reviewed a Lochside was back in 2013 and all of a sudden here is The Whisky Agency with another cask from this distillery that only operated between 1961 and 1992 when it was owned by the sherry bodega Pedro Domecq.
Lochside 37 yo 1981
(48,6%, The Whisky Agency 2018, butt)
Lochside 37 yo 1981Nose: a lovely old-style profile with subtle sherry notes. A great waxiness with hints of paraffin and light gravel. Bright, gentle fruity notes, especially tangerines, bergamots and apricots. Maybe a whiff of jasmin. Really excellent. Some grassy oak and a hint of nutmeg (of course) but this blends away after a while.
Mouth: hooray for this trademark fruitiness. Tangerines, blood oranges, bergamots, passion fruits and peaches, all there. Nice acidity and freshness, balanced spices from the oak (ginger, pepper). Waxy notes again, hints of hay. Totally delicious.
Finish: long, on citrus zests, pink grapefruit and just a tiny salty touch.
For some reason I have always preferred warmer whisky like Caperdonich 1972, Tomatin 1976 and the likes, all readily available when I started blogging. But this is just excellent, maybe I’ve misjudged this typical combination of fruits and minerals that you get in Lochside. Not too oaky, very drinkable and you rarely find this profile nowadays. A gem!
Score: 92/100