Whisky Discovery #444

SMWS G9.1 'Sweet and Sour Mélange' (57.8% abv)
Single Cask Single Grain Whisky
£63.40 to SMWS Members

The first SMWS cask from grain distillery No.9 and an 11 Year Old, distilled on the 27th September 2000 and matured in a refill ex-bourbon cask, yielding just 187 bottles at 57.8% abv.

This was one of the ten releases launched during the Society's Grain Week (17th-25th May) as part of their 30th Anniversary celebrations.

Distillery G9 is more commonly known as the Loch Lomond Distillery.  Whilst there are over a hundred malt distilleries, there are only seven grain distilleries in Scotland. The Loch Lomond distillery is unique in that it has both single malt stills and grain stills and has the most modern, being commissioned in 1994. Their single grain whisky is made using wheat and a small quantity of barley.

So What Did I Think?

The nose opened up with lemon cream puff biscuits, this was followed by notes of vanilla, zesty citrus, sherbet and there was a herbal/vegetal element too. With water the nose became much sweeter, with creamy vanilla and toffee, a little white pepper along with some lemon zest and sharp pineapple notes.

It came across as quite thick and mouth coating, and on the palate there was a gentle sweetness at first which starts to turn slightly sour, although not an unpleasant sourness. The white pepper picked up on the nose comes across on the palate too which is followed by some woody notes. The long finish has a spicy chili pepper kick and the woody notes remain to the end.

With water it became much smoother and creamier and reminded me of a lemon cheesecake (without the biscuit base) and was sweeter too. Again the finish was long with spicy pepper but with a citrus edge.

So, my first whisky from the Loch Lomond distillery, and many thanks to the SMWS for sending me a generous sample try. Although no longer available to buy in the UK, I'm sure you should be able to try a dram or two of this in an SMWS lounge.