The old-school version of what became Loch Lomond Reserve. This was bottled before the recent rebrand, and features a very traditional label and bottle. The eagle-eyed among you might notice that this whisky calls itself a “Single Blend”. This is an unusual term in the whisky world, and Loch Lomond is perhaps one of very few distilleries that could ever use it. Essentially the name derives from the fact that Loch Lomond is one of the most versatile distilleries in Scotland. At its large, Loch-side distillery, they are able to create several styles of grain and malt whiskies. As such, they can create an entire blended whisky at one site, hence “Single Blend”. The whisky itself is a testament to the art of the blend, and an extremely high-quality product for the price. The nose brings light, floral aromas, with a little cereal sweetness and buttery oak. The palate is refreshing and approachable, with delicious orchard fruit notes, a little green oak, toffee and cereal caramel flavours. The finish is short, with a lot of woodspice and vanilla custard.