The next up in our The Auld Alliance Singapore sampling suite simply stays with you! Lochside 1981 remains one of my all time favourites til date.

Lochside 1981 / bottled 2010 51.2% (Gordon & MacPhail)

• Nose – Peat, meadow, grassy, fresh, hint below of spirit, from the nose alone a sense of some age, tropical fruits
• Taste – Unbelievably smooth, silky with the nicest peat, absolutely no harshness, bursting with raisins, berries, a big swell of delicious spice, juicy
• Finish – A gorgeous gift. The kind of finish that simply keeps on giving, shifting from berries to smoke to a savoury sweetness.
• Overall – Had a sense of maturity, very well-balanced with the kind of finish that simply commands RESPECT!

In short, this one made us stop. We turned to each other and realised our evening could just end on this whisky – a true show stopper. One sip would last 15 minutes. This is the kind of whisky you wish you had in your cabinet. The kind you want to share with special folks who truly appreciate a quality dram. Without fanfare, it slipped into the class of one of the most memorable whiskies sampled til date.

From the discontinued Lochside distillery – known to be one of the ‘ugliest’ distilleries – Arun from The Auld Alliance shared it also used to produce beer. Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, the label noted the whisky is matured in refill sherry hogshead.

Their notes indicate:

From the closed, and now demolished distillery, this Single Malt has hints of subtle spices and is laced with ripe, tropical fruits.

All I can say is, if you can try this whisky – just do it! It was last seen on WhiskyBase.com for € 350 however is no longer available. For more information about the distillery, you may find this post from WhiskyIntelligence of interest.

Other whiskies sampled as part of our Scottish quartet included:

• Lowland – Little Mill 25 year 1989/2014 50.9%
• Speyside – BenRiach 21 year (Singapore exclusive)
• Islay – Laphroaig 16 year 1987 46% (Silver Seal)

If in Singapore, check out The Auld Alliance at:

• 9 Bras Basah Road, RendezVous Hotel, Gallery #02-02A, SINGAPORE 189559 
• info@theauldalliance.sg Tel: +65 6337 2201

Related posts:

• Round the world tour: Bushmills, Beam’s Choice, Kornog, Yamazaki Sherry
• Glendronach Grand Dames – Age DOES matter!
• Rare Japanese Whisky – Karuizawa 39 year 1973/2013 Cask No 1607 67.7%

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