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Loch Lomond
Whiskies unveils prestigious 31 Year Old
Single Malt in the Waypoint Series, the
expression is the oldest peated whisky
ever released by the distiller.
Loch Lomond Whiskies has expanded its
Waypoint Series with the launch of
Waypoint 31 Year Old, a highly exclusive
single malt inspired by the distillery’s
spectacular setting on the banks of Loch
Lomond and its enduring spirit of
exploration.
Available globally from 1 September, it
is the third and oldest expression in
the series, following the Waypoint 16
Year Old and Waypoint 17 Year Old. Just
2,600 bottles have been produced, with
an RRP of £750.
The new release takes its inspiration
from an area of Loch Lomond I am
familiar with, the rugged trail between
Inversnaid and Inverarnan on the
north-east shores of Loch Lomond. One of
the more challenging sections of the
West Highland Way, the route follows the
lochside through a landscape of dramatic
scenery, wildlife and iconic landmarks.
Waypoint 31 Year Old was created using
Loch Lomond Whiskies distinctive
straight neck stills and matured in
three types of ex-Bourbon American Oak
casks before being finished for 12
months in Tawny Port pipes. The
maturation has produced a richly layered
whisky with notes of dark chocolate,
raspberry, cedarwood and woodsmoke.
The expression has already received
international recognition, scoring a
very impressive 99/100 at the San
Francisco World Spirits Competition and
winning a Gold medal at the
International Spirits Challenge.
The whisky is presented in an etched,
handcrafted wooden case featuring an
internal copper tube and artwork by
illustrator Brett Breckon. His
interpretation of the
Inversnaid-to-Inverarnan route captures
the surrounding landscape, landmarks and
wildlife, with subtle references to Loch
Lomond’s whisky-making heritage and the
flavour profile of the 31 Year Old.
Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch
Lomond Whiskies, said: "As you follow
this extraordinary trail from Inversnaid
to Inverarnan, every mile becomes more
challenging, but the sense of
achievement and reward grows with it.
The route takes you through one of
Scotland’s most breathtaking landscapes
and encourages you to keep exploring and
discovering the wonders that surround
you.
"That same spirit of exploration lies at
the heart of our single malts. Through
the Waypoint Series, we seek to bring
the landscape and stories of Loch Lomond
to life through whisky making, creating
expressions that capture the excitement
of discovering something truly
exceptional.
"The Waypoint Series is a celebration of
our namesake, Loch Lomond. It has been
one of my favourite collections to work
on, and it is a privilege to introduce
this highly exclusive and prestigious 31
Year Old expression to the series."
Loch Lomond Distillery is the only
distillery in Scotland to house both
traditional swan neck stills and its
unique straight neck stills, providing
the flexibility to produce a wide range
of spirit styles. Its straight neck
stills are particularly important to the
distillery’s ability to create fruity
spirit alongside its characteristic
fruit, honey and soft smoke profile.
Michael continued: "Our unique
whisky-making capability, led by our
straight neck stills, allows us to
create distinctly fruity spirit with our
signature character of fruit, honey and
soft smoke. Heavily peated whiskies are
rare within our collection, so bringing
our oldest ever peated single malt to
bottle is a huge honour.
"After 31 years of maturation, the
whisky has developed a deep, rich rose
colour and remarkable layers of dark
chocolate, raspberry, cedarwood and
woodsmoke. What makes it particularly
special is how clearly the character of
the original distillate still shines
through, despite its significant
maturation journey. It is a whisky of
real depth and complexity, while
remaining unmistakably Loch Lomond."
Loch Lomond Waypoint 31 Year Old is
non-chill filtered, natural in colour
and bottled at what should be a
flavoursome 44.1% ABV and will be available from specialist online whisky
shops such as
The Whisky Exchange
and
Master of Malt
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