Scotch - Loch Lomond

A couple of years back, a friend of Tim's (actually the spouse of a friend of Tim's) introduced me to Scotch. I'm not a beer drinker, and up until then never drank a whole lot of the harder stuff either. The taste of beer and hard liquor just didn't appeal to me.

The Scotch that John introduced me to was Glenlivet, a fine 12 year old single malt Scotch. I really enjoyed it, and have been drinking Scotch ever since. Don't get me wrong, I don't down a bottle every night (well, not usually anyway (just kidding mom)), but I enjoy the taste, and if I am going to drink it will almost certainly be Scotch.

There is really good Scotch, good affordable Scotch, and then there is stuff that is better served to clean off paint brushes. As I do not have an endless supply of money, I tend to avoid the first category, and I try to avoid the last category for health reasons.

I am hardly a connoisseur of Scotch, but I am going to blog about what I try in order to advise others and so that I remember what is good and bad. Tonight I tried a bottle of Loch Lomond, a single malt Scotch. It cost about $33 a bottle here, about the same price as Johnnie Walker Black Label, a passable, but hardly spectacular selection.

My first clue as to my reaction should have been the fact that there was no age on the bottle. After I got home, i scoured the label, the only clue being that it was aged "the perfect amount of time". When I opened the bottle, and poured a glass, I didn't like the smell. It had a strong and sour smell. Unfortunately, the taste was consistent with the smell.

I really don't like this Scotch very much. Its definitely no Glenlivet (which in fairness costs about 50% more here) and its not even a match for its equal priced Johnie Walker Black. This is one of those bottles that I will probably finish eventually, but I'll probably try some others prior to forcing myself to finish this one.