Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 12yo
Official Bottling | 46% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Simple, fruity, tasty, good. Nae fancies
When an old friend calls.
Simple and good. Nothing fancy is needed, and simple and good is just fine, thank you.
The world is filled with complicated and disjointed rhythms. I have already started the steps to uncouple from stressors and simplify. As part of the molting of the old and problematic, and to start embracing what is to come, I had the joy of inviting my childhood friend over for a long weekend to start the new year.
When people talk about “childhood friends,” often it’s about chums from university. Maybe from high school. My friend Daniel and I laugh to hear those measures.
I have known Dan since we were four years old. Yes, four. We were in pre-school together and immediately became fast friends. We have been together through pre-school, elementary school, junior high (some use the term “middle school”), high school, and we then went to college together. While we both went to law school after college, we – perhaps shockingly – went to different schools in different parts of the country.
We were best men for each other’s weddings. We have been there for each other with children being born, raised, and leaving the house. We have been there for each other when parents have passed. We have been there for each other through the myriad of ups and downs of life – family dramas and troubles, celebrations, triumphs, and everything in between.
Childhood friend, indeed. Childhood friend of the highest magnitude.
Daniel and his wife live about six hours away. I was more than appreciative that he and his wife would make the drive to come down to celebrate a belated New Years. The weather here in January is variable, and we were blessed with a relatively warm weekend over his visit (roughly 55F, or 13ºC) and we took advantage of the Shaw patio.
As we sat and chatted about life, jobs, the children that we have seen from newborns to young adults, stories from our youth, thoughts about the future, plans, and everything in between, we polished off appetizers as well as an informal and early dinner. We had chatted for hours until someone noticed that the sun was going down which resulted in a good deal of laughter.
Daniel, relatively reserved when it comes for asking for things, started to straighten up and cleared his throat.
“Hey, uh, Og…”
“Yeah?”
“Do you have a good whisky for the moment?” A knowing grin now appeared on his face as he asked the question. Daniel was a member of my old whisky club and I am glad to be the reason he is a convert to single malts.
“Maybe, just maybe, my friend…” I said as I stood up, walked inside and opened the whisky cabinet.
Exceptional friends, great chats. Simple. Heart-warming and a start to a new year that bolstered the great expectations for new things and good opportunities. Of the bottles in the whisky cabinet, one seemed to jump out as fitting the ‘moment’.
Just as the Old Forester 1910 was a great match when my buddy Rick, a bourbon man, came over to chat, the bottle being reviewed here was a great match for the moment to pour for my dear friend, Daniel, a fan of single malt.
Review
Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 12yo, “Intense Orchard Fruit” official bottling, Lot #: L6.336.22, bottled 01.12.2022, 46% ABV
£35 paid at auction (excluding fees) and wide availability
It has been a while since I was able to get my hands on some Loch Lomond. I have said in prior reviews that Loch Lomond is among my favorite distillates. Over the past year or so, however, my single malt bottles have come from other distilleries. For whatever reason, the balance of the year 2025 was not one in which I found Loch Lomond in my hands. But, at the end of the year, an auction haul included the humble yet lovely Loch Lomond 12 Inchmurrin.
To say I was excited to snipe this bottle is a complete understatement. This 12yo Inchmurrin is one of Loch Lomond’s 12yo core ranges and sits alongside the peated 12yo Inchmoan and the original 12yo - all at 46% ABV and un-chillfiltered. This particular expression is from their straight -neck pot stills which are renowned for their fruity distillate.
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Simple, fruity, tasty, good. Nae fancies
Nose
Ripe nectarines, casaba melon, and fruit cocktail syrup. Wafts of vanilla. Sweet, but not overly so. Unmistakably fruit-forward. A hint of fudge. Freshly baked peach tarts.
Palate
As soon as the liquid hit my tongue, my eyes closed and I thought how much I have missed this expression. Nectarines, apricots. White stone fruits…by the bushel. The whipped and foamy milk from a vanilla latte. Honeycomb. Canned peaches in heavy cling syrup. There is a lovely menthol-type note that builds at the finish, and it pairs with some oak spice, and a creamy and rich fruit bowl of flavors.
The Dregs
Here in the States – at least where I have been – I can often find the standard Loch Lomond 12. That bottle is a stalwart, and it is always appreciated in the Shaw household. I reviewed it back in May 2023. My recollections of the standard 12’s flavor profile are of more red stone fruit along with a lactic funk, combined with spice. A great bottle – and perhaps, in my view, among the best values in Scotch single malt.
When I was in England in 2023, I had the opportunity to sample a Loch Lomond Inchmurrin for the first time. And while I love the standard 12, this green-labeled twelve year old Inchmurrin expression halted me in my tracks. I often say that the best whiskies are the ones that make me stop and lose track of time. It certainly makes me stop, and while I may not lose track of time, I certainly pause to allow the enjoyment to permeate my palate. This is one of those bottles.
It isn’t the boldest, nor the one with the heaviest body, nor is it waxy, but the fruit and creaminess of this is really quite wonderful.
It reminds me, in many ways, of the 1999 bottle I have of AnCnoc 12 – but this is a measure better. I believe the difference is due to the Inchmurrin’s 46% ABV (as opposed to the AnCnoc 12’s 40% ABV), as well as the fact that the Inchmurrin is non-chill filtered. These two factors, in my humble opinion, give this dram its weight and contribute to its creaminess.
Without doubt, this bottle was absolutely the perfect bottle to pour when Daniel was here. No need for hype, nor flashy labels, nor complicated finishes and vattings. Straightforward and uncomplicated. I wanted something simple, rich, fulfilling, and absolutely tasty.
Daniel took a sip and did what I usually do – closed his eyes, let the whisky roll over his tongue, and after swallowing simply sighed. We spent another hour on the patio, and the Inchmurrin fit in seamlessly. I have flashier - and more expensive - bottles but the moment called for a delicious and humble whisky that would match and compliment the meaningful time of enjoyment and fulfillment. We certainly enjoyed this Inchmurrin, as we drained a good portion of the bottle over more stories and laughs.
Daniel and I are both now fifty-seven, and we have been by each other’s side for fifty-three years. A good run, with many more anticipated miles on our tires. When we got up to turn in for the evening, he took a picture of the bottle because he wanted to make sure to find a bottle before I am scheduled to go visit in the spring. Daniel said he wants me to help him put a significant dent in his bottle, as he did with mine.
I will be happy to return that favor.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
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