Loch Lomond Single Grain Scotch Review

By Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod

Rating: B

Loch Lomond is one of Scotland’s most versatile distilleries, producing both single malt and single grain whiskies using a pot stills (including an idiosyncratic Lomond still) and continuous Coffey stills. That flexibility allows them to experiment with styles that blur the boundaries of conventional Scotch categories.

When I first encountered this particular bottle a few years ago, I remember being genuinely confused. The label stated it was a “single grain” whisky, and yet it was made exclusively from malted barley. Given it’s also the product of a single distillery, at first I couldn’t see why this wasn’t classified as a single malt whisky.

The biggest difference between single grain and single malt whiskies is usually the type of grain used. Single malt whiskies are made from 100% malted barley, whereas grain whiskies can be made from any grain (or a combination of grains), often corn, wheat, or rye.

Yet there is another important distinction between single malt and single grain whiskies, and that’s the kind of still used. Under both traditional practice and Scotch Whisky Association regulations, single malt must be distilled in pot stills. This particular whisky from Loch Lomond was distilled in Coffey (or continuous) stills. Consequently, in spite of being made from 100% malted barley (something that’s very rare in this category), this whisky carries the designation of “single grain”. Essentially then, if it had been distilled using pot stills it would have been classified as a single malt.

This no-age-statement expression from Loch Lomond is matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 46% ABV.

The Scotch
Loch Lomond Single Grain is a pale straw color in the glass. On the nose, it is fresh and light, with aromas of vanilla, green apples and crisp pears, complemented by gentle cereal notes, a hint of coconut and light oak.

The palate is approachable and easy-drinking, offering sweet vanilla custard, fresh orchard fruits and honeyed cereal flavors, with a touch of citrus zest adding brightness. The finish is medium to short, ending with a subtle drying quality and a gentle touch of bitter tannins.

It’s not the most complex of drams, but certainly enjoyable enough.

The Price
This is a light, easy-drinking, and well-priced bottle. I can usually find a bottle for around $26, so it’s a great value for money bottle which I think works well as a casual sipper or crowd-pleaser at social gatherings.

It looks like this whisky has recently undergone a rebrand. While a few of these older bottles are still in circulation, Loch Lomond’s Single Grain whisky (both their unpeated and peated expressions) can be found under the new name, “Grainstorm”. The rebrand also switches up the color of the bottle from dark to clear glass – an improvement in my view, as I find that there is something mildly frustrating about not being able to tell how much whisky you have left in your bottle!