Loch Fyne The Living Cask 1745: Located in the Royal Borough of Inverary, on the shores of the Loch Fyne. Loch Fyne are primarily stockists of fine scotch whisky. However, they do also produce a large range of their own rare blends. This particular expression – The Living Cask 1745 – is at the heart of the solera batched releases, inspired by Inveraray’s location, as the gateway to Islay. 1745 is the historic year that Inveraray was founded, the small county town which is home to Loch Fyne Whiskies. It is made up of 100% Islay single malts, rumoured to include whiskies up to 25 years of age, so as you can tell expectations are rather high of this Scotch from this boutique brand.
On the nose: you’ll experience a light waft of coconut, closely followed by almonds, pineapple, toffee and a note likened to crème brûlée. There is a hint of lime, along side notes of lavender, vanilla, banana and butterscotch. After a couple of swirls more notes start to present themselves, notes of a herb like nature (dill and oregano) start to emerge, followed by peat and hints of oak. On the palate: that sweet note of toffee is very apparent, however, that note of peat (smoke) is more predominant on the palate. Notes of vanilla, cinnamon and of a more spicy, peppery nature start to filter through. There is a herb note on the palate, however, it comes in the form of mint but those notes of coconut, bananas and butterscotch are still present. Rounding off the palate is a devilish note of dark chocolate and oak. The finish: is medium – long, with sweet toffee, oak and lingering peat and spices.
The verdict: I was first given a dram of this while shopping in the Whisky Shop on Piccadilly. When it was offered to me I wasn’t sure what to think? I’d never heard of this whisky but I was intrigued by this little boutique brand. As already mentioned, made up 100% of Islay whiskies, this blend does exude some of the pleasurable notes available. It is well-balanced, not too sweet, not overly peaty, nor too spicy – it is a beautifully balanced, blended scotch. With an A.B.V of 43.6%, I didn’t feel the need to add any water, however if you feel the urge to, only add a small amount until it is right for you. I found when left for a few minutes to breathe, this yielded the best results.
The Loch Fyne The Living Cask 1745 can be found in the Whisky Shop or on Loch Fyne’s official website for £75.
For more information on theThe Living Cask 1745, visit the official Loch Fyne website.
