Loch Lomond Whiskies has released Waypoint 31 Year Old, their third and oldest expression in its Waypoint Series, and the oldest peated whisky the distillery has ever bottled. The series takes its inspiration from Loch Lomond itself, with each release tied to a stretch of the landscape around the distillery. Waypoint 31 Year Old follows the trail between Inversnaid and Inverarnan on the north-east shore, one of the more demanding sections of the West Highland Way, running lochside through terrain known for its scenery and its wildlife. It joins Waypoint 16 Year Old and Waypoint 17 Year Old in the collection.
Distilled through Loch Lomond’s straight-neck stills, unique to the distillery it spent three decades maturing in three types of ex-Bourbon American oak before being finished for 12 months in Tawny Port pipes, giving it a nutty, dried fruit character and a rosy colour quite different to the darker, jammier profile of a ruby.
Peat has never been a major part of Loch Lomond’s identity, the distillery’s house style built more around fruit, honey and soft smoke than heavy phenols, which makes a peated release at this age a genuine rarity for the brand.
Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch Lomond Whiskies comments: “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.”
On the nose, you can expect blackberry and honey. The palate brings dark chocolate, raspberry and cedarwood, with woodsmoke and dark fruits on the finish. Henry described the whisky as having taken on a deep, rich rose colour after 31 years, with the character of the original distillate still clearly present despite the length of maturation.
The bottle is presented in an etched, handcrafted wooden case with an internal copper tube, its artwork by illustrator Brett Breckon following the route from Inversnaid to Inverarnan, worked through with references to Loch Lomond’s whisky making and the flavour profile of the 31 Year Old itself.
Loch Lomond Waypoint 31 Year Old is non-chill filtered, natural in colour and bottled at 44.1% ABV. It is available now from selected specialist retailers and via Loch Lomond Whiskies, priced at £750.
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