Loch Lomond Whiskies Reveals Remarkable Makers Campaign for the
Launch of New Distillery Edition
Independent distiller reveals its first collaborator, Bread Ahead, to showcase the influence of yeast in whisky making
Loch Lomond Whiskies is bringing its innovative whisky making style to life with a series of new collaborations with Remarkable Makers.
Working with liked-minded passionate creators and artisan craftspeople from other industries, the campaign intends to lift the lid on the complex whisky making process by explaining the nuances of its approach and showcasing how the slightest variations in method make incredible differences.
Loch Lomond Whiskies’ ‘Remarkable Makers Series’ launches with its first collaborator, Bread Ahead, a popular London bakery chain, which was selected to show the parallels of whisky and bread making – two age old crafts that use simple ingredients to create maximum flavour.
By taking people on a journey into the world of bread, Loch Lomond Whiskies and Bread Ahead are helping to educate people on whisky, inspiring a new appreciation for ingredients and bringing to life the method in an innovative and simplified way.
Specifically, the collaboration explains the role of yeast in whisky and uncovers the story of Loch Lomond Whiskies’ new Distillery Edition, that has been crafted using chardonnay wine yeast, an unusual ingredient in whisky making. Chardonnay wine yeast creates an intense zesty fruit and citrus flavour when added to whisky, and a fresher, sweeter flavour when added to bread.
The first in a new series of distillery editions, the single-malt perfectly captures Loch Lomond Distillery’s innovative approach to whisky making, underpinned by its use of its unique Straight Neck Stills. The only distiller in Scotland to use the Straight Neck Stills, Loch Lomond Whiskies is able to carefully manipulate the flavour at the point of distillation creating a lighter and distinctively fruit single malt, which is characterised by notes of citrus and orchard. When combined with the chardonnay wine yeast, the fruit flavours become supercharged creating an incredibly intense whisky that appeals to a broad range of whisky lovers.
Michael Henry, Loch Lomond Whiskies’ Master Blender, said: “There is a certain mystery to whisky-making, which is often seen as an infinitely complex form of science and art.
“While there are just three ingredients in whisky making – water, barley and yeast – there are endless possibilities to explore, with the most subtle changes in method creating distinctive differences in flavour, colour and alcohol concentration.
“Recognising that most people don’t have the desire to delve into the highly technical details, we are setting out to work with a collection of Remarkable Makers from other industries who exude the same passion and innovation in their fields, as we do in ours.
“By doing so, we hope to lift the curtain on whisky making, educating consumers in a new way, simplifying the process and taking them into our world through that of other creators.”
The new Loch Lomond Distillery Edition, a 9 Year Old Single Cask Malt, was first distilled in 2010. With only 270 bottles worldwide, it is an exclusive and rare expression, and crafted using chardonnay wine yeast in the fermentation process, which supercharges the citrus and orchard notes already amplified through the straight neck stills.
Loch Lomond Distillery Edition opens with freshly grated lemon peel, pear and white peach with vanilla and icing sugar. On the palate, there is creamy vanilla with a honey sweetness, grapefruit and tangy pineapple before a long finish of mouth-watering citrus, elderflower and gentle cinnamon spice.
Michael Henry continued: “At Loch Lomond Whiskies we are fuelled by an eternal spirit of exploration and are always seeking to experiment with what is possible.
“Loch Lomond Distillery Edition intimately showcases our distillery’s innovation and capabilities in whisky making, and perfectly highlights the role of our unique straight neck stills.
“Very few distilleries use chardonnay wine yeast in the fermentation process. The result is an exceptional single malt characterised by a distinctive zesty flavour, with intense notes of orchard and citrus, which truly reflects what we are capable of.”
The collaboration with Bread Ahead will see the creation of educational video content that brings consumers into the method. Master bakers from Bread Ahead have also created a distinctive Loch Lomond Whiskies ciabatta made using chardonnay wine and chardonnay wine yeast, which will be available to consumers in the new year.
Reece Collier, Bakery Director, from Bread Ahead said: “On the surface these two crafts feel worlds apart, but whisky and bread making share many similarities. Using simple ingredients – yeast, water, salt and flour – we can create incredible flavours and hundreds of variations in products from sourdough to focaccia, brioche and ciabatta. While in whisky you use yeast and water, along with barley, to experiment with single malts, single grain whisky and blends to create a vast spectrum of flavour possibilities.
“Like Loch Lomond Whiskies, we are driven to explore new flavours, using quality ingredients in an innovative way to create something memorable.
“This was as educational and inspiring a process for us as it will be for consumers, helping us to better understand the art of whisky making and encouraging us to look beyond the usual boundaries in bread making.
“Inspired by Loch Lomond Whiskies’ innovative approach, we have created a new ciabatta crafted using chardonnay yeast and chardonnay wine. When added to the bread, chardonnay wine yeast gives it a new lease of life and it becomes much sweeter.”
Loch Lomond Distillery Edition bottled at 57.1 ABV% and has a RRSP of £65. Production has been limited to 265 bottles, and wit will be available at www.lochlomondwhiskies.com
Loch Lomond Distillery can trace its roots back to the Littlemill distillery, which was established in 1772 and is the oldest licensed distillery in the world. Its current malt and grain distilleries, in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, close to the banks of Loch Lomond, were commissioned in 1964 with first distillation in 1966.
The synergies in whisky and bread making
Like bread, a fine whisky is the product of just a few simple ingredients. However, the way in which the ingredients are married together can have an incredible impact on the final flavour, colour, quality, smoothness and texture.
The slightest variation to ingredients and to the method will deliver distinctive differences in the end product.
Once all the ingredients have been mixed the dough goes through the kneading and resting stages, the whisky equivalent of distillation. While quite different processes, both have the effect of helping the flavours to develop.
Loch Lomond Whiskies uses its unique straight neck stills during the distillation, giving it greater control over the spirit than is traditionally achievable through a swan neck still.
The final step in the journey is in the baking process itself, which in whisky making is known as maturation.
The oven creates the same effect as a whisky cask, baking the dough over a certain amount of time, bringing it to life and transforming it from a mixture into something that can be consumed and enjoyed. It is the cask, as it is the oven, that also create the final colour, with the wood imparting certain aromas and contributing to the flavour profile.
For further information visit www.lochlomondwhiskies.com/pages/remarkable-makers
Tasting notes
Nose: Freshly grated lemon peel, pear and white peach, vanilla, icing sugar
Palate: Creamy vanilla, honey, grapefruit, green apple, pineapple
Finish: Long, mouth-watering citrus, honey, elderflower, cinnamon
About Loch Lomond Group
Loch Lomond Group is an independent distiller based in Alexandria and is home to several award-winning brands that are sold in more than 125 countries worldwide.
Loch Lomond Distillery has been producing the finest single malt whiskies since 1814.
Images and interviews with key staff from the Group are available upon request.
For further details, please visit: lochlomondgroup.com.
About Loch Lomond Whiskies
Loch Lomond Distillery has one of the oldest heritages in the industry. It was founded by American, Duncan Thomas, the owner of the Littlemill Distillery which was licensed in 1772. In the 1930s Duncan Thomas was at the forefront of innovation within the Scotch whisky industry and his innovative philosophy is ingrained into everything that is done at Loch Lomond to this day.
In 1814, the original site of the Loch Lomond Distillery was established near Tarbet, towards the north-west end of Loch Lomond; an area which has been at the heart of the whisky industry for centuries. With at least nine distilleries around the loch lost over the years, Loch Lomond Distillers has maintained a proud local tradition into the 21st
The multi award winning Loch Lomond Whiskies range includes the Loch Lomond 12 Year Old which has been awarded the Platinum Award in 2020, one of only 7 single malts to be awarded this honour at the San Francisco World Spirits Challenge 2020. Other expressions in the range are the single malts Loch Lomond Original; Loch Lomond Classic; Loch Lomond 18 Year Old; Loch Lomond 50 Year Old; the Loch Lomond Island’s Collection which includes the Inchmurrin and Inchmoan ranges as well as the deluxe blend Loch Lomond Signature and Loch Lomond Single Grain.
Loch Lomond Inchmoan 12 Year Old has been awarded Best Highland Single Malt 12 Years and Under at the 2018 World Whiskies Awards and a Gold Medal at the 2020 San Francisco 2020 Awards.
Loch Lomond Whiskies was recently also awarded the following medals at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition:
PLATINUM: Loch Lomond 12 Year Old
DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL – Inchmurrin 12 Year Old
GOLD MEDAL – Inchmoan 12 Year Old
DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL – Loch Lomond 18 Year Old
DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL: Loch Lomond 10 Year Old
About Bread Ahead
Bread Ahead was founded by Matthew Jones in 2013. After a successful career as a chef and then baker, Matthew created Bread Ahead with the intention of bringing artisan quality bread to a market.
The school quickly followed in 2014 when the team realised that their customers had a real interest in creating artisan level breads at home. Their mission remains the same, to teach home bakers how to achieve expert crafted breads in a domestic setting.
Bread Ahead’s products are defined by the seasons and the quality of ingredients they use. Flavours are put front and centre, and every bake is developed and created using traditional methods and techniques.