Scotch Club: Q4 2018

December 19, 2018

Single Cask Nation Croftengea 10yr
Distilled at Loch Lomond Distillery, Alexandria, Scotland
Cask #196 | Aged in second fill Bourbon Hogshead
297 bottles | Bottled at 57.6% ABV with out color or chill-filtration

Jewish Whisky Company initially began as a group of friends and whiskey drinkers organizing their ability to purchase rare single cask Scotches. The independent bottler founded in 2011 by Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin brings their passion for rare single cask spirits bottled under their Single Cask Nation label. The company started off bottling spirits, but has evolved into a larger company that also puts on whiskey tastings. Most of the founding members are Jewish (obviously) – and one day they were disgruntled to find out that their local annual whiskey fest had been scheduled for a Jewish holiday. Many of the observing Jewish members were upset by this move and became inspired to start their own whiskey festival instead. They called it “Whiskey Jewbilee.” It started out small the first year and has since grown into an enormous success. Now they even bottle their own special Jewbilee bottlings available to festivalgoers and Single Cask Nation members.

Croftengea is not the name of a distillery but a brand of malt produced at the Loch Lomond Distillery, which is located on the shores of the River Leven in the town of Alexandria sitting at the southern mouth of the Loch Lomond. Located on the outskirts of the industrious Glasgow, Alexandria has seen a variety of different economic changes in its history. It was once the site of the first car manufacturing plants in Britain, the Argyll Motor Company. The distillery was built in a converted calico dyeing plant. In 1963, Duncan G Thomas and the Barton Distillery Company purchased the land. At the young age of 33, Duncan served as the first site engineer and plant manager. When Thomas later died in the late 1960s Barton took full control, eventually selling out to Argyll in 1982. The 1980s was a tough decade for Scotch Whisky and it was marked by rapid decline in the industry which lead to the closing of several distilleries including Banff, Port Ellen, Brora, and Dallas Dhu to name a few. In 1985 the Loch Lomond Distillery was mothballed, but its demise was short lived when Sandy Bulloch came to the rescue in the late 1980s and purchased the distillery. It remains the only family owned first-generation distillery owned in the industry today.

The whiskey pours a beautiful white gold color. The nose shows huge notes of cooked malts, banana, cinnamon, green tea and wakame. After a little air, aromas of paraffin and beeswax begin to show along with a faint wisp of salty sea air. The palate is viscous and lush with flavors of honey, lemon, bananas and walnuts. Another sip brings out white chocolate smoke and spice notes. The finish is long and pleasing with a satisfying spice that lingers on the palate.

Joshua Thinnes
Whisk(e)y Evangelist, PlumpJack Wine & Spirits

Cover Photo via Loch Lomond Distillery