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Chances are, you’re not hopping across the pond for the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool. But just because you won’t be wandering along the edges of the lane in the north of England this week doesn’t mean you can’t drink like you’re there.
For several years, Loch Lomond has been the official whiskey of the Open Championship, releasing every year at least two special edition expressions created to celebrate the Open Championship. This year is no different.
Here, we introduce you to a skinny take on these championship-caliber whiskeys, along with a few notable new Scotch releases, all of which will boost your viewing of The Open later this week (although a couple will cost you a pretty penny). Oh, and just in case Scotch whiskey isn’t your thing, we’ve included a limited-edition summertime expression from one of America’s preeminent whiskey producers. Hey, that would be a great celebration if an American was so lucky to lift the clarinet pitcher on Sunday.
Open Championship Tournaments by Loch Lomond
In years past, Loch Lomond produced special entry-level Open Championship releases that were special blends or unique aged expressions, as well as top-shelf open-ended whiskeys that were matured for extended periods of time and finished in unique casks. This year, the Scotch producer flipped the script, at least on the last detail.
The 2023 Loch Lomond Open Championship whiskey is a whiskey that was first aged in American oak barrels before being finished in Rioja Alta Reserva red wine casks, which bring out unique red berry notes with hints of dark chocolate that complement the smooth smoke. the end. The whiskey, which retails for 45 pounds (about $60), shares characteristics with sherry-ripened single malts and punches a lot higher in weight.
On the other end of the spectrum, Loch Lomond’s Open Course version (£240, about $315) is an organic 22-year-old malt that offers rich, buttery flavors that conjure thoughts of freshly baked pound cake. It’s soft and succulent on the palate, but still carries presence and offers plenty of spice notes that are juxtaposed with a floral and vanilla backbone.
Royal Salute 21-Year-Old Jodhpur Polo Edition
Inspired by the rich spices and flavors of India, this whiskey, which retails for $160, is comprised of a proprietary blend of carefully curated single malt whiskeys finished in virgin oak barrels. On the nose, the whiskey offers prominent flavors of red candy apple. However, the nose of this whiskey is far more assertive than its flavor profile. In that respect, this 21-year-old whiskey is best thought of as a challenging golf course—one that players of a certain skill level can enjoy. In other words, experienced taste drinkers will be able to coax and define a lot of the complex flavors in this whiskey, especially because it’s so skillfully woven into the background.
New (teenage) kids on the block
The ripening single malt marriage of bourbon and sherry forms the basis for the 15-Year-Old Glenguin Malt ($130), a Scotch whiskey that’s now part of the distillery’s core lineup and recently made its debut on U.S. shelves. With rich aromas that might easily convince you the liquid is much older, this whiskey offers notes of dried fruit and fresh straw on the nose, which transition to slightly spicier flavors on the palate—a blend that balances cinnamon and other baking spices with the presence of tropical fruits.
Similarly, the Speyside Benriach distillery has reintroduced a 16-year-old expression into its core whiskey lineup. Known as The Sixteen ($115), the spirit is a marriage of single-malt whiskeys matured in bourbon, as well as sherry and virgin oak casks. On that nose, this whiskey offers flavors of baked apple with some zingy undertones and the faint presence of hazelnut. On the palate, flavors of honey and stone fruit intertwine around prominent stewed and spiced apples. It’s a mesmerizing drama, one that’s layered without being overly complicated.
pour legendary
From 16 years old to 40 years old. That’s what Benriach has done so far this year as she not only introduced The Sixteen to the American market, but also released limited edition bottles of The Forty, one of Speyside Distillery’s oldest perforated malts. With a suggested retail price of $4,500, this isn’t a whiskey that will fit most consumers’ budgets, but if you’re up for a bottle, here’s what you can expect. Notably, it’s rich and fruity on the nose with hints of sweet orange, plum, and honey pomelo, along with some dark chocolate. On the palate, more orchard fruits emerge, with subtle hints of nut and dark chocolate at the end. What you don’t come across is the prominent smoky character that most people associate with single malts.
The Glenglassaugh distillery is less well known – a fact easily attributed to the Highlands distillery that has been on hold for more than two decades (it reopened in 2008). However, the whiskey producer has kept its stock of well-aged whiskeys, and this year released a 46-year-old single malt exclusively for the US market. At $4,800, this whiskey might be pricey for most, but if you find yourself carrying drama, here’s what you can look forward to: peach, blackcurrant, and dark cherry flavors mark the nose, while similar fruit flavors, along with mango And tart citruses (such as grapefruit) and a hint of mint define the flavour. Notably, the roasted coffee note lingers at the end in a remarkably pleasant way.
American party breaker
It’s okay if Scotch whiskey isn’t your thing. Fortunately, there is no shortage of limited edition American whiskeys on the market. One that caught our eye was WhistlePig’s Summerstock ($73), a whiskey created to celebrate the distillery’s achievement in becoming 100 percent solar-powered. It’s hard to tell the DNA of the liquid inside this bottle, but it drinks like a soft butter candy. What we do know is that the limited edition whiskey is aptly named – a sipping whiskey that tastes as if it was made especially for daytime drinking during a sun-drenched summer afternoon. In fact, it is a kind of American whiskey that would make a delicious high ball. I’m just saying.
Sean Tolson is a freelance writer based in Rhode Island. When it comes to golf, it covers everything from architecture, course reviews, and travel to equipment, tools, gear, and personal features. As a lifestyle writer, his expertise is rooted in the finer things in life – wine and spirits, luxury cars, private aviation, hotels and resorts, fine dining, and more.