The Distillery

What happens inside the mill? Well, we begin with Scottish barley; soaked and germinated, its growth lovingly halted with a warm hug of smoke in a kiln. This malted barley journeys through the mill, where two powerful rollers transform it into grist - 20% husk, 70% heart, and 10% flour. Simple, yet magical.

How much barley is being processed in this way? We have eight hoppers, filled to the brim with malt, each cradling forty tonnes. That's a whopping total of 320 tonnes of malted barley!

Our mashing process itself lasts 6 hours, cleaning included. This steady rhythm allows us to go through the process of mashing four times a day, each step echoing our dedication to craft and time.

But what exactly is mashing? Well, imagine a cosy bath for our grist, where hot waters beginning at 70°C and gradually rising to just under 90°C, gently tease out the starches within. This delicate dance transforms starches into sugars, an alchemical process unfolding in the heart of our mashtun. The result? A sugary concoction that we lovingly escort to the washbacks, while the solids, known as draff, embark on a different journey to serve as animal feed. We don’t believe in waste.

Each mash uses 9.5 tonnes of grist, and in return, rewards us with a bountiful yield of 40,000 to 50,000 litres of wort.

Loch Lomond Distillery is home to 21 stainless steel washbacks. Ten reside indoors, each cradling 25,000 litres, while the remaining eleven – holding a generous 50,000 litres each - get to enjoy the fresh Loch Lomond air. One single batch of wash can fill either two interior or one exterior washback.

Many distilleries let the yeast work for around 48-60 hours as that's about the time it takes to turn all the sugars into alcohol, for an ABV level of 8-10%. But here at Loch Lomond, we're not quite done yet... Our fermentation lasts a minimum of 92 hours.

The wort lingers in the washbacks for this extended period, kindling a secondary fermentation. This doesn't increase the alcohol content, but does craft more longer-chain alcohols or esters, for a more flavourful wash. These are key for the fruity notes that define our signature style.

Our standard Swan Neck pot stills are a common sight in every Scottish distillery. Defined by their shape and the lyne arm's angle, these stills give rise to three types of spirits - unpeated, medium peated, and heavily peated. Since modifications are impractical post-installation, most distilleries rely on casks and wood to add diversity and impart different flavours. That’s where Loch Lomond is different, as you’ll find out when we come to our Straight Neck stills.

We did say that Loch Lomond Whisky is different and now we’re going to let you in on (at least part of) the secret. Enter our Straight Neck pot stills. A combination of a pot still base and a straight neck, it carries perforated copper plates and a cooling ring to increase reflux and the ability to capture much lighter flavours. It also offers us the freedom to take different 'cuts' or portions of the spirit for keeping, which in turns alters the character and flavours within the spirit.

Currently, we take two cuts: High Strength and Low Strength. The former averages around 85% ABV in the receiver and embodies a light, floral spirit. The latter averages around 68% ABV and carries a stronger fruity character with a fuller body.

This process, combined with both unpeated and peated barley, allows us to craft an additional FIVE unique spirits. These spirits, all have traits making them undeniably Loch Lomond, each carry unique characteristics. We mature all of our spirits in ex-bourbon casks, allowing them to retain their distinct flavours, with the American oak adding the sweet honey note that Loch Lomond whiskies are loved for. We can craft a symphony of spirits as varied as they are delicious.

Encased in silver aluminium cladding are two copper column stills. By using the same 100% malted barley wash for our pot stills, we can infuse an exceptional character into our product. Although we use malt, current Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) regulations mandate that we label our product as Single Grain, unlike Nika, which can use the term "malt".

Our Single Grain whisky is crafted from 100% malted barley and distilled at 85% ABV, so it retains an abundance of the flavour we've carefully cultivated. As a result, our product reaches maturity at just 5 years, bringing you a Single Malt in essence, offering both outstanding balance and excellent value.

While we are among the very few distilleries employing this method, we hold the unique distinction of being the ONLY distillery worldwide producing peated single grain whisky.

Our dedicated team of nine seasoned coopers and one apprentice not only checks every new cask but also repairs a wide range from Bourbon to Sherry Butt, and regenerates casks via a De-char / Re-char process. Having our own cooperage allows us to maintain consistency, control and also plays a key role in innovation, allowing us to create ground breaking new products such as Loch Lomond Steam & Fire.

This hands-on approach affords our Master Blender, Michael Henry, precise control over cask selection when required whilst our priority is to preserve the characteristic Loch Lomond whisky style—fruit, honey sweetness, and soft smoke.