Scottish blend “Double Tower” was created by blenders Loch Lomond Distillers in 2011. And already in 2013, he appeared on the international market. The design of the rectangular bottle and expressive label is traditional: the style of writing and fonts, gold edging, colors and the coat of arms of Scotland with a checkered ribbon are all typical features for the design of Scottish drinks. The method of making the drink is also traditional, but the floral aroma is unique – light and fresh, it appealed to blend lovers and made the whiskey recognizable.
Historical reference. The Loch Lomond distillery was built in 1965 on the south shore of Lake Lomond by entrepreneur Duncan Thomas, head of American Barton Brands. On it, unlike most Scottish distilleries with doubles, they installed three stills and began working on several single malts at once. What is also not typical for Scottish distilleries, they usually produce one single malt scotch, which becomes the basis for all blends.
Due to the economic crisis, the distillery was closed at full capacity, and in 1984 it was sold with all the stocks of spirits to Sandy Bullock and his company Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd. At that time, the company specialized in the sale of alcohol, and Loch Lomond was to be the first step towards creating their own blends.
In 1993, the distillery installed equipment for the production of grain whiskey, thereby realizing the dream of every blender – to produce both grain and malt spirits in one distillery of modern technology and innovative solutions.
The reorganization did not end there, today the company’s equipment consists of two traditional stills made of copper, six original cubes of lomond stills, a cube and a column for grain whiskey. And this allows the distillery to annually produce 18 million liters of grain alcohol and 5 million malt alcohol with an alcohol content of about 90%.
Even when a fire broke out at the enterprise in 1997 and destroyed a third of a million liters of whiskey, the company did not go bankrupt and continued to work on creating new drinks. True, in 2015, Sandy Bullock sold Loch Lomond and his other assets to Exponent Private Equite, receiving £ 210 million for the distillery. The new owners spent another £15m upgrading the facility and launched a new line of Inchmurrin, a whiskey named after the central island of Lake Lomond. And the blenders of the second largest enterprise in Scotland do not intend to stop there. As distillery Master Blend James Tasker said, “The company has a bright future, and we have a million ideas.”
Tasting features of “Double Tower”
Double Tower Scotch is made from spirits aged for at least five years in oak bourbon casks. “Double Tower” has the traditional strength of blended whiskey – 40% and a characteristic amber color, which acquires the color of gold in the sun.
The blend has a very light and delicate floral aroma, in which you can hear notes of Parma violet, heather, apple blossom, vanilla and almond. The taste of the drink is multifaceted, rounded, with hints of apple, barley malt, heather honey and peat smoke. Short aftertaste with hints of dried fruits and smoked prunes.
Bartenders and restaurateurs recommend Double Tower as an aperitif with ice or soda, and as a digestif, neat or with a little ice water. The blend goes well with fruits and coffee, sometimes it is served with chocolate desserts. Due to the unusual aroma of whiskey, scotch is not used in cocktails or mixed with cola, it is good on its own.
