Loch Lomond Whiskies has unveiled its entry for OurWhisky Foundation’s first-ever auction, which will raise funds for the initiative that supports women working and looking to excel in the industry. The OurWhisky Foundation ‘Demeter’ auction, named after the Greek goddess of grain, is being held online in partnership with Whisky Auctioneer between 29 March and 8 April. It will showcase whiskies crafted and inspired by some of the industry’s most talented women, coinciding with Women’s History Month and the Our Whisky Foundation’s second anniversary.
The lot, which includes three 30 Year Old single malt whiskies selected by Loch Lomond Group’s Whisky Blender, Ashley Smith, have been named ‘Sonata’ in a nod to the distillery’s ability to craft a symphony of flavours, and Ashley’s own reflections on the parallels between her role as a blender and being the conductor of an orchestra, which also inspired the design of the lot.
The liquid has been distilled using the distillery’s unique straight-neck stills, which allows the team to create a distinctive fruit-forward triple distilled character, resulting in a one-of-a-kind trio of single malts, including an unpeated (50.3% ABV), medium-peated (56.4% ABV) and heavily peated (51.3% ABV). Each bottle is drawn from three single casks, each under Ashley’s care and management, which were distilled in 1993 and matured in refill Bourbon barrels for more than three decades.
The 70cl bottles will be presented in a bespoke handmade walnut case which is wrapped with gold engraving reminiscent of a musical score. The winning bidder will also receive a 5cl of each bottle for a private online or in-person tasting with Ashley at the distillery.
Ashley said, “With ‘Demeter’ being the goddess of grain, I wanted to highlight the remarkable breadth of flavour we can produce at Loch Lomond distillery using malt alone. All three bottles benefit from distillation in the same straight neck stills, which are unique to the distillery, and have received the same cask maturation in the same style of warehouse for the same length of time. The differences however are extraordinary, and collectively provide a journey of flavour from unpeated to heavily peated.
“The OurWhisky Foundation auction is a great way to be able to support other women looking to embark on their journey, creating the next pool of talent that will shape our industry, and it’s been fantastic to reflect on all the women who have supported me in my career.”
Nick Bradley, Prestige Portfolio Manager at Loch Lomond Group, added, “Sonata is an expertly selected and curated journey in flavour that Loch Lomond distillery has an unparalleled ability to create. The history of Loch Lomond Whiskies is built on innovation and central to that is our stills, but also our team who continue to find ways to innovate in flavour; this lot is a testament to them.
“Given the purpose of the Demeter auction, it was only right that Ashley led all aspects of this project, from the selection of the casks under her care through to the creative thinking that inspired the name and design. What she has curated is nothing short of remarkable and provides a unique window into the distillery for only one lucky individual to experience.
“We are thrilled to be able to play a part in the auction having benefitted from OurWhisky Foundation’s programmes and hope it will raise a generous amount of funds for their ongoing work.”
For more information, visit: www.lochlomondwhiskies.com/pages/sonata-collection and https://www.ourwhiskyfoundation.org/projects/the-demeter-collection