On tasting: Loch Bourbon cask, Loch ‘Boilermaker’ Bourbon cask, Loch sherry Cask, Loch port Cask
When I first visited Loch Brewery & Distillery in 2015, Melinda Davies and Craig Johnson, the owners, brewers and distillers, told me they were excited and a little daunted about the work needed to get their ambitious concept off the ground. But, importantly, they also had a clear vision of that concept, their starting point – an exploration of the relationship between beer and whisky.
They settled on creating three English-style ales – a best bitter, a dark ale and an amber ale – and distilling them (minus hops and with some alterations) to create three distinct malt spirits. These three spirits have since been matured in casks ranging from ex-Bourbon, ex-tawny, ex-apera and a plethora of others to be unveiled in coming years.
With so many variables to contend with, it was always going to be a ‘let’s try it and see’ adventure. But everything about Loch’s beers, whiskies and gins comes from a place of faith in the journey and enjoyment of the process. And at Loch, it’s properly small-scale, it’s batch to batch, it’s what the weather’s up to during cuts, it’s intricate and involved and Melinda and Craig have pulled it off with aplomb.
Daring whisky making like this will often produce varied results, and it’s going to take time to see which malt profiles pair best with the right casks. The limited nature of the bottlings has also meant that Loch whiskies rarely surface outside South Gippsland and Melbourne, so sought-after are they by the surrounding region, which champions its local distillery.
But the whisky program is now starting to blossom, and it’s fascinating to sit down and drink these whiskies, especially next to the beers they hail from (which I highly recommend). The Aussie boilermaker has levelled up.
