Old Rhosdhu 29 years 1993 - 2022 The Roots

On nose, this 29-year-old 1993 Old Rhosdhu yields aromas of ripe tropical fruit, honeycomb, balanced floral notes and some nicely interwoven "farmy" notes. On taste, both the floral continues, as well as supported by a nice soft fruitiness with a long finish.

A real old-style whisky that is not often seen these days.

Tasting notes by Ruben Luyten (WhiskyNotes.be) 88/100

All of the Old Rhosdhu bottlings I’ve tried so far were decidedly off-centre. Their quirkiness and inconsistency is what makes them interesting.

Nice to see The Roots picked up one of these Loch Lomonds as its fifth bottling. Actually this is the first single malt bottling, after grain whisky, cognac, rum and armagnac.

Nose: first impression is mostly on hay, leaves and wildflowers. Then wee hints of marzipan as well as some metallic hints. There’s a warm (and always slightly funky) fruitiness in the background (guava, lime and banana), but it’s hidden behind greasy notes and dusty hessian sacks.

Mouth: same mix of attractive sweet and fruity notes (more bananas, white grapes, lime and mixed fruit drops) with herbal notes and a light grassy astringency. Nice oily notes, as well as a drop of honey. Then hay, metal tools, hints of mustard and walnuts. Becomes greener and spicier over time. Grapefruit skin and green almonds towards the end.

Finish: not too long, leafy with a firm mineral side and some gingery notes.

As I said before: a demanding profile, which is exactly what we need sometimes. A peculiar, unique style, and this is one of the cleaner expressions I’ve had.

Tasting notes by Thijs Klaverstijn (WordsofWhisky.com) 8.9/10

Nose: One of the least funky Old Rhosdhu I’ve had the pleasure of trying. Gentle waxy and floral notes to start. There’s soft farmy touches accompanied by rhubarb, pear skin and stewed apples. Also a light chalky influence, apricots, burlap and straw. Water brings out sweet vanilla, nougat, barley husks and candied fruits.

Taste: An appealing oily mouthfeel and an assortment of fruits, herbs and spices. Some mustard seeds, tinned tropical fruits, ginger, damp oak and a grassy bitterness. Certainly somewhat vegetal too. Water brings the fruitiness (peaches, nectarines and the likes) and a Littlemill-esque cardboard influence more to the forefront.

Finish: Long. A tad dry maybe, but also sweet fruits and herbacious.

Conclusion: This is an acquired taste, much like Littlemill is. (Or was, there's not much of it around these days.) Old Rhosdhu doesn't neatly fit into a box. It's different. But I like different. It excites me. At the very least this Old Rhosdhu is something rather singular and old-style. There are shades of Littlemill, but weirder. Taste it if you dare.

Loch Lomond Distillery