WF’s Little Duos, today Old Rhosdhu


January 24, 2025

WF’s Little Duos, today Old Rhosdhu

Undoubtedly the lightest version of Loch Lomond, sold very young and at a very low price, either without an age statement or at 5 years old, from the 1980s until the mid-2000s. It wasn’t very good, let’s say, but it was also truly one of the cheapest single malts you could find. Later, independent bottlings, usually distilled in the 1990s, caught the attention of enthusiasts, following two or three older officials distilled in the 1960s. According to scotchwhisky.com, that marvellous (now inactive) website—let’s light a candle every day to keep it alive—Loch Lomond stopped producing Old Rhosdhu in the year 2000.

Old Rhosdhu from around 1990,
a star for frugal malt enthusiasts. >>>

Old Rhosdhu 30 yo 1994/2024 (48.6%, Gleann Mor, Rare Find, refill hogshead, cask #229, 321 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: it opens on a touch of fresh sawdust, grated coconut, and underripe banana, but all of this feels fresh and lively, especially as a lovely fruitiness quickly takes over. Oranges, mirabelles, and plums, all ripe but not overly so, if you see what I mean. Then come kiwis and fresh rhubarb, adding even more zing. Very charming. Mouth: this is truly delightful, in the style of a fine mid-aged Speysider, with those hallmark yellow and white fruits and those notes of fresh oak. It’s elegant, with a controlled tannic grip. Not hugely full-bodied, but that suits it perfectly. Finish: medium in length, with a curious salinity. Where could that have come from? Also touches of agave, aniseed, and liquorice. It’s a bit like a top-notch margarita. Comments: surprisingly excellent, especially if you remember, indeed, the humble little Old Rhosdhu NAS OB from the 1990s (€15).
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Old Rhosdhu 29 yo 1993/2022 (50.8%, The Roots, hogshead, 223 bottles)

Wasn’t it Debbie Harry on the label? Colour: gold. Nose: there’s more fudge, cappuccino, butterscotch, and praline… In short, the cask was more active, leaning towards ‘bourbon’. Lovely touches of sweet mint in the background, along with the expected bananas and some meadow honey, then a faintly rooty note of celeriac. A very pretty nose. With water: it gains liveliness, with fresh mint and rhubarb shining through. Mouth (neat): livelier and more taut, closer in style to the 1994. Green apples, underripe bananas, lemon, and then yellow fruits like peaches and melons. With water: careful with the water, as it brings out notes of perfume and rose syrup. Otherwise, it remains delightfully fresh and fruity, with lovely, crisp green apples of all shapes and sizes. Finish: medium in length, fresh, elegant, with a faint hint of pastis this time. Comments: very close to the 1994, with not quite enough difference to merit a separate score.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Next Old Rhosdhu session, possibly in 2026.

Check the index of all Old Rhosdhu we've tasted so far