Campbeltown Journey vs Loch
Blended Malts Comparison | 46% ABV
Finding a back door to Campbeltown
Campbeltown. The magical land of myth. Mention it among whisky folk, and the mere utterance of the name invariably elicits a rush of praise, excitement and a giddy clapping of hands. It’s an almost Pavlovian response, but for many of us whisky folk residing outside of the United Kingdom, Campbeltown might as well be Oz.
A mythical place with mythical wares. “Mythical” as so many of us have not and perhaps will not get down to the southern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula. Maybe we will never walk the streets of the Wee Toon nor duck into those legendary distilleries.
Rubbing coastal salinity into our wounds, an additional curse is that we cannot, as a usual matter of course, easily get our hands on this mythical liquid. Without doubt, it starts with delicious liquid – because if the liquid was sub-par we wouldn’t care if it was available or not - and thankfully Campbeltown whisky is, indeed, and often, manna from heaven.
For those of us outside the UK who can’t get hands on bottles it is, in part, because of the small output of the distilleries. Campbeltown distilleries, comparatively, are small and not close to, say, Diageo levels of production. That, combined with the fact that there are presently only three Campbeltown distilleries, means the bottles become more scarce the farther from Campbeltown you search. Scarcity often translates to hiked prices - as exemplified in my trip to a shop in Washington, DC recently - and, as a result, legend and lore grow.
For those of us living in the wider Scotch whisky diaspora, we must often live vicariously through reviews and chatter, as we are less likely to have that sought-after Campbeltown liquid flow over our tongues.
I have been on my personal whisky journey for almost six years now – truly embracing it in the past four. I maintain a log of all of the different whisky expressions I have sampled. There are 163 different whiskies logged so far. I feel that is a pretty impressive number, though I do have some buddies who presently have that many bottles, and more, on their shelves. And yet, in going through the expressions I have tried, prior to my trip to the U.K. this past October, there were only three Campbeltown expressions I’ve had the luck to happen across and purchase.
My first bottle was a Glen Scotia Double Cask. While it was rich with a unique flavour, I was hoping for that “Campbeltown funk”, but it didn’t display any that I could detect. So my first Campbeltwon was very nice, rich and uniquely interesting, but somehow left me wanting; I had expectations for this ‘funk’ and an industrial, meaty profile.
Shortly after that Scotia was rinsed, a little luck washed over me as I discovered a Longrow Peated bottle hiding in the back of a store’s large shelf of whiskies – all by itself, lost among a swathe of lesser offerings. I actually did a double-take, and after I came to my senses, I quickly shoved aside the other bottles and reached back into the deep shelf to grab it before anyone else knew what nugget of gold had been waiting there.
Ladies and gentlemen, that was a transformative bottle for me. It was a revelation. Utterly delicious. The myths and stories of Scotland’s smallest whisky region were, indeed, real. Funk. Grit. Oiliness. That ‘industrial’ style. Robust and sweet smoke. This threw a litre of gasoline onto my smouldering desire for more Campbeltown whiskies but, alas, being in the US proved to be quite restrictive.
My next purchase? Almost a year later, yes, a year, I managed to find and purchase my third Campbeltown whisky. It was a Kilkerran 12yo, and I nursed that bottle of funk, oiliness, and heft as it, too, was a treasure.
Despite the fact that I had been on the lookout for Campbeltown whiskies, the foregoing three bottles were all I could find - and of course - in Connecticut - afford. The others were at a large national chain, about an hour’s drive away, behind locked glass doors and sporting price tags that were simply cost-prohibitive.
While the fire burned brighter and brighter for these whiskies, I begrudgingly accepted the reality that I wasn’t likely to find it, and even if I did I wasn’t ready to open a line of credit to buy the ones behind locked cases. Visions of Springbank, Longrow, Hazelburn, Glen Scotia, and Kilkerran continued to dance in my head, vexing and tormenting me. It has been mythology in real life – I see Campbeltown whiskies around, but for different reasons, I can never snare any. Ogilvie might as well be Tantalus.
And then, the whisky gods cascaded light upon me as Mrs. Shaw and I travelled to England in October of 2023. On a trip to Cadenhead’s in London, I was literally stunned into silence when I saw a full display and range of Springbank expressions just sitting in front of me. Just sitting there; multiple bottles. And, the kicker? They were bloody cheap - at least compared to the US prices.
I grabbed a bottle of Springbank 10yo – my first Springbank! – and a Campbeltown Loch. But, due to budget and limited space in the suitcases, I only grabbed two. The Springbank 10yo I purchased for £52 and the Campbeltown Loch only set me back £39. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. When I returned home, we saved the Campbeltown bottles as celebratory events to commemorate our move to North Carolina. We uncorked, and . . . oh my.
I finally understood the reverential comments and love for Springbank 10. The funk, the body, the profile… magnificent. I also understood the fanfare given for the blended malt Campbeltown Loch (See Aqvavitae’s vPubs, the OSWAs, Ralfy), as the Loch was a true gem of a surprise. I even have to admit that there were some evenings that I preferred to sit with a dram of the Loch over the Springbank’s 10yo.
The love affair with Campbeltown was rekindled and stoked. And yet, here I am, again, back in the United States. Back to the diaspora. I need to find a way to gain access again to Campbeltown whisky. Perhaps there’s another avenue?
And so, when I delved into my first Scotch Whisky Auction in February, I looked for Campbeltown single malts. I found them aplenty, but aside from the 10yo, many, again, were out of budget range. I changed the filter on my search from single malts to blends to see if I could find another Campbeltown Loch to replace my rinsed London bottle. Happily, there were several to choose from but, to my surprise, I also saw another Campbeltown blend, and wondered if I had found another gem; A Hunter Laing Blended Malt; their Campbeltown Journey.
I looked over the specs and the details online, and was curious to see how it would stack up to the Loch. I was also curious to see how the 2021 Loch I had in my sights at the online auction would compare to my previous 2022 bottling. Of course, I wouldn’t know unless I bought both, and so I put in my bids. I am glad to report I managed to snare both, and each for a good price. Tantalus sated.
Time for a comparison. If I’m lucky, maybe I might just have found some additional entry ways into Campbeltown’s reservoir of flavour.
Review 1/2
Campbeltown Loch, Blended Scotch Malt Whisky, Bottle code: 08.12.21 21/2016, 46% ABV
£35 paid at auction (less fees and shipping)
Nose
Initial hit of pine. Grass and hay; petrichor. Out of the wet outdoorsy scents come hints of vanilla, raw honey, and buttered wheat bread. With some time, wafts of chicory and more prominent vanilla. White fruits. Again, no funk here, and a bit quiet.
Palate
Slightly more oily and more heft than the HL Journey. Better described, again, as slick and creamy. Honey cream. Lemon candy. Dates. Faint but clear wisps of nutmeg and cardamom. Light hints of toffee. Apple scones with salted butter. Fruit and cereal notes aplenty. The finish brings a wisp of smoke and a mineralic note. This has more of the Campbeltown characteristics in its makeup, though certainly not boldly calling out to me.
Score: 6/10
Review 2/2
Campbeltown Journey, Blended Scotch Malt Whisky, Bottle code: L22138, 46% ABV
£40 paid at auction (less fees and shipping)
Nose
Lemon tart and white fruits. Cardamom. Hint of pine. Nectarines. After sitting for a bit and a couple of good swirls in the Glencairn, some banana comes forth along with Silver Needle white tea. Bit of apricot jam. No funk here. The nose is relatively quiet but yields nice, light flavours.
Palate
Orange blossom honey. Vanilla creme. Not exactly oily, but I quite like this. Slick and creamy. Hints of Quaker Oatmeal’s Peaches and Cream. Light citrus. Dried fruit, almost a fruitcake note. Slightly mineralic. Banana cream pie with a graham cracker crust. White fruits are the background that colour and shade everything in a pleasant and creamy blanket.
Score: 6/10
The Dregs
Right out of the gate, I need to say that I was a bit shocked. For a few reasons. First, I loved my first bottle of Campbeltown Loch. Period. Hard stop. I was sure that this Hunter Laing blended malt version would, for some reason, not be able to compare well. Whether it’s the more orange colour of the liquid due to the reflective artwork on the label, whether it is because I had not heard of the Hunter Laing Journey Series before, or because I had already had and loved a bottle of the Loch, or the fact that the Campbeltown Loch’s bottle is, in fact, a bottle from Springbank – I had it in my mind that the Loch would simply be measurably better. But no.
These two iterations in front of me are so very similar. To be sure, I don’t believe the HL Journey could compare with my first Loch bottle (see below), but side-by-side with the ‘21 edition it is a great comparison. The tasting notes may not be identical, but the general flavour palate foundations are remarkably similar between these two Campbeltown blends I found at auction. I was surprised, and pleasantly so.
Second, the difference between my 2022 bottling of the Loch and this 2021 bottling is quite noticeable. Batch variation is, indeed, a thing. I truly loved my 2022 vintage (bottle code: 03.10.22 22/196). I remember it as a bit more oily, with different notes of dark chocolate, molasses, and a touch of clove. This “new” bottle, snared at auction, was bottled in 2021 and, as said, has a noticeable divergence. Not tremendously so, but noticeable.
This 2021 iteration is a slight step backwards. I do appreciate batch variation, and I recalled Wally’s review of Campbeltown Loch this past September. (To be clear, I have my own tasting notes – and I’ve rinsed half of the bottle before going back to read Wally’s pearls of wisdom.) In comparing my own tasting variances between a 2021 and 2022 and then reading similar observations of batch variation from Wally, it would appear the trajectory of Campbeltown Loch from 2021 coming forward is to see the expression become more oily and weighty, as well as richer. The profile has moved away from the 2021’s more honey cream, fruit and cereal, dates, and baked goods.
In my notes, I gave my 2022 Campbeltown Loch a 7/10, as did Wally with his. My 2021 Campbeltown Loch that I am reviewing here is a solid, if not a high, 6/10. It is very nice, but a different animal. It is quite nice and I am enjoying it thoroughly, but there was simply something more “Campbeltown-esqe” with the more recent bottle in that there was more of that hefty and industrial texture, with a richer palate.
Before going further, I realise that I ought to have found a way to put my hands on a bottle of The Gauldrons; Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts release for its own blend of Campbeltown malts. So, my apologies to Douglas Laing and their fans for not having the Gauldrons represented in this comparison. But there was only so much in the Shaw whisky budget when I made my auction purchases, and there were other bottles that caught my attention. Mea culpa… but Broddy put together a similar experiment in 2022 and that did include the Gauldrons.
While I have had experience with two different bottling years of the Loch, I have no such comparator to the Hunter Laing that is in a glass before me. This is the first and only Campbeltown Journey bottle that I have had. I am curious to find other HL Campbeltown Journey bottlings from 2023 and/or 2021 to see if batch variation is as marked as I find in the Loch. That said, it is truly remarkable how much it mirrors the 2021 Campbeltown Loch. This vintage is from mid 2022. The mineralic hints along with the dried fruit, creamy peach oatmeal, and orange blossom honey are quietly tasty.
But, for all of my whisky hunt for gems from the Wee Toon, looking for those legendary signature notes of funk, heft, oiliness, puffs of smoke, robust flavour – neither of these Campbeltown blends seem to squarely hit the bullseye. They are both quite nice and both have distinguished themselves from other bottles on my shelf, but these bottles do not clearly evoke the thoughts of Campbeltown whiskies as I have come to know and understand them.
The 2021 Loch does have the wisp of smoke and a more Springbank 10yo-style profile, but it does not elicit clear traits and notes as my 2022 bottle did. The bottles in front of me are both clearly in the Campbeltown family – but not immediate kin to the heavy hitters.
Perhaps it is the weighty expectation of the Campbeltown mantle and moniker, and that may be unfair. I ought not (and I don’t) expect that an inexpensive Campbeltown blend would go toe-to-toe with a Springbank Local Barley or a Glen Scotia 18. The bottom line of all of this is that I have two very good bottles of whisky, though these appear – to me – to be merely cousins of what I view from memories of the famous Campbeltown style, instead of being close siblings.
Also, as I look in the mirror, I must make it clear – as if it wasn’t already – I am no Campbeltown expert. I have not sampled enough of the bottles.
Expert or not, I do have some first hand experience with the Campbeltown style, and I have read more than my fair share of reviews and articles about the Campbeltown style. While I still yearn for my first Hazelburn, or cask strength Springbank, or another Longrow on my shelf, these blends do provide hints of my Springbank 10 and notes from my Glen Scotia. While I do not have the breadth of experience with Campbeltown whiskies, I can only relay how these whiskies speak to me.
While neither this 2021 Campbeltown Loch nor this Hunter Laing Journey is a flavour bomb that knocks your socks off, both are full of flavour – and both are quite nice to have. There is definitely a resemblance between the two, but they are a step back from the 2022 Loch that I so fully enjoyed and to which I clearly saw a close Campbeltown flavour framework. Perhaps beating a dead horse, but I keep coming back to the fact that It is rather interesting that these two different brands of blends are so alike, and yet they are both two different animals as compared to that 2022 Loch.
You will do well to cross paths with either or both of these bottles. But, if you want something that is similar to a SB10 or to have those bold and luscious Campbeltown profiles, start with a Loch from 2022, or more recent. I can’t speak to other HL Journey vintages.
At the end of the day, the lure, lore, and myth of Campbeltown remains fully etched in my whisky mind and legend. I may not ever want to empty my bank account for a Springbank Local Barley, a Hazelburn 15, or a Longrow Red; as would be required on these American shores, but I am very glad to have these blends before me, and I am very glad to have found some back-door entrances into Mount Olympus’ stock of goodness.
I am looking forward to testing a newer vintage of the Loch to see if the trajectory that I have gleaned is, in fact, true. I also look forward to testing a newer vintage of Hunter Laing’s Journey to see if there is the same amount of batch variation and if it, too, can step up in weight class with some more dirtiness and heft.
Until then, seeking ambrosia from Mount Olympus will continue. The search for the lower-hanging fruits of Campbeltown continues – whether through the front door, back-channels, or otherwise.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS