Loch Lomond Distillery was originally set up with the vision of being self-sufficient, producing all its own ingredients for whisky production. This innovative approach led to the development of unique distillation methods. The original distillery featured pot stills with rectifying plates in their necks, known as Lomond stills, which allowed for the creation of different flavor streams. Expanding in 1990, the distillery added a second pair of Lomond stills and, in 1993, installed two continuous stills to produce its own grain whisky. By 1998, Loch Lomond incorporated two traditional swan-neck pot stills, and in 2007, it added another continuous still for grain whisky, made from 100% malted barley mash. The distillery’s recent addition of two more Lomond stills further increased its capacity to produce up to 11 different distillates. Additionally, the distillery experiments with wine yeasts to create a variety of flavors, setting it apart from traditional Scottish distilleries and drawing parallels to Japanese distilling techniques.
Loch Lomond produces a variety of single malt brands, including Inchmurrin, Inchmoan, Inchfad, Old Rosdhu, Croftengea, and Craiglodge. While some of these have been available as official and independent bottlings over time, only a few remain in the current lineup. The distillery, which was part of the 1960s whisky boom, was established in 1966 through a joint partnership between Duncan Thomas, the American owner of Littlemill distillery, and Chicago-based Barton Brands. After a period of American ownership, Loch Lomond closed in 1984 due to the collapse of the whisky boom, before being sold to Inver House in 1985. The distillery changed hands again in 1986, passing to Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd.
Under Glen Catrine’s ownership, Loch Lomond became known as one of the most flexible and innovative distilleries in Scotland, specializing in private label and export business. However, its operations remained somewhat under the radar. In 2014, Glen Catrine sold the distillery to private equity firm Exponent, which formed Loch Lomond Group. The new company is led by former Diageo executives and continues to oversee the distillery’s operations.
