Loch Dhu 10 years

About the Loch Dhu 10 years

Loch Dhu 10 years is a single malt Scotch whisky from Speyside, Scotland. It's best known for a colour no other whisky quite matches. Poured into a glass, it looks almost black, closer to strong coffee than a typical dram. That look comes from generous caramel colouring, listed plainly on the label. Loch Dhu 10 years takes its Gaelic name from 'black loch,' long before curious drinkers ever tasted it. The colour alone made it a talking point across Speyside. The whisky was distilled at Mannochmore, a distillery built in 1971 near Elgin in Speyside. Mannochmore today belongs to Diageo, one of Scotland's largest whisky producers. Loch Dhu first appeared in 1996, already famous for looking unlike any other single malt. Extra caramel colouring gave it that heavy, near-black character and a noticeably sweet, treacle-like richness. Production ran only until 1999, a short window that turned Loch Dhu into something of a curiosity. Whisky fans still discuss those original bottles today. Loch Dhu 10 years leads with treacle and dried fruit, backed by a whiff of leather. Wood and spice sit underneath, giving real depth rather than colour for its own sake. A faint medicinal edge shows up too, closer to peaty smoke than antiseptic. Neat, vanilla sweetness rounds out the finish. A light salt note appears too, one some compare to sea salt on driftwood. It drinks heavier and richer than most 10 year old single malts, matching its unusual look. At 40% ABV, nothing about it feels thin. This Speyside single malt rewards curiosity more than caution. Serve it neat in a proper glass and give it a few minutes to open. Loch Dhu 10 years was only ever bottled at 40% ABV. That keeps it approachable even with all that richness. Fans of big, treacle-heavy whisky styles will find plenty to enjoy here. Collectors and curious drinkers alike still seek out Scotland's most talked-about whisky oddity. It remains one of Speyside's strangest, most memorable single malt Scotch whisky stories.