The Loch Dhu 10 Year Old The Black Whisky from Mannochmore is a polarising dram. Its deep black color, which is caused by extremely large amounts of spirit caramel, has made this bottle something of a collector’s item.
The tasting reviews for this bottle vary widely online, with some hailing the whisky as “caramel smooth” and some distinctly commenting on the flavor of burnt caramel. Either way, we know that caramel is present.
Serge Valentin, also of WhiskyFun, awarded the Loch Dhu 49 points on his last tasting in December 2004, saying, “the nose is somewhat interesting, but the palate is catastrophic, really”.
Not only does the whisky have some extreme reviews, it also sits at the forefront of the long-running industry debate around the use of spirit caramel. Spirit caramel, also known as E150a, is a supposedly tasteless liquid used to alter the color of whisky. It is most often used by blenders to achieve color consistency across products. In small quantities, it does not have an effect on the taste of whisky, but in large quantities, some argue that it can alter the taste and mouthfeel of a whisky.
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As such, the debate is split between whisky purists, who believe that no additives should be added to whisky, and E150a defenders, who argue that additives have always been a bit part of the whisky industry (such as paxarette) and that spirit caramel is useful to encourage brand familiarity and loyalty.
So, the question is, on which side of the debate do you stand? The Loch Dhu 10 Year Old The Black Whisky is, of course, a very extreme example of spirit caramel usage and is not representative of all usage in the industry. However, it does offer an insight into what such extreme usage can do.
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