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Everything you need to know about Lochside Distillery
Most popular bottles from the distillery
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Lochside 14 Year Old Speyside Whisky The Old Malt Cask 2005£299.99 Inc VAT -
Lochside 20 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 1981 SMWS 92.10£999.99 Inc VAT -
Lochside 31 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 1962 Cadenhead's£1,299.99 Inc VAT
A brief History
Lochside, Highlands Region, Scotland. Founded in 1957.
Lochside is one of Scotland’s lost distilleries — and a slightly unusual one at that.
Located in Montrose, on the east coast of Scotland, Lochside was founded in 1957 inside a former brewery building. From the start, it was different. The distillery produced both malt and grain whisky on the same site, something very few Scottish distilleries have ever done. That flexibility made it valuable for blending, but it also gave it an identity that never fully settled into one lane.
For much of its life, Lochside’s output went into blends. Official single malt releases were limited. The distillery closed in 1992, and the buildings were later demolished in 2005.
Today, any bottle bearing the Lochside name is drawn from remaining casks — increasingly rare, increasingly expensive, and often very impressive with age.
Taste Profile
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Fruity |
Sweet | Oaky / Woody |
Lochside malt was typically clean and fruit-forward, with orchard fruit and honeyed sweetness at its core. In refill bourbon casks, the spirit could feel light and elegant. In sherry casks, it developed deeper fruit and richer texture.
Older bottlings — 25 years and beyond — often show tropical fruit, polished oak, and layered sweetness. There was never a peat focus here. The style leaned toward Highland fruit and structure rather than smoke or spice.
The grain whisky produced on site was lighter and sweeter, often used to support blends.
Top 4 Flavour Profile Ingredients
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Apple / Pear |
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Honey |
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Vanilla |
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Oak / Wood Spice |
Notable Bottles
Since closure, Lochside releases have come from independent bottlers and private stock.
Lochside 1966 Vintage Releases
Among the most sought-after. Elegant, fruit-driven, and mature.
Lochside 25–30 Year Old Bottlings
Balanced oak, honey, and soft fruit.
Independent Single Casks
Varied cask influence depending on maturation history.
Availability is limited and prices reflect its closed-distillery status.
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The Distillery
The Distiller: Lochside Distillery
Address: Dunbartonshire, Alexandria, G83 0TL
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Visitor Centre
There is no visitor centre. Lochside ceased production in 1992 and the buildings were later demolished.
Ownership History
Original Owner
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Founded by Joseph W. Hobbs (1957)
Later Ownership
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Acquired by Spanish company Destilerías y Crianza del Whisky (DYC)
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Closed in 1992
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Buildings demolished in 2005
Remaining casks were gradually bottled and released over subsequent decades.
Distillery Facts
Overview & History
Lochside Distillery was located in Montrose, on Scotland’s east coast, and began whisky production in 1957. The site had previously operated as a brewery before being converted into a distillery.
Lochside was unusual in that it produced both single malt and grain whisky at different points in its history. Ownership changed several times, and production was inconsistent through the 1980s and early 1990s.
The distillery closed in 1992 and was later demolished. It is now considered a lost distillery, with remaining bottles coming only from maturing stock.
Production
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Spirit Type: Single malt and grain whisky (at various periods)
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Distillation: Pot stills for malt; Coffey stills were used for grain production in earlier years
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Cask Policy: Primarily ex-bourbon, with some sherry maturation
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Operational Pattern: Intermittent production and style changes over its lifetime
Lochside’s dual malt-and-grain capability was unusual for its time, though it was not maintained consistently.
Whisky Style
Lochside single malt is generally described as:
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Light to medium-bodied
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Sweet malt core
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Honey and vanilla
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Soft, integrated oak
Older bottlings often show elegant maturity rather than heavy sherry influence.
Key Expressions
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Independent bottlings from the 1960s–1980s
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A small number of official releases prior to closure
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Well-aged cask-strength releases from specialist bottlers
Because production ceased in 1992, all remaining stock is finite and increasingly rare.
Significance
Lochside represents a mid-20th-century expansion-era distillery that did not survive industry consolidation.
As a closed distillery, its whisky has become collectible. It holds particular interest because of its brief history producing both malt and grain spirit, making it structurally atypical among Scottish distilleries.
Its demolition ensures that its style cannot be replicated, reinforcing its status as a finite chapter in Scotch whisky history.
Lochside Whisky to Buy
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