Loch Lomond Whiskies Unveils New Whisky Duo For The Open Championship
Loch Lomond Whiskies is now nine years into its partnership with The Open Championship, and for 2026, the distillery has released a pair of limited edition whiskies.
Marking the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Loch Lomond worked with Bucket List Prints to create a set of labels inspired by vintage travel posters. The artwork leans into the nostalgia of links golf with images of windswept dunes and big skies, capturing that slightly romanticised British seaside feel. The packaging even lists every Open winner from 1860 through to 2026.
But you want to meet the whiskies themselves, right? So let’s start with the headline act.
It’s that time of year again!
The Open Course Collection 2026
- 19 years old
- 46.9% ABV
- Finished in Tawny Port casks
- 3,000 bottles globally
- £192.50
This is the collector piece. Long maturation in American oak, followed by a six-month finish in Tawny Port casks that adds a layer of red fruit and spice without burying the distillery character.
Then there’s the more approachable sibling.
The Open Special Edition 2026
- NAS
- 46% ABV
- Finished in Argentinian Malbec casks
- £47.95
Made with Colin Montgomerie, because if you’re doing a golf whisky, you may as well commit. This one leans brighter and fruitier, it’s also an accessible price for a limited edition.
Loch Lomond makes malt whisky on its unique still set up
What actually defines these whiskies
Loch Lomond likes to talk about its straight neck stills. Why? Well, most Scotch distilleries use traditional swan neck pot stills.
A hybrid set-up, including straight neck stills, allows for more control over reflux and, by extension, flavour. In plain terms, it lets Loch Lomond dial things in more precisely.
Flexible still set-up, wide spirit styles, and in-house cooperage help achieve a consistent house character, defined as:
- Orchard fruit
- Honeyed sweetness
- A thread of soft smoke
Loch Lomond lets a Tawny Port cask do its thing
The cask choices
Both releases stick to that. The cask finishes tweak that rather than overwhelm the distillery character. Let’s break those down too.
Tawny Port (Course Collection)
- Dried fruit
- Red berries
- Sweet spice
- A bit of depth and polish
Port casks are a better choice for older whisky as the tannic, darkly sweet tones can drown a younger, less developed sweetness. In a 19-year-old whisky, they add richness without turning it into dessert.
Malbec (Special Edition)
- Dark berries
- Sharper red fruit
- Slight tannic grip
Malbec finishes are still relatively underused in Scotch. They tend to bring a more vivid fruit profile and a touch more edge. That works well here, given the lighter, younger base.
You can buy these whiskies from Master of Malt now
The bigger picture
It doesn’t always get the same attention as flashier names, but Loch Lomond has built a bit of a reputation and releases like these show a distillery that understands its strengths.
And if you’re going to mark The Open, you could do worse than with a drop of these drams.
