Golf and Scotch whisky: name a more iconic duo. As the anticipation builds for the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Loch Lomond Whiskies is stepping up to the tee with their highly anticipated Open Course Collection 2026.
As the official spirit of The Open, Loch Lomond has a reputation for dropping exceptional limited editions around tournament time. This year, they’ve delivered a premium duo of single malts that perfectly bridge the gap between world-class golf and innovative distilling.
Whether you’re a serious collector looking for a rare bottle or a golf fan wanting to toast the champion with something special, here is everything you need to know about the 2026 releases.
Before diving into the bottles, it helps to understand why Loch Lomond tastes the way it does. While most Scotch distilleries rely on traditional swan-neck pot stills, Loch Lomond utilizes a hybrid setup that includes distinct straight-neck stills.
Why does this matter? Straight-neck stills give the distillers incredible control over reflux (how the vapor condenses and interacts with the copper). In plain terms, it allows them to dial in specific flavour profiles with immense precision.
Combined with their unique in-house cooperage, this setup allows Loch Lomond to maintain a beautifully consistent "house character" across their spirits, defined by:
For the 2026 Open Collection, they’ve taken this signature profile and enhanced it using two very distinct cask finishes. Crucially, these casks tweak and elevate the spirit rather than overwhelming it.
If you’re going to make a golf whisky, you might as well team up with a legend. Loch Lomond created this No-Age-Statement (NAS) expression in collaboration with Colin Montgomerie.
This is the undeniable crown jewel and collector’s piece of the 2026 release. It spent the bulk of its life maturing in American oak before undergoing a precise six-month finish in Tawny Port casks.
Loch Lomond has hit a hole-in-one with the 2026 collection. By using wine and port casks to complement—rather than bury—their signature orchard fruit and soft smoke DNA, they've created two beautifully balanced whiskies.
Skull And Barrel supports the responsible service of alcohol. Liquor Licence 36308888. Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 it is an offence to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 years (Penalty exceeds $23,000) and for a person under the age of 18 years to purchase or receive liquor (Penalty exceeds $900).
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