This whisky is the second release of limited edition Ploughing Edition single malt range from the Lowland distillery of Lochlea. The Lochlea Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) is the fourth and final bottling in its Second Crop series, which celebrates t…
This whisky is the second release of limited edition Ploughing Edition single malt range from the Lowland distillery of Lochlea. The Lochlea Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) is the fourth and final bottling in its Second Crop series, which celebrates the annual farm cycle. Other releases include the Sowing, Harvest and Fallow Editions. Lochlea is one of the only distilleries in Scotland to grow all of the barley used for whisky production.
Lochlea Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) marks winter in the cycle and the time when fields are ploughed in preparation for sowing the barley in the spring. The release sees the spirit matured for its full term in 200-litre ex-Islay whisky barrels. This gives John Campbell, Production Director at Lochlea, the chance to talk about his home island of Islay where he grew up and lived for many years. This includes a stint of 27 years when he was the longest serving Distillery Manager at Laphroaig.
Lochlea was founded in 2015 by Neil McGeoch, under the name Lochlea Distilling Co. It is located in rural Ayrshire to the south of Kilmarnock. He converted Lochlea Farm from beef production to growing barley for whisky making. The distillery is in the old piggery and a cattleshed has been turned into the maturation warehouse. The independent family-owned distillery has an annual production capacity of 200,000 litres. Their inaugural whisky, Lochlea First Release, was launched in early 2022.
Lochlea Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is available from selected specialist whisky retailers in the UK and selected overseas markets. A bottle will cost £52.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is a pale straw yellow and the nose is green, fresh and vibrant. Uplifting aromas of orchard fruit (think especially of crisp green apple and pear), white chocolate and fresh lemon zest mingle with robust malty cereals and a distinctive whiff of acrid, medicinal peat smoke.
On the palate this whisky has an instant prickly white pepper quality and a hint of green chilli. As this settles other notes begin to evolve. First comes some sweetness in the form of icing sugar, vanilla fudge and white chocolate with hints of marshmallow and nougat. The green characteristics from the nose then follow, which maintains that vibarncy and uplifting feel - think of the crisp apple and pear again, plus freshly cut hay meadow. Everything is underpinned by a distinct maltiness and an underlying ashy peat smoke - this is reminiscent of dying embers with a medicinal iodine-like twist.
The finish is long, hot and with the acquired peat smoke to the fore. It is packed with lingering peat embers and bonfire ash, and really comes through stronger than before. This is especially true once the sweetness and crisp, vibrant green fruit fade. A pinch of sea salt and cocoa powder add depth. That lemon zest also returns right at the end.
What's The Verdict?
This is a vibrant, feisty and fresh whisky from Lochlea. It is probably the one that shows its youthfulness the most of all those that we have sampled. The inherited peat smoke that has come from the cask just accentuates this feeling. It is also the one that has allowed the robust malty notes of Lochlea to shine through the most.
Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) is definitely one to try if you like smoky whiskies. The cask influence gives it a different edge to if it were made using peated malt. We love what Lochlea are doing and cannot wait to see what may be next.
The rolling hills of rural Ayrshire are home to one of Scotland’s most up-and-coming new single malt distilleries – Lochlea. The distillery is one of very few in Scotland to operate a true ‘field to bottle’ policy and they are beginning to make waves in the Scotch whisky world and beyond with a series of impressive early releases. Last Autumn, Matt was invited to pay a visit.
________
The journey to Lochlea was met with very poor weather, often described in Scotland as ‘driech’. A bumpy flight from London and the following drive to the distillery through torrential rain were fairly brutal. Hats off to Sarah from Lochlea’s marketing team who came to pick us up from Glasgow and got us to the distillery safely. She really pulled the short straw that day.
The Lochlea Distilling Co. was founded in 2015 by Neil McGeoch. Located to the south of Kilmarnock, he converted the 300 year old Lochlea Farm from beef production to growing barley for whisky making. He had taken over the farm several years earlier in 2006 but was intrigued by how to diversify and make the farm more profitable. The distillery is in the old piggery with two cattle sheds repurposed as maturation warehouses.
The independent family-owned distillery has an annual production capacity of 200,000 litres. Production began in late-2017 with the Lochlea First Release launching in early 2022. One of keys to their initial success – they have been taken to the hearts of many whisky fans and won several impressive awards – is that all barley used for whisky production is grown on the farm. This equates to 600 tonnes per annum.
The barley for production in 2024 had been harvested just a couple of weeks prior to the visit. This year’s crop was of Laureate, a high yielding variety of spring barley. It is difficult to imagine what 600 tonnes of barley looks like until faced with it, spread across three bays in a large storage shed. And it is an impressive and slightly imposing sight. Each grain is stored at the distillery until required, with the temperate climate keeping the barley dormant.
The grain store.
Three times a year the barley is sent to Bairds for malting. This happens in 200 tonne batches, which are returned to the distillery and used as needed. It was interesting to hear that a longer term plan to open traditional floor maltings at the distillery is being considered. Only two distilleries of the 140+ making single malt in Scotland grow all of their own barley. Daftmill in Fife is the other.
The mash tun takes two tonnes of milled malt per batch. Warm water is added in three stages – at 64.5°C, then 85°C then again at 85°C – to extract the soluble sugars from the grains. Rakes stir the mash each time with the aim to create a semi-clear wort – the sugary solution that is taken to the next stage of the process. A semi-clear wort gives biscuity, cereal and green fruity notes.
The mash tun.
Six washbacks are used for fermentation. These are constructed of Douglas Fir and have a capacity of 15,000 litres. However, each is only filled to 10,000 litres per batch. Dried Mauri yeast is added to kickstart fermentation. Lochlea operates two short and three long fermentations per week, at 66 and 116 hours respectively. Once distilled, each batch is then married in the filling store for consistency.
The wooden washbacks with spirit safe and stills.
Lochlea has one pair of copper pot stills – the larger wash still has a 10,000 litre capacity and the smaller spirit still 6,700 litres. They are hand operated, as most of the distillery processes are, and steam controlled. Slow distillation is practiced to maintain high ester levels for a fruity final spirit. The wash is distilled to around 25% ABV then re-distilled to be taken off the spirit still at 67% ABV.
Around 30 casks are filled per week. This takes place each Wednesday. Luckily, the visit was on a Wednesday so there was opportunity to see this in action. Even better, to actually fill a cask. Each cask is filled using a gauge similar to a petrol pump and by measuring its weight – a full hogshead is 250kg with a butt 500kg. Filling on that particular Wednesday was to ex-sherry hogheads, plus ex-Port and ex-white Port butts.
Matt filling an ex-sherry hogshead with new make spirit.
Lochlea currently has two warehouses with 7,000 casks spread between them. There is capacity for up to 10,000. The majority of casks are matured in racks and on pallets, with a small percentage being in traditional dunnage – most of these are very early casks from 2017 and 2018, plus some very special projects. Each cask is numbered and with a barcode.
Most are ex-bourbon (sourced from Maker’s Mark in Kentucky) or ex-sherry (sourced from Miguel Martin in Spain), but several other cask types were spotted – ex-rum, ex-Sauternes, ex-red wine, French oak, ex-Islay whisky and numerous different sweet and fortified wines. There are currently a staggering 26 different origins of cask in use.
Inside one of the warehouses at Lochlea.
Then for a tutored tasting with John Campbell, Scotch whisky industry legend and Director of Production at Lochlea. It is always a pleasure to spend time and chat with John, who has 20+ years as Distillery Manager at the iconic Islay distillery of Laphroaig on his CV. However, the opportunity to help drive Lochlea forwards came at the right time and was too good to miss.
The tasting was super informal and covered several limited edition releases to date including the Fallow Edition (2nd Crop) and Our Barley, which remains the only core range product as this post is written. Also sampled was liquid from several upcoming potential bottlings, which seemed a particularly special treat and indulgence. Click on the video link below to watch Matt’s chat with John in full.
Our tasting featured expressions of Lochlea released to date.
Lochlea is not open to public and they have no immediate plans to do so. Therefore, it felt a real privilege to be invited and shown what they are doing there. It is an impressive set up and one that has clearly been considered and calculated since its inception. The evidence of that is everywhere and most importantly in the spirit. We will be keeping a keen eye on how things evolve at Lochlea and hope to be back there one day soon.
A huge thanks to John Campbell, Neil McGeoch and Sarah Snedden from Lochlea for their time and making us feel so welcome, and to Emily Harris from MayFox PR who organised everything.
For further information on Lochlea and their single malt whiskies, please visit www.lochleadistillery.com.
The rolling hills of rural Ayrshire are home to one of Scotland’s most up-and-coming new single malt distilleries – Lochlea. The distillery is one of very few in Scotland to operate a true ‘field to bottle’ policy and they are beginning to make waves in the Scotch whisky world and beyond with a series of impressive early releases. Last Autumn, Matt was invited to pay a visit.
________
The journey to Lochlea was met with very poor weather, often described in Scotland as ‘driech’. A bumpy flight from London and the following drive to the distillery through torrential rain were fairly brutal. Hats off to Sarah from Lochlea’s marketing team who came to pick us up from Glasgow and got us to the distillery safely. She really pulled the short straw that day.
The Lochlea Distilling Co. was founded in 2015 by Neil McGeoch. Located to the south of Kilmarnock, he converted the 300 year old Lochlea Farm from beef production to growing barley for whisky making. He had taken over the farm several years earlier in 2006 but was intrigued by how to diversify and make the farm more profitable. The distillery is in the old piggery with two cattle sheds repurposed as maturation warehouses.
The independent family-owned distillery has an annual production capacity of 200,000 litres. Production began in late-2017 with the Lochlea First Release launching in early 2022. One of keys to their initial success - they have been taken to the hearts of many whisky fans and won several impressive awards - is that all barley used for whisky production is grown on the farm. This equates to 600 tonnes per annum.
The barley for production in 2024 had been harvested just a couple of weeks prior to the visit. This year's crop was of Laureate, a high yielding variety of spring barley. It is difficult to imagine what 600 tonnes of barley looks like until faced with it, spread across three bays in a large storage shed. And it is an impressive and slightly imposing sight. Each grain is stored at the distillery until required, with the temperate climate keeping the barley dormant.
The grain store.
Three times a year the barley is sent to Bairds for malting. This happens in 200 tonne batches, which are returned to the distillery and used as needed. It was interesting to hear that a longer term plan to open traditional floor maltings at the distillery is being considered. Only two distilleries of the 140+ making single malt in Scotland grow all of their own barley. Daftmill in Fife is the other.
The mash tun takes two tonnes of milled malt per batch. Warm water is added in three stages - at 64.5°C, then 85°C then again at 85°C - to extract the soluble sugars from the grains. Rakes stir the mash each time with the aim to create a semi-clear wort - the sugary solution that is taken to the next stage of the process. A semi-clear wort gives biscuity, cereal and green fruity notes.
The mash tun.
Six washbacks are used for fermentation. These are constructed of Douglas Fir and have a capacity of 15,000 litres. However, each is only filled to 10,000 litres per batch. Dried Mauri yeast is added to kickstart fermentation. Lochlea operates two short and three long fermentations per week, at 66 and 116 hours respectively. Once distilled, each batch is then married in the filling store for consistency.
The wooden washbacks with spirit safe and stills.
Lochlea has one pair of copper pot stills - the larger wash still has a 10,000 litre capacity and the smaller spirit still 6,700 litres. They are hand operated, as most of the distillery processes are, and steam controlled. Slow distillation is practiced to maintain high ester levels for a fruity final spirit. The wash is distilled to around 25% ABV then re-distilled to be taken off the spirit still at 67% ABV.
Around 30 casks are filled per week. This takes place each Wednesday. Luckily, the visit was on a Wednesday so there was opportunity to see this in action. Even better, to actually fill a cask. Each cask is filled using a gauge similar to a petrol pump and by measuring its weight - a full hogshead is 250kg with a butt 500kg. Filling on that particular Wednesday was to ex-sherry hogheads, plus ex-Port and ex-white Port butts.
Matt filling an ex-sherry hogshead with new make spirit.
Lochlea currently has two warehouses with 7,000 casks spread between them. There is capacity for up to 10,000. The majority of casks are matured in racks and on pallets, with a small percentage being in traditional dunnage - most of these are very early casks from 2017 and 2018, plus some very special projects. Each cask is numbered and with a barcode.
Most are ex-bourbon (sourced from Maker's Mark in Kentucky) or ex-sherry (sourced from Miguel Martin in Spain), but several other cask types were spotted - ex-rum, ex-Sauternes, ex-red wine, French oak, ex-Islay whisky and numerous different sweet and fortified wines. There are currently a staggering 26 different origins of cask in use.
Inside one of the warehouses at Lochlea.
Then for a tutored tasting with John Campbell, Scotch whisky industry legend and Director of Production at Lochlea. It is always a pleasure to spend time and chat with John, who has 20+ years as Distillery Manager at the iconic Islay distillery of Laphroaig on his CV. However, the opportunity to help drive Lochlea forwards came at the right time and was too good to miss.
The tasting was super informal and covered several limited edition releases to date including the Fallow Edition (2nd Crop) and Our Barley, which remains the only core range product as this post is written. Also sampled was liquid from several upcoming potential bottlings, which seemed a particularly special treat and indulgence. Click on the video link below to watch Matt's chat with John in full.
Our tasting featured expressions of Lochlea released to date.
Lochlea is not open to public and they have no immediate plans to do so. Therefore, it felt a real privilege to be invited and shown what they are doing there. It is an impressive set up and one that has clearly been considered and calculated since its inception. The evidence of that is everywhere and most importantly in the spirit. We will be keeping a keen eye on how things evolve at Lochlea and hope to be back there one day soon.
A huge thanks to John Campbell, Neil McGeoch and Sarah Snedden from Lochlea for their time and making us feel so welcome, and to Emily Harris from MayFox PR who organised everything.
For further information on Lochlea and their single malt whiskies, please visit www.lochleadistillery.com.
This whisky is a special limited edition from the award-winning Lowland farm-to-bottle distillery of Lochlea. It has been released to mark their fifth birthday. The whisky is a vatting of just five casks, each showing a different side to the house spi…
This whisky is a special limited edition from the award-winning Lowland farm-to-bottle distillery of Lochlea. It has been released to mark their fifth birthday. The whisky is a vatting of just five casks, each showing a different side to the house spirit. Two of them included are from the very first distillation and cask filling in August 2018. It is the oldest whisky released by Lochlea to date and the first to carry an age statement.
The Lochlea 5 years old has been created by John Campbell, the Production Director at Lochlea, who personally selected the five casks. These consist of two ex-bourbon, two ex-Oloroso sherry and one ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry. The bottling was released for Burns Night as a hat tip to Robert Burns, who inherited Lochlea Farm where the distillery is located, and lived and worked there for several years.
Lochlea was founded in 2015 by Neil McGeoch, under the name Lochlea Distilling Co. It is located in rural Ayrshire to the south of Kilmarnock. He converted Lochlea Farm from beef production to growing barley for whisky making. The distillery is in the old piggery and a cattleshed has been turned into the maturation warehouse. The independent family-owned distillery has an annual production capacity of 200,000 litres. Their inaugural whisky, Lochlea First Release, was launched in early 2022.
The Lochlea 5 years old is bottled at 50% ABV and will be available from selected specialist whisky retailers in the UK. The exact number of bottles was not revealed in the press release. A bottle will cost £90, while stocks last.
"This is an incredibly special dram to mark our first special milestone birthday. We wanted to create a whisky that shows off the best of Lochlea spirit matured in different styles of casks over the last half a decade. We have carefully chosen these five casks and will not replicate this ever again."
John Campbell.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is deep golden yellow with a hint of amber and the nose is rich, sweet and packed with fruit and nuts. Caramelised apple and toasted hazelnut aromas are supported by raisin and sultana, plus hints of orange oil and crumbly brown sugar. Further hints of gingerbread and dried tropical fruits also sit in the background, as does a pinch of cocoa powder.
On the palate this whisky has a luscious and bold feel. It is rich and sweet as on the nose. Again the fruity and nutty elements rise first - think of fairground toffee apple, Cognac-soaked raisins and juicy sultanas mixed with toasted walnuts and hazelnut praline. There is also some poached pear and bitter orange zest marmalade notes that evolve.
The sweetness continues with notes of caramel and milk chocolate. The hint of dried tropical fruit from the nose is never far away and add extra depth. Then come the savoury notes - imagine bitter cocoa, gingerbread and an evolving oaky quality. The oak in particular pulls the sweetness back and makes it pleasantly drying. Hints of menthol, clove and white pepper round things off nicely.
The finish is long and becomes increasingly warming and oaky. The sweet caramel-like characteristics fade slightly too quickly, followed by the luscious fruitiness. This leaves the wood and spice notes to draw the finish out and create that lovely warmth.
What's The Verdict?
Another fine whisky from Lochlea and one fitting for their fifth anniversary. We have enjoyed several of their previous releases, including the Fallow Edition (2nd Crop) that made our Top 10 Whiskies of 2023 list. This has extra depth and complexity due to the combination and extra age of the casks used. This 5 years old is rich, bold and expressive. We cannot wait to see how Lochlea's whiskies develop and what they may release next.
The Ayrshire farm distillery of Lochlea has revealed its latest seasonal bottling – Lochlea Fallow Edition (Second Crop). The new whisky has been matured exclusively in ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. This is in the ratio of 45% and 55%…
The Ayrshire farm distillery of Lochlea has revealed its latest seasonal bottling - Lochlea Fallow Edition (Second Crop). The new whisky has been matured exclusively in ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. This is in the ratio of 45% and 55% respectively. The Fallow Edition pays homage to the period of the year where farmland naturally rejuvenates itself after crops have been harvested. The whisky has been created by John Campbell, the Director of Production at Lochlea.
Lochlea was founded in 2015 by Neil McGeoch, under the name Lochlea Distilling Co. It is located in rural Ayrshire to the south of Kilmarnock. He converted Lochlea Farm from beef production to growing barley for whisky making. The distillery is in the old piggery and a cattleshed has been turned into the maturation warehouse. The independent family-owned distillery has an annual production capacity of 200,000 litres. The range of whiskies is ever expanding since the Lochlea First Release was launched in early 2022.
The Lochlea Fallow Edition (Second Crop) is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is available via selected specialist whisky retailers in selected world markets. A bottle will cost £52.
"Fallow season within our farming calendar is a vital time of year for us to regenerate the land ready for our barley to grow well in the spring and summer. This release is important to us, as it gives a chance to tell the story of the farm and explain some of our sustainable practices."
Neil McGeoch / Co-founder of Lochlea.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is deep coppery amber and the nose is bold, rich and heavy with dried fruits. There are aromas of raisin and sultana to the fore, which are supported by darker notes of fig and date. Underneath are further aromas of crumbly brown sugar, toasted hazelnut and milk chocolate, plus baked apple and a hint of candied orange peel.
On the palate this whisky feels rich, bold and syrupy. Notes of brown sugar and juicy dark raisins lead the way and are quickly joined by Cognac-soaked prunes, sultanas and hints of dried figs and dates. Further hints of dark chocolate and black treacle also sit in the background. Underneath sits a distinct malted biscuit-like note, maybe a chocolate malted biscuit, and some soft green apple. This is similar to the baked apple note from the nose and adds lovely depth. Further complexity and structure is added by evolving notes of toasted hazelnut and a hint of almond marzipan, plus some drying woody spices - think of cinnamon bark, mace and a pinch of clove.
The finish is long and fruity with the sweet dried fruits leading the way. These begin to fade and allow the nutty elements and some orange oil to shine briefly. They also fade and this allows the malty and woody notes to drag out the finish. These is a peppery heat and lovely warming hit of savoury baking spices.
What's The Verdict?
This is another fine whisky from Lochlea. Their whiskies have been impressive from the very first release but this Fallow Season adds a different dimension. Most of the distillery's early releases have been on the lighter side and shown the distinctly fruity and malty character of Lochlea's spirit. But the use of 100% ex-sherry casks has lead this whisky in a much richer, sweeter and darker direction. It is absolutely delicious and well worth searching out as the price os pretty good too.
31-Year-Old single malt whisky from Lowlands distillery, Rosebank, will be available in the USA after initially being available in August 2022 in the UK. The Lowlands distillery was closed in 1993, then purchased by Ian Macleod Distillers in 2017 and is currently scheduled to be re-opened in 2024. Rosebank 31-year-old single malt whisky was saved […]
31-Year-Old single malt whisky from Lowlands distillery, Rosebank, will be available in the USA after initially being available in August 2022 in the UK. The Lowlands distillery was closed in 1993, then purchased by Ian Macleod Distillers in 2017 and is currently scheduled to be re-opened in 2024.
Rosebank 31-year-old single malt whisky was saved from casks prior to the distillery’s closing [representing the last of the “old Rosebank” before the distillery re-opens] is bottled at 48.1% alcohol by volume [96.2 proof] and is said to offer both floral and fruit notes.
Rosebank 31-Year-Old is being made available for $3,300 per 700 ml bottle.
Lowland distillery Bladnoch – aka, the oldest working Scotch distillery – has released a trio of ‘ultra-rare’ single malt whiskies called The Samhla Collection [Samhla derived from the Scots Gaelic word meaning ‘symbol’ or ‘likeness’] that is intended to showcase three generations of Bladnoch’s history, which was revived in 2015 after a 200+ year history. […]
Lowland distillery Bladnoch – aka, the oldest working Scotch distillery – has released a trio of ‘ultra-rare’ single malt whiskies called The Samhla Collection [Samhla derived from the Scots Gaelic word meaning ‘symbol’ or ‘likeness’] that is intended to showcase three generations of Bladnoch’s history, which was revived in 2015 after a 200+ year history.
The Samhla Collection is extremely limited – even more so in the Scotch world of numerous limited editions – and consists of a mere 15 bottles of The McClelland, distilled in 1966; 50 bottles of The Prior, distilled in 1990; and 100 bottles of The Sage, distilled in 2008.
Bladnoch The McClelland was matured in an American oak cask and is said to offer notes of chocolate, green apples, mint and orange peel.
Bladnoch The Prior is said to offer notes of apricot, dates, licorice and pepper.
Bladnoch The Sage was matured in a pair of American oak red wine hogsheads and is said to offer notes of black cherries, black pepper and strawberry.
Any of the trio are being made available at the Bladnoch official website [www.bladnoch.com/thesamhlacollection].
Beam Suntory has created a new three-region blended Scotch called Ardray that combines malt and grain whiskies from the Highlands, Lowlands and Islay Scotch whisky-producing regions of Scotland. Beam Suntory owns the Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Bowmore and Laphroaig Scotch distilleries and, in a collaboration with Scottish spirits company Edrington [owner of Glenrothes, Highland Park and The […]
Beam Suntory has created a new three-region blended Scotch called Ardray that combines malt and grain whiskies from the Highlands, Lowlands and Islay Scotch whisky-producing regions of Scotland.
Beam Suntory owns the Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Bowmore and Laphroaig Scotch distilleries and, in a collaboration with Scottish spirits company Edrington [owner of Glenrothes, Highland Park and The Macallan], produced Ardray.
Beam Suntory Ardray was bottled at 48% alcohol by volume [96 proof] and is said to offer notes of citrus, floral and vanilla custard.
Beam Suntory Ardray was initially only available in four cities – London, Los Angeles, New York and Shanghai – but will be made available worldwide for $80 per bottle.
Bladnoch – Scotland’s oldest privately-owned whisky distillery – has released five single malts that will comprise what they are calling The Dragon Series [a reference to the dragon curve, a mathematical term for a fractional curve]. Bladnoch I in the Dragon Series is called The Field [relating the journey from field to distillery], was matured […]
Bladnoch – Scotland’s oldest privately-owned whisky distillery – has released five single malts that will comprise what they are calling The Dragon Series [a reference to the dragon curve, a mathematical term for a fractional curve].
Bladnoch I in the Dragon Series is called The Field [relating the journey from field to distillery], was matured in re-fill bourbon casks, bottled at 46.7% alcohol by volume [93.4 proof] and is said to offer notes of apple, toasted barley and shortbread.
Bladnoch II in the Dragon Series is called Spirit [relating to the first stage of distillery production], and is a blend of first-fill and re-fill bourbon casks, bottled at 48.3% alcohol by volume [96.6 proof] and is said to offer notes of malted cereal, pear and cracked pepper.
Bladnoch III in the Dragon Series is called The Casks [relating to the process of cask coopering], was matured in first-fill American oak bourbon casks along with first-fill Spanish oak sherry casks, bottled at 49.9% alcohol by volume [99.8 proof] and is said to offer notes of cinnamon, citrus, ginger, raisins and toffee.
Bladnoch IV in the Dragon Series is called The Ageing [relating to the maturation process] and was matured in red wine hogsheads along with first-fill bourbon casks, bottled at 51.1% alcohol by volume [102.2 proof] and is said to offer notes of blackberry.
Bladnoch V in the Dragon Series is called The Decision [relating to the crafting partnership] and is a blend of maturation in both Hungarian Tokaji wine casks and Spanish canasta sherry casks, bottled at 53.1% alcohol by volume [106.2 proof] and is said to offer notes of apricot, coffee, nutmeg and red grapes.
Bladnoch The Dragon Series is being made available via Bladnoch’s official website and elsewhere at $135 per bottle.
This whisky is the inaugural cask strength single malt from the Lowland distillery of Lochlea (pronounced lock-lee). The Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 1 has been aged in first-fill ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks in a ratio of 70:30 respectively….
This whisky is the inaugural cask strength single malt from the Lowland distillery of Lochlea (pronounced lock-lee). The Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 1 has been aged in first-fill ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks in a ratio of 70:30 respectively. These were selected by John Campbell, the Master Blender at Lochlea. All barley used to make Lochlea spirit is grown on the Ayrshire farm where the distillery is located making it a true grain-to-glass operation. The Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 1 is bottled at 60.1% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is available through selected specialist retailers in selected global markets. A bottle will cost £65.
Lochlea was founded in 2015 by Neil McGeoch, under the name Lochlea Distilling Co. It is located in rural Ayrshire to the south of Kilmarnock. He converted Lochlea Farm from beef production to growing barley for whisky making. The distillery is in the old piggery and a cattleshed has been turned into the maturation warehouse. The independent family-owned distillery has an annual production capacity of 200,000 litres. The range of whiskies is ever expanding since the Lochlea First Release was launched in early 2022.
"Our Cask Strength Batch 1 enables our quality to shine through in every dram, showing an amplified version of our signature Lochlea style for those whisky-lovers looking for a bold, yet elegant spirit made with a contemporary approach alongside respected traditions."
John Campbell.
Our tasting notes
The colour is vibrant gold and the nose is youthful and fresh. Vibrant aromas of crisp green apple and fresh pear combine with vanilla, honey and golden syrup. Underneath are further aromas of malty biscuits and white chocolate covered sultanas with hints of warming peppery spice and lemon zest.
On the palate this whisky is sweet, green and uplifting. Hot peppery spice leads the way and the high ABV prickles on the tongue. As this subsides it is the sweetness and green fruitiness that begins to show well. Notes of white chocolate, vanilla fudge and runny honey marry together with green apple and slightly under ripe pear. Then come the dried fruits - think of juicy sultanas, lemon zest, candied lime and a hint of orange oil. The lime in particular becomes more evolved with time.
Sitting underneath these fresh and vibrant notes are some more savoury elements. This begins with a distinct nutty quality - imagine walnuts, praline and toasted hazelnut - plus a set of warming spices. These include cracked pepper, cinnamon and gingerbread. A pinch of cocoa powder rounds things off.
The finish is a little hot and short if honest. It is here where the high ABV really hinders the whisky. However, with the addition of some water this is negated somewhat. The whisky becomes softer and more toffee-like with nice creamy vanilla and malty notes coming through well. It also softens the tangy apple and pear notes.
What's the verdict?
This is the first in what is scheduled to be an annual release from Lochlea. The bottlings that we have seen to date have all shown significant promise and this is no different. This whisky is clearly youthful but offers something different with its higher ABV compared to the previous releases. Cask Strength Batch 1 is not the finished article but a pointer to what may be coming in the future. We look forward to following the journey.
This new whisky is the first permanent bottling for global release from the Lowland distillery of Kingsbarns. The Kingsbarns Doocot is a non age statement single malt has seen maturation in ex-bourbon barrels and STR (shaved, toasted and recharred) ex-…
This new whisky is the first permanent bottling for global release from the Lowland distillery of Kingsbarns. The Kingsbarns Doocot is a non age statement single malt has seen maturation in ex-bourbon barrels and STR (shaved, toasted and recharred) ex-Portuguese red wine casks. The whisky is named after a dovecote (which translates as 'doocot' from Gaelic) at the distillery, which offers nesting and roosting spots for doves and pigeons. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The spirit has been produced using barley grown within a six mile radius of the distillery. The Kingsbarns Doocot will be available in specialist retailers worldwide with a bottle costing £45.
The Kingsbarns distillery is located in the Kingdom of Fife near the town of St. Andrew's and was founded in 2014 by the Wemyss family. The family also own Wemyss Malts, an independent bottling and blending company, plus several other spirits brands. The distillery is in 18th century farm buildings and has a current annual production capacity of 600,000 litres. The first single malt was distilled and filled to cask in March 2015 with the inaugural release appearing in late 2018. Most bottlings to date have been small batch or single cask.
"The new addition to our range allows whisky lovers to enjoy the fruity and indulgent flavours of Kingsbarns but with an added level of balance and complexity. As we transition into the warmer months, we think Doocot is the perfect refreshing, fruity dram."
William Wemyss / Managing Director of Kingsbarns.
Our tasting notes
The colour is vibrant gold and the nose is fresh, sweet and uplifting. Confected aromas of caramelised peach and pear, plus icing sugar and marshmallow lead the way. Underneath comes some vanilla, butterscotch, hazelnut praline and a hint of sweet brioche bread. Late hints of toasted oak and warming gingerbread-like spice sit in the background.
On the palate this whisky is light and bright with plenty of initial confected sweetness. Notes of boiled sweets and marshmallow are joined by honey, vanilla fudge and malted biscuits. Then comes the fruitiness. The caramelised poached pear is there again but there is also a distinct tropical vibe - think of juicy peach and apricot, plus a suggestion of pineapple and papaya.
The nutty and spicy qualities from the nose also appear. The hazelnut praline is joined by hints of walnut and almond, while the gingerbread is accentuated with pinches of powdered cinnamon and clove. The toasted oak is also present and is complimented by further sweetness in the form of white chocolate and brioche notes. Some crisp green apple comes through right at the close.
The finish is on the short side, especially once the sweet elements begin to drift away. As a result it becomes a little hot and peppery, which is the only time that it truly shows its youthful age. The warming spices and drying oak conribute to this feeling also.
What's the verdict?
This is a fine effort from Kingsbarns for their first permanent release. Doocot has a wonderful uplifting and vibrant freshness and as per William Wemyss' quote, this makes it perfect for the Summer months. Sipped neat it is delicious but we have tried it over ice, which makes it wonderfully creamy and soft, and made into a highball with soda water. Both work well.
If this is the quality that Kingsbarns will put out, then the future is looking very bright. They were one of the earlier distilleries to come on stream in this current wave of craft and artisan producers. The newer ones should look at this whisky for the direction that they should take. It is delicious and well constructed.
