Loch Lea
SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > L
Loch Lea
Barley had historically been grown on the farm land, largely as livestock feed, so in 2015 we embarked on an experiment, growing 50 acres of malting barley.
Working away quietly, learning from our (not too frequent) mistakes, exploring the possibilities and making contacts in the malting industry gave us the confidence to make a big decision: we’d develop and operate a single malt distillery here at Lochlea.
Construction got underway in 2017, converting the former piggery, byre and midden in the heart of the farm steading into the distillery, and repurposing the cattle sheds into bonded warehouses. We secured all our licences in 2018, and the distillery was commissioned in August 2018.
Since then, we have been growing our barley, and the distillery team have been skillfully and patiently making spirit.
The land at Lochlea is important, and not just to the distinctive taste of our whisky. This was the land that Robert Burns tended when he lived at Lochlea Farm, inspiring his thinking and development as a poet. Burns toiled the same soil that we are privileged to grow our malting barley in today.
We like to think he’d approve.
Capacity 200.000 Ltrs
Wash still 10.000 Ltrs, Spirit still 6250 Ltrs
LOCHLEA 'HARVEST EDITION' (FIRST CROP): A SNEAK PEEK
LAUNCHING 06.09.22
Harvest can be an unpredictable time on the farm, as we require the one thing that Scotland isn't well known for: good weather!
On Monday evening, the rain finally stopped and we're delighted to say that this year's harvest is now complete.
After a busy few days of harvesting, Jim is here to give you a sneak peek of our new whisky!
On Tuesday 6th September, we will launch Lochlea 'Harvest Edition' (First Crop). This is the second expression in an annual limited edition series, following on from Lochlea 'Sowing Edition' (First Crop).
We've chosen an ashy, coral red label to reflect the summer sunsets and Ayrshire soil, which changes colour to a deep red hue once the barley has been harvested.
Lochlea 'Harvest Edition' (First Crop) is matured in Port hogsheads, Oloroso Sherry butts and first-fill Bourbon barrels.
John Campbell, Production Director, explains that the introduction of Port casks will help to "elevate summer fruits and
creaminess to the Lochlea signature flavour profile.”
On the nose, expect flavours of pear drops, oat biscuits and stewed apples, giving way to a palate of strawberries, violet and toasted marshmallows.
Lochlea 'Harvest Edition' (First Crop) sits at 46% ABV and, as with all Lochlea whiskies, is non chill-filtered with no added colouring.
Lochlea release Harvest Edition single malt whisky
The team at Lochlea Distillery have revealed the release date for their second seasonal limited expression, Lochlea ‘Harvest Edition’ (First Crop
September 5, 2022
Launching on the 6 September 2022, it is the second expression in an annual limited edition series, following on from Lochlea ‘Sowing Edition’ (First Crop) which launched in March 2022.
Lochlea ‘Harvest Edition’ (First Crop) is inspired by the busy harvest season on Lochlea Farm, when the barley is ready to be harvested and eventually used for next year’s whisky.
The bottle’s ashy coral red label and carton were chosen to reflect the summer sunsets and Ayrshire soil, which changes to a deep red hue once the barley has been harvested.
John Campbell, Lochlea Production Director and Master Blender, said: “’Harvest Edition’ (First Crop) is a combination of three cask styles.
"The main point of emphasis is to introduce Port cask flavours into Lochlea single malt.”
“Port casks will help to elevate summer fruits and creaminess to the Lochlea signature flavour profile.”
Commercial Manager David Ferguson added: “We have been overwhelmed again with the response to this second limited edition in the First Crop Series. These small batch releases sit perfectly alongside our core ongoing whisky, Lochlea ‘Our Barley’.”
“With ‘Harvest Edition’ I can’t wait to find out what our customers think, as the introduction of Port casks adds a whole new layer of flavour to our signature Lochlea fruit and cereal notes.”
Scottish Gin Awards 2022 finalists revealed – did your favourite make the list?
With demand far greater than available stock, Lochlea ‘Harvest Edition’ (First Crop) is on allocation to key UK retail and wholesale partners, and across 15 export markets.
There are only 9,000 bottles globally. At 46% ABV, Lochlea ‘Harvest Edition’ (First Crop) will retail for £50 and, as with all Lochlea whiskies, is non chill-filtered with no artificial colouring.
Lochlea ‘Harvest Edition’ (First Crop) Official Tasting Notes:
Nose: Stewed apples, pear drops, oat biscuits
Palate: Strawberries, violet, toasted marshmallows
Finish: Signature Lochlea cereal, freshly cut grass
ABV: 46%
RRP: £50.00
LOCHLEA 'FALLOW EDITION'
(FIRST CROP)
LAUNCHING 03.11.22
We'd like to introduce Lochlea 'Fallow Edition' (First Crop).
The third in an annual series of four seasonal small batch bottlings, Lochlea 'Fallow Edition' represents the season of autumn on the farm, when the fields are left fallow to rest after a busy harvest.
Production Director John Campbell has chosen 100% ex-Oloroso Sherry butts for this whisky, providing beautifully warming flavours of freshly baked banana bread, dark dried fruits and malt biscuits - perfect for the cold, autumnal months ahead.
Earlier this year we welcomed the team from The Angel's Share Journal to the distillery. We're delighted to be featured in their second issue, now available to purchase via their website. Enjoy two in-depth interviews; one with John discussing his work at Lochlea and one with Neil all about what it takes to grow the perfect barley crop.
We received a wonderful review of our core single malt, Lochlea 'Our Barley' in the latest issue of Whisky Magazine. As our only ongoing product until our age statement whiskies, we will strive to keep 'Our Barley' on shelves and bars for our customers to buy and try! We do regular bottlings of this whisky so that you should (hopefully) always be able to get hold of a bottle of our core single malt whisky! Remember that you can shop Lochlea 'Our Barley' in over 200 UK retailers. For a full list of these, as well as our export partners, click here
INTRODUCING LOCHLEA 'FALLOW EDITION' (FIRST CROP)
We're delighted to introduce our third limited seasonal release, Lochlea 'Fallow Edition' (First Crop). The first Lochlea whisky to be matured in 100% ex-Oloroso Sherry butts, Lochlea 'Fallow Edition' is a beautifully warming and indulgent whisky, perfectly suited to the autumnal months.
LOCHLEA 'PLOUGHING EDITION' (FIRST CROP)
LAUNCHING 25.01.23
Hello!
We'd like to introduce Lochlea 'Ploughing Edition' (First Crop).
The fourth and final in an annual series of limited seasonal bottlings, Lochlea 'Ploughing Edition' represents the season of Winter on the farm, when we start to plough the fields in preparation for sowing the barley seed in Spring.
Production Director John Campbell has chosen a combination of ex-Islay barrels and peated quarter casks for this release, to create a warming, smoky version of our signature Lochlea whisky.
Our tasting notes include boiled sweets, cooked apple and brazil nuts all intertwined with a comforting haze of lingering peat.
INTRODUCING
LOCHLEA 'PLOUGHING EDITION' (FIRST CROP)
Hello!
We'd like to introduce the fourth and final in an annual series of limited seasonal bottlings, Lochlea 'Ploughing Edition' (First Crop).
Sporting an ice-blue label, Lochlea 'Ploughing Edition' represents the frosty Ayrshire winters, when we plough the fields in preparation for sowing the barley seed in Spring.
Production Director John Campbell has chosen a combination of ex-Islay barrels and peated quarter casks for this release, to create a warming, smoky version of our signature Lochlea whisky.
John says:
“Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’ is our first peated release and showcases all the expected Lochlea flavours with a wee touch of Islay."
“We have matured our unpeated single malt in ex-Islay peated barrels and this delivers a lightly peated version of Lochlea that I am sure you will enjoy.”
Nose: Baked fruit with a light peat smoke in the background
Palate: Old fashioned boiled sweets, cooked apple, brazil nuts
Finish: Lingering fruit and nuttiness, all intertwined with a haze of Islay peat smoke
Hello!
Spring has finally sprung and we're enjoying the extra hours of daylight as we finish ploughing the fields in preparation for the busy sowing season. This time last year, sowing was well underway, however due to the amount of rain that fell during March, we've been a bit delayed. We hope to start getting our barley seed into the ground in the next few weeks, but you never quite know what the Scottish weather will do...
Despite the agricultural delay, March slipped away almost as quickly as February. As always, the team made sure to pack a lot in!
Our Second Crop of limited seasonal releases are in full swing, with Lochlea 'Sowing Edition' (Second Crop) leading the way. Launched on the 21st of March, this release is inspired by our busy sowing season, when we plant the seed for the year's barley crop.
Matured in 100% ex-Bourbon barrels that have further matured higher up in the warehouse than 2022, this whisky is wonderfully fresh and fruity, with a greater depth and complexity than Sowing Edition (First Crop).
Nose: Signature red apples and pears
Palate: Vanilla pods and almond oil
Finish: Medium length, with a crisp, refreshing pine forest note
If you'd like to give it a try, follow the link below to locate your nearest stockist.
.
Lochlea First Release
Lochlea Distillery is een kleine distilleerderij die alles in eigen beheer doet. Van het planten van het zaad voor de gerst tot het mouten en uiteindelijk het distilleren en het laten rijpen van de whisky in de vaten, alles gebeurd in eigen beheer. De distilleerderij is dan ook totaal onafhankelijk. Dit is ook exact de reden waarom niemand ooit van de, toch al enkele jaren producerende, distilleerderij had gehoord, totdat in augustus 2021 de eerste geruchten de ronde deden over een nieuwe distilleerderij in Ayrshire.
Nadat Malcolm Rennie (voormalig Ardbeg, Kilchoan, Annandale) de productie in de eerste jaren voor zijn rekening nam, is hij nu opgevolgd door John Campbel, die maar liefst 25 jaar de leiding heeft gehad over Laphroaig op Islay. Zowel Malcolm als John zijn grootheden in de Schotse whiskyindustrie, wat natuurlijk veel zegt over Lochlea.
En nu is er dan de allereerste botteling van de Lochlea Distillery. Gebotteld in een speciaal voor Lochlea ontworpen fles met daarin niet alleen de naam, maar vooral ook de bandensporen van de trekkers die het land bewerken en de gerst planten en oogsten, is niet alleen de whisky aantrekkelijk, maar ook het ontwerp.
Lochlea First Release
46% matured in First fill bourbon barrels en ex- Pedro Ximenez vaten.
Natuurlijk niet koude gefiltreerd en niet bijgekleurd.
Kleur: oranje-koper
Neus: een hele fruitmand met appel en sinaasappel, perenzuurtjes en ook appeltaart. Bruine suiker met licht gebrande vanilleroom, toffee en fudge. Later ook bruine kruiden.
Smaak: rijk en zoet met karamel (klein beetje gebrand) en hazelnoot. Dan neemt ingelegd fruit weer over, met geroosterde ontbijtgranen en meer kruiden als kruidnagel en kaneel.
Afdronk: ook in de finish die rijke combinatie van fruit, kruiden en vanille. Heerlijk
Lochlea Distillery to launch inaugural Cask Strength single malt
Family-owned grain-to-glass distillery, Lochlea, is launching its first ever Cask Strength single malt whisky this month (May) as part of a new series of annual special bottlings from the Ayrshire distillery.
May 23, 2023
Categories: Whisky
This inaugural high proof release - Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 1 - has been carefully selected by master blender John Campbell and his team, bottled straight from the cask at 60.1% ABV.
The final spirit has been aged in first-fill ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks that work particularly well at higher strength, amplifying the fruit, nut and cereal flavours that form part of Lochlea’s house style.
The casks used comprise approximately a 70/ 30 split between first fill ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry.
Cask Strength follows an array of releases from the barley farm-based distillery since it introduced its very first single malt whisky for Burns Night in January 2022 – Lochlea First Release Single Malt Whisky.
Last summer also saw an exciting permanent addition to the range – Lochlea Our Barley.
The unpeated single malt is a marriage of three different casks: first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, Oloroso sherry butts and STR barriques, all of which add depth of flavour to the spirit.
Launched in July 2022, Our Barley has received much acclaim and multiple awards as a superb example of a young non-age statement (NAS) whisky made entirely from the distillery’s own home-grown barley.
In celebration of the seasons that govern Lochlea’s own farming practices, the distillery has also released limited edition seasonal whiskies throughout the year, all made from the distillery’s own barley.
Feis Ile 2023: What to expect from this year's Ardbeg Day - including fancy dress and festival bottlings
The seasonal edition releases are: Sowing, Harvest, Fallow and Ploughing Editions. 2022 saw the first edition or ‘Crop’ of each season release with a follow up of each to be revealed again in 2023.
John Campbell, master blender said: “Here at Lochlea we are passionate about the quality and traceability of our whiskies and this is reflected in every stage of our whisky-making process.
"From our own barley fields surrounding the distillery and our traditional wooden washbacks, to our sourcing of the finest casks available and racked warehouse storage, there are absolutely no compromises on our quality.
"Our new Cask Strength whisky enables this quality to shine through in every dram, showing an amplified version of our signature Lochlea style for those whisky-lovers looking for an extra special something: a bold, yet elegant spirit made with a contemporary approach alongside respected traditions.”
Plans submitted for Witchburn Distillery - a new Campbeltown whisky distillery
Lochlea cask Strength single malt
Lochlea Distillery launches inaugural Cask Strength single malt
David Ferguson, commercial director added: “It’s been a quick 18 months for us since the launch of our first whisky.
"The recent award wins for our core expression Lochlea Our Barley have been milestones for the distillery, and we’re now following these up with our first ever Cask Strength release.
"Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 1 brings the Lochlea flavours that our customers have grown to love, but amps them all up a level.
"I look forward to allocating these bottles across our valued UK on and off-trade partners, and our importers across 20 markets in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.”
Campbeltown Malts Festival 2023: Dates, events and festival bottlings from Glen Scotia and Springbank
Lochlea was originally a 222 acre livestock farm before being purchased by Neil and Jen McGeoch in 2006.
After much consideration of the future of the farm and a successful trial to grow its own barley in 2015, the couple transformed the land and existing farm buildings into a fully operational distillery in 2017 and started distilling the following year.
The farming side has remained a huge part of Lochlea, with the move into barley production paving the way for Lochlea to be one of the very few grain-to-glass distilleries in Scotland.
It also has a rich Scottish heritage with strong links to Robert Burns, with the bard having worked and lived on the farm during his formative years from 1777 to 1784.
Ahead of the first whisky release in 2022, the team has focused on getting the distillery and business up and running - its quietly confident, yet ambitious approach since being established is starting to make its neighbours sit up and take notice.
Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 1 whisky tasting notes
Cask Strength Batch 1 begins with a concentrated fruit punch note leading to soft cigar notes and aromatic coffee beans. It then develops with more signature Lochlea fruit, a hint of Brazil nuts and finishes with a moreish orange syrup mixed with aged oak shavings.
When to buy Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 1
Cask Strength Batch 1 launches on Wednesday 31 May and will be available from selected specialist whisky retailers, RRP: £65.
Lochlea ‘Our Barley’ turns 1!
Time flies when you’re having fun and we can’t quite believe that one year ago today, we launched our first core single malt expression! Lochlea ‘Our Barley’ is made from, inspired by and named after our barley, grown on Lochlea Farm, and sits alongside our seasonal limited-edition expressions. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is non-chill filtered with natural colour.
Matured in a combination of first-fill Bourbon barrels, Oloroso Sherry butts and STR barriques, ‘Our Barley’ was the first Lochlea whisky to be fully crafted by our Production Director, John Campbell, since he joined the team in November 2021. He explains that the use of these 3 cask types gives ‘Our Barley’ extra creamy, fruity notes to create a rounder and deeper flavour profile.
On the nose this dram is all fruit, with notes of marmalade and fruit bon bons shining through. The palate is sweeter and creamier, with flavours of cream soda, macadamia nuts and golden syrup developing, all tied up with a delicious orange beeswax note on the finish.
Lochlea ‘Our Barley’ is beloved among our team and over the past year it’s been incredible to see it appear on the shelves of retailers and venues, ready to be enjoyed by whisky lovers across the globe. We’ve taken it to shows and tastings, enjoyed it in cocktails, and always appreciate hearing your own personal feedback and tasting notes.
Of course, we’ll be celebrating with a dram of ‘Our Barley’ this evening. If you’d like to join us but don’t yet have a bottle, you can find a full list of our stockists and export partners here
Lastly, we have launched a new email address exclusively for our newsletter subscribers! We really value and appreciate your feedback on our whiskies and any questions you might have for us. We may also have an exciting ‘Our Barley’ themed competition for our newsletter subscribers coming soon…so keep an eye on your inbox!
You can now contact us via subscribers@lochleadistillery.com.
All the best,
The Lochlea Team
Lochlea
Cremig und pfeffrig
Mit der Harvest Edition Second Crop bringt der niedersächsische Distributeur Kirsch Import einen neuen Whisky der schottischen Destillerie Lochlea auf den deutschen Markt. Der viel höhere Anteil an Portweinfässern bei der Reifung verstärke dessen cremige Noten und bringe herrlich pfeffrige Würze ins Spiel, so das Unternehmen. Der Single Malt hat einen Alkoholgehalt von 46 Volumenprozent, ist weder kühlfiltriert noch gefärbt und wird in einer 0,7-Liter-Flasche angeboten.
our Limited Edition Seasonal Releases
2022 saw the launch of not only our ongoing core single malt, Lochlea 'Our Barley', but also our 'First Crop' of limited seasonal releases. Each one of these shows Lochlea Single Malt in a different light, reflecting exactly what is happening on the farm with the changing seasons.
Lochlea ‘Sowing Edition’ (First Crop)
Over the Spring months, the countryside bursts into life and turns into a sea of green. As the barley seed we sowed for this year's crop, emerges from the soil we look forward to seeing those first green shoots. With this in mind, we created a bright, fresh dram, packed with fruit to reflect the vibrancy of these months.
Cask Type: First- Fill Bourbon Barrels
ABV: 48%
Nose: Green apple skins, pear drops, cereal, custard creams
Palate: Vanilla sweetness, orchard fruits, hazelnuts
Finish: Fruity with a final sweetness and lasting viscosity
Non-chill filtered with no added colouring
Lochlea ‘Harvest Edition’ (First Crop)
In late Summer we harvest our golden barley, ready for it to be used to make Lochlea single malt whisky the following year. We chose a coral-red to to celebrate the beautiful Ayrshire sunsets which backdrop the farm.
Cask Type: Port, Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon Barrels
ABV: 46%
Nose: Stewed apples, pear drops, oat biscuits
Palate: Strawberries, violet, toasted marshmallows
Finish: Signature Lochlea cereal and freshly cut grass
Non-chill filtered with no added colouring
Lochlea ‘Fallow Edition’ (First Crop)
When Autumn arrives on the farm, we leave the fields fallow to rest after a busy harvest. Fallow Edition is our first release to be matured solely in ex-Oloroso Sherry Butts. The rich purple colour reflects the crisp leaves that cover the ground as temperatures begin to fall.
Cask Type: First-Fill Oloroso Sherry
ABV: 46%
Nose: Ripe red fruits and freshly baked banana loaf
Palate: Dried fruit, leather, malt biscuits
Finish: Medium length, with hints of aniseed and rose petals
Non-chill filtered with no added colouring
Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’ (First Crop)
As winter starts to yields its grip, we start to plough the fields in preparation for sowing the barley seed in Spring. We created a warm, smoky version of our signature Lochlea whisky matured in a combination of ex-Islay barrels and peated quarter casks and have chosen an icy blue label to reflect the cold and crisp Ayrshire winters.
Cask Type: Ex-Islay Barrels and peated Quarter Casks
ABV: 46%
Nose: Baked fruit with a light peat smoke in the background
Palate: Old fashioned boiled sweets, cooked apple and Brazil nuts
Finish: Lingering fruit and nuttiness, all intertwined with a haze of Islay peat smoke.
Non-chill filtered with no added colouring.
Hello subscribers! October flew by and we can’t quite believe we’re heading into winter already. There’s been a few chilly mornings at the distillery the past week and we’re glad for the extra heat off of the stills to keep us warm as we work!
We’ve got lots of exciting things in store on the run up to Christmas, so here’s what to look forward to for the rest of November…
Christmas is coming early with the launch of an exciting new whisky!
Arriving on the 30th November, we’re delighted to introduce a Lochlea single cask release, exclusive to the UK.
Back in September, Production Director John presented the whole team with 10 different cask samples and asked us to rank them in order of preference. Not an easy task! After much deliberation, Cask Sample 9 was chosen as the firm favourite. Smoky yet sweet, this cask sample was from an ex-Islay barrel and now, two months on, you'll be able to taste it for yourselves.
We’ll release more information about this whisky soon, however as our newsletter subscribers, we wanted to give you a heads up. This release will be extremely limited with just 248 bottles available - ahead of the launch you can find a full list of UK stockists here
The year might be starting to wind down but there are still a variety of Lochlea tastings and shows happening between now and the end of December.
One we’re particularly excited about is happening at the Melody Whisky Bar in London on the 26th November. John and Emma are travelling down with very special hand luggage: 8 exclusive whisky samples taken straight from the warehouse - even the Lochlea team haven’t tried these (I’m jealous just typing this!)
Tickets are on sale now for this tasting, as well as plenty other tastings, shows and barrel tops happening up and down the UK and across Europe over the next month.
You can find tickets and event info here
2 of our Directors have been off on their travels recently, with John flying west to the U.S. and David heading east to Japan! Both enjoyed busy weeks full of tastings and shows, introducing new people to Lochlea and seeing our wee Ayrshire whisky stocked on the shelves of some seriously cool bars and shops!
At the end of October we launched our second crop of ‘Fallow Edition’ which was matured in 55% Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and 45% Oloroso sherry butts. It’s a deliciously autumnal dram, packed full of warming flavours that are well suited to a dreich Scottish day.
We always enjoy hearing your own tasting notes and seeing photos of your bottles, so remember to share them with us at team@lochleadistillery.com or via our social media platforms.
That’s all for now - have a great weekend!
Introducing the Lochlea 5 Year Old, launching 25.01.24
Hello whisky lovers,
As Burns Night fast approaches, we’re getting ready to don our tartan and celebrate our national bard. As the only distillery in Scotland that can claim Rabbie Burns lived and worked on the same land, it’s a fitting time for us to finally share a very special new whisky with you: the Lochlea 5 Year Old.
Crafted from 5 casks selected by Production Director John Campbell and his team, the Lochlea 5 Year Old is our first ever age statement release. More importantly, 2 of the 5 casks chosen are from the very first cask filling back in 2018, making this the oldest Lochlea whisky ever bottled!
The casks chosen include 2 first-fill Bourbons (Casks #20 and #25), 1 first-fill Oloroso Sherry (Cask #249), a Double Matured PX Sherry (Cask #295) and a Double Matured Oloroso Sherry (Cask #272).
The resulting dram is a decadent example of Lochlea’s progression over the past 5 years. Opening with brown sugar and baked pineapple, the rich cake-like notes of the nose give way to citrus zest and candied pear crumble on the palate. Tangy orange peel slowly melts into sumptuous caramel on the finish, accompanied by hints of black pepper, rose petals and leather.
The Lochlea 5 Year Old will launch on the 25th of January.
It is a limited-edition release, with 2000 bottles available globally.
It sits at 50% ABV and, as with all of our whiskies, is non-chill filtered and natural colour.
Click the button below to find your nearest retailer if you are based in the UK, or export partner if you’re further afield. As this release is limited-edition, we do recommend inquiring with your local retailer ahead of the launch.
We’re really excited to share this release with you and cannot wait to hear your thoughts. If you have any questions prior to the launch, don’t hesitate to get in contact by emailing team@lochleadistillery.com
Introducing the Lochlea 5 Year Old!
Hello whisky lovers,
Happy Burns Night!
We’re delighted to announce the launch of our first age statement whisky, the Lochlea 5 Year Old. Available to purchase now!
We’ve compiled a list of FAQs to give you all the information you need about this special new release. Read on to find out more…
Is this a limited edition release?
Yes. There are just 2,000 bottles available globally.
What does it cost?
The RRP for the Lochlea 5 Year Old is £89.99.
What is the cask make up?
The Lochlea 5 Year Old is a vatting of 5 casks, 2 of which are from the very first cask filling back in 2018. The 5 casks comprise of: 2 first-fill Bourbon barrels, a first-fill Oloroso Sherry cask, a double matured PX Sherry cask and a double matured Oloroso Sherry cask.
Sounds great, but what does ‘double matured’ mean?
Good question! Double matured means the spirit has spent a certain number of years in one cask before being transferred into a different cask for the remaining years. For example, 3 years in a Bourbon barrel then transferred into a Sherry cask for 2 years.
What does it taste like?
This dram opens with rich, cake-like notes of brown sugar and baked pineapple on the nose. This gives way to citrus zest and candied pear crumble on the palate. Tangy orange peel slowly melts into sumptuous caramel on the finish, accompanied by hints of black pepper, rose petals and leather.
What strength is this whisky?
The Lochlea 5 Year Old is 50% ABV. It’s also non-chill filtered and natural colour (like all of our whiskies!)
Where can I buy the Lochlea 5 Year Old?
As this whisky is limited edition, we have done our best to distribute bottles fairly across retailers in the UK and our 20+ export markets. This does unfortunately mean that some retailers will have very limited levels of stock. We advise checking with your local retailers (using the button below) as well as online stockists.
"Then let us toast John Barleycorn,
Each man a glass in hand;
And may his great posterity
Ne'er fail in old Scotland!"
Did you know that Robert Burns wrote 'John Barleycorn' whilst he lived on Lochlea Farm? A ballad all about the lifecycle of barley and its role in whisky production, which still rings true on Lochlea Farm today.
Alongside our 5th anniversary release, we’ll be toasting to Rabbie with a dram of ‘Our Barley’ this evening. We like to think he’d approve!
‘Our Barley’ is readily available from all of our UK stockists and export partners.
We’re really excited to share our 5th anniversary bottling and celebrate Burns Night with you. If you have any questions, or would like to send us photos of your Burns celebrations, don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing team@lochleadistillery.com
On Burns Night we launched our first ever age statement whisky, the Lochlea 5-year-old! This release was a vatting of 5 casks hand-picked by Production Director John Campbell, including 2 casks from the original filling back in August 2018.
With just 2000 bottles available globally, this release sold out very quickly across the UK. Those of you who live overseas in our export markets, rest assured bottles will be making their way to you very soon!
A big thank you to everyone who supported the launch.
On the evening of the 25th, the team headed to Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow to join Celtic Connections in celebrating our national bard. It was a night full of delicious food, inspiring speeches, and fantastic music from a variety of talented artists. Our very own Commercial Director David then closed the night with an incredible Burns recital!
Pictured above is Patrick a few minutes before the guests arrived - any guesses how many drams we poured?
It was also wonderful to see so many of you around the world opting for a dram of Lochlea alongside your Burns Supper. Thank you to everyone who tagged us in photos of their celebrations!
Those of you who have purchased The Distillation of Whisky book, and have been following along with our involvement in the James Eadie Whisky Project, will recall the small batch of floor malting that we did back in December. Well, that malt has now made its way through production!
The team experimented with an old English ale yeast, which required a cooler fermentation of no higher than 23 degrees Celsius. This meant that the final spirit was vastly different to our usual new make. It was more of what John describes as ‘winter’ spirit: heavily floral with less of the typical cereal and fruit notes associated with Lochlea.
We’ve now transferred some of the distillate into 3 different types of casks, which are safely tucked away in our warehouse. The rest of the spirit will be released in early Summer 2024 as 10cl samples, sold exclusively by Royal Mile Whiskies. Purchasers of the book “The Distillation of Whisky” will have the first opportunity to buy these spirits and future whisky releases ahead of the general public! You can purchase the book via the Royal Mile Whiskies website.
“It’s good not having all the answers” - John Campbell reflects on his time at Lochlea as the distillery releases 5 year old whisky
As the Ayrshire distillery celebrates five years with the release of their first age statement, Rosalind Erskine chats to production director John Campbell about the evolution and future of Lochlea.
Updated 26 th Jan 2024
Lockdown had a different effect on all of us. For John Campbell, it gave him a chance to reflect in a way he wasn’t expecting and the results were also unexpected. For him but also the wider whisky industry.
Having worked at Laphroaig for over 20 years, Campbell decided to leave his role as distillery manager at the global Islay brand and take up a role as production director and master blender at the fledgling Lochlea distillery.
When we spoke at the time of this announcement in 2021, Campbell said: “I’d been separated from my sons throughout lockdown and as Scotland started to open up it really made me consider what the future would hold for my family, especially with my youngest son starting school next summer.
"It was a tough decision to not only leave my home on Islay but also to leave the company that nurtured my career for 27 years. For me, it was time to move closer to my sons who live on the mainland and also time to take on a fresh challenge.”
John Campbell Lochlea
The distillery is now becoming a recognisable name in the industry (and is now part of the Scotch Whisky Experience), and has just released its five year old whisky - the first age statement from the brand. It’s an evolution of their seasonal releases, which tie into seasons on the farm (which has links to Robert Burns, hence the release of the five year old on 25 January) - and include Sowing season, Fallow and Harvest.
Lochlea’s DNA comes from its Ayrshire location, as it’s one of the few in Scotland using its own grown barley, and has big plans to be a single site distillery with a malting floor, bottling line and bio plant needed for this.
The small team are enthusiastic and work by the ethos of complete honesty. They were all approached by John when he started to develop the Lochlea whisky. “I asked everyone ‘if Lochlea were a person, what would they be like’ and everyone had a different opinion," he explained.
"But their honesty is definitely our character. That’s on the top of the bottle and label ‘dare to be honest’. They also wanted the whisky to be available to everyone, which was probably the most insightful line for me when I started helping to create the whisky.”
John Campbell Lochlea
Despite coming from such a well known brand, Lochlea’s small size has put Campbell under a big amount of pressure.
But he found this test refreshing, saying: “there’s higher stakes despite this being a smaller distillery, I feel that anyway, but from my point of view the whisky is getting better and better and will continue to get better and better.
"Laphroaig has 200 years of history, Lochlea has five and we’ve only been selling whisky for two of those. Laphroaig is like your grandpa, it knows who it is and it’s confident in its shoes and it’s had all this. But we are still pushing to get attention ultimately, and will keep pushing to build strong foundations. Sometimes it’s good not having all the answers.”
When asked if this job is freer than his previous role, he said: “No, although there’s no expectations and I can get more involved in the small bits. The pressure at Laphroaig was the weight of the 10 year old, and not messing it up. Here I don’t have that but it’s different. The focus is releasing potential.”
Lochlea 5 year old
That potential can be seen in all releases so far but none so much as the 5 year old, which is a marriage of five casks, two (ex Bourbon) of which were filled in the first week of production.
The others are one first fill Oloroso sherry cask, one double matured Oloroso Sherry cask and a double matured Pedro Ximenez Sherry cask The team decided on these together and the excitement is palpable. It’s also a wonderfully complex, sweet yet spicy dram that belies its young age.
What started as a beef farm in 2006 with owners Neil and Jen McGeoch is now shaping up to be one of Scotland’s most interesting young distilleries, and they’re only just getting started.
Hello subscribers,
We’re very excited to announce that the Second Crop of Ploughing Edition will be launching on the 7th of March!
Our seasonal small batch releases showcase the signature Lochlea style in four different ways each year. As a working farm, these expressions tie in with exactly what is happening here at that time of year.
Jim, from our Farm Team, putting in long days to ensure our fields are perfectly ploughed and ready for sowing.
The hard frost of winter has subsided, and we're ready to plough our fields in preparation to sow the seed for this year’s barley crop. Our farm spans 222 acres of land, all of which is dedicated to growing Laureate barley annually.
After harvesting our barley crop, the fields are left to rest and rejuvenate with the assistance of natural fertilisers and cover crops. The nutrients derived from these practices are reintegrated into the soil before ploughing to ensure the soil's optimal health for our barley.
One of our freshly ploughed barley fields, with a stunning view across to the Isle of Arran.
In 2023, we launched our First Crop of Ploughing Edition. We matured unpeated Lochlea spirit in ex-Islay barrels and quarter casks to create a delicately smoky dram with underlying notes of cereal and orchard fruits.
With the spirit now another year older, our Second Crop of Ploughing Edition is matured solely in 200-litre ex-Islay barrels (bet you can’t guess which distillery they’re from!). These barrels once held peated 10-year-old whisky, imparting deliciously earthy flavours onto our spirit.
Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh green apple, signature Lochlea cereal
Palate: Succulent fruit, freshly cut summer hay
Finish: Sea salt, lingering peaty embers
Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) sits at 46% ABV and is non-chill filtered with no added colouring.
Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) will be available to purchase from the 7th March from our UK retailers and export partners.
We’re really excited for you to be able to try Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) in a few weeks time!
In the meantime, if you have any questions about any of our releases, don’t hesitate to get in touch via team@lochleadistillery.com
Hello whisky lovers,
Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) has arrived!
The fourth and final whisky in our Second Crop of limited seasonal releases, Ploughing Edition is aged in 100% ex-Islay barrels, resulting in a dram that's fruity and sweet, with a little kick of peat.
This release is inspired by winter on the farm, when we plough the fields in preparation for sowing the barley seed in spring. It also honours our Production Director, John's, homeland of Islay.
We recently sat down with John to discuss this release and how it differs from Ploughing Edition (First Crop). You can watch the full video on our Instagram or Facebook
Official Tasting Notes
Nose: Fresh green apple, signature Lochlea cereal
Palate: Succulent fruit, freshly cut summer hay
Finish: Sea salt, lingering peaty embers
Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) sits at 46% ABV and is non-chill filtered with no added colouring.
Ploughing Edition (Second Crop) is now available to purchase from our UK retailers and is on its way across the world to our export partners.
Lochlea reveals the final chapter of the Seasonal trilogy whisky series: Sowing Edition (Third Crop)
Lochlea Distillery in Ayrshire has revealed the third ‘Crop’ of its Seasonals range of whiskies.
Updated 3 rd Apr 2024
The Lochlea releases celebrate the farming calendar with the four Seasonal whiskies, each one showcasing a different side to Lochlea’s house style of spirit.
The four whiskies in the First Crop were released from early 2022, followed by Second Crop kicking off last spring with Sowing, ending with Ploughing in March earlier this year.
Once the Third Crop has been released this year, there will be no more Seasonal releases from the distillery.
This latest and final release of Sowing has been matured exclusively in ex-Bourbon barrels, allowing floral, fruity notes to really shine through in the final dram.
All the casks that have gone into the final recipe have been hand-picked by John Campbell, Lochlea’s Production Director, and his team at the distillery.
With each new Crop, the whiskies in the Seasonals range are getting older, with this latest release being nearly the same age as the recently released and sold-out Lochlea 5 Year Old.
Sowing marks the point of the year that the new barley crop is sown around the distillery on the farm – the start of spring and new life appearing. This spring will be the 8th year of barley grown on the farm at Lochlea.
John said: “Our third and final Crop of the Seasonal releases will offer whisky lovers the chance to taste our maturing limited-edition releases and even compare them with the past two Crops, so they can see how our whiskies are evolving.
“The Seasonal Editions have been a brilliant platform for us to showcase our whisky in different cask types and highlight the farming calendar.
"One of the main differences between our last Sowing Edition (Second Crop) and our new Third Crop is when the spirit was distilled. Second Crop was distilled in warmer months, whereas the new release in colder months.
Glenmorangie add triple cask reserve whisky to core range
"Distillation during warmer periods results in more of a stewed fruit flavour, whereas in the colder months we see much more of a crisp, fresh fruit flavour – in the case of this spirit, delicious green apple and pear.”
Lochlea Sowing Edition (Third Crop)
In terms of what the distillery plans next, John continued: “We have a wealth of ideas at Lochlea within the team and our ability to explore and innovate easily without too many constraints means there will be many more exciting whiskies to emerge from Lochlea beyond our Seasonals.”
Lochlea Sowing Edition (Third Crop) will be available from 25 April onwards via Lochlea stockists whilst stocks last, with an RRP of £51.50.
For those looking to enjoy other whiskies within the trilogy, First and Second Crop whiskies can be sought out via Lochlea’s retail partners.
Those who want to then taste with John and the team can take part in a live, virtual vertical tasting the distillery is planning this spring – for further information sign up to Lochlea’s mailing list at the distillery's website.
Over £49k raised in Demeter collection auction - the first recognising women in whisky
In addition to the seasonal limited edition releases, Lochlea has a core whisky expression available all year round - Our Barley.
This unpeated single malt has been matured in a combination of three different casks: first fill ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry casks and STR barriques, all of which add depths of flavour to the spirit.
Launched in July 2022, Our Barley has received much acclaim as a superb example of a young non-age statement (NAS) Lowlands whisky, made entirely from the distillery’s own home-grown barley.