Review / Lochlea First Release

This whisky is the inaugural single malt bottling from the Lowland farm distillery of Lochlea. The Lochlea Single Malt First Release was recently launched on Burns Night (January 25). This was in homage to the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns, who lived and worked at the Ayrshire farm where the distillery is located. Lochlea only uses barley grown on the farm for production of their single malt and distillation began in August 2018. 

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 expected to be added to from mid-2022 onwards.

The Lochlea Single Malt First Release features whiskies matured in first-fill ex-bourbon and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The release is limited but exact numbers were not revealed in the press release. It is available in the UK, including to purchase from the distillery, and ten export markets. A bottle will cost £50/ $68 US.

Our tasting notes

The colour is golden yellow and the nose has a distinct earthy cereal aroma initially. This is robust, bittersweet and biscuit-like. Fresh green apple also rises and is joined by further aromas of vanilla, muscovado sugar and sultanas. A hint of warm but delicate baking spice sits in the background - think of cinnamon in particular. Very enticing.

On the palate this whisky continues on the robust cereal theme to begin with. Earthy and dusty grains mingle with notes of warm cinnamon cookies, and starts off bittersweet before becoming sweet. Behind that the whisky is a little hot, peppery and youthful but other notes begin to come through this. Crisp green tangy apple and unripe pear appear first, which are followed by developing notes of vanilla, golden syrup and crumbly brown sugar. Then comes a hit of dried fruit in the form of sultanas and a suggestion of candied orange. Late oak spice and a hint of cocoa powder add grip, as does some further baking spice characistics and the return of that peppery nature.

The finish kicks off biscuity and sweet, before it goes in a more gripping and cereal-led direction. The sugary, vanilla and dried fruits fade to reveal the full character of the robust spirit. It returns to the earthy, dusty and bittersweet feel with the peppery kick lingering longest.

What's the verdict?

It is always fascinating and enjoyable to sample the first ever whisky from a new distillery. And it is equally as interesting as to how that distillery wishes to convey its spirit. People will always be watching and it can make or break a brand. get it wrong and it may never recover.

The anticipation of Lochlea's inugural bottling is no different. The spirit is clearly well made and highly characterful. This has been combined the sympathetic cask maturation to produce something that is very promising indeed. This whisky is clearly youthful but has bags of character. We do not exaggerate when we say that this is one of the better first releases by a new distillery that we have sampled to date. Simply put - it is delicious.