Lochlea Our Barley

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #9 Nose: Fruity (orchard fruit, stone fruits, citrus), hay, fragrant grass, grape juice, honey-covered cereal snack bars and some wood notes from the casks. Palate: Mildly sweet arrival with vanilla cake, peaches and caramel sauce. Spice notes show up in the development which gains complexity over time with diverse fruit and grain flavours coming forward. The texture is full but also a little astringent. Finish: Medium/short. Spicy (pepper, tannin), grassy and slightly honied aftertaste. This was the second Lochlea I tried on the day, following their Sowing Edition Second Release. Overall, I thought this one was similar but more grassy and herbal on the nose and with a broader and more complex palate. However, whereas the Sowing Edition was a bourbon-matured whisky with a certain direct honesty of presentation, this one seemed to me very deliberate and engineered. It was matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon, oloroso sherry and STR casks and I could clearly distinguish the contribution of each cask type as a separate and disconnected facet. Although it was not at all unpleasant I thought this whisky was crying out for longer maturation and an extensive rest in a marrying tun to meld everything together. As it is, the seams show through. Still, it's a pleasant young whisky and worth a taste. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)

Imagine a Cattle Farm. That is what this distillery was back in 2006. By 2015, the owners decided to transform the Piggery into a Whisky Production facility. Quite the dream. Lochlea was allegedly the farm where Robert Burns lived. And now, it is one of the newest Whisky distilleries of Scotland. Bottled at 46%abv., this is the core expression. Golden color. On the nose, it still feels a little young. Acetone, canteloupe, Salt and pumpkin. Peaches and air freshener. A couple of sips released a wet vanilla cake. On the palates it is all about apricots and honey. Sweet peach halves. Aftertaste is more of the same profile. Peaches, cotton candy. Almost spicy, it feels like hot Honey. Overall, i believe that this very young whisky is a good spirit that in the upcoming years will manage to be a very interesting single malt. It is not a bad dram, but it lacks complexity and maturation to become more round. This is a nice product that should be watched closely in the future for better crafted expressions. My score for it is 77 over 100.

An intense, Single Malt Scotch Whiskey by Lochlea Distilling Co. in Lowlands, Scotland crafted with local barley from Cochlea. It was matured in a combination of first-fill ex-bourbon & ex-Oloroso sherry casks, as well as shaved, toasted & re-charred barriques before being bottled at 46.0%. It has an aromatic birth with notes of grain, wood, fruits, nuts, herbs & spices; a bold & spicy life adds notes of buttered soda bread, canned peaches, apple juice, fruit salad, honey, crystalized orange peel, crushed almonds, Harp lager & vanilla extract; that led to a long, rich & creamy death with notes of white pepper, toasted oak, rye bread, marmalade, maple syrup, macadamia nuts & beeswax. January 2024

Color: Light gold. Nose: Fresh-cut grass and a little delicate vanilla. Faint sherry notes and a grainy sweetness. Palate: Yellow pears, honey, green apple, and buttered scones. Finish: Herbal and juicy with orchard fruit and blackberries. Diluted: Sweet cinnamon bun on the nose, and more apple (but soft, mushy Golden Delicious) on the palate. Finish is gossamer brown sugar and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

New distillery with an interesting spirit. Fruity on the nose, some vanilla and also slightly herbaceous. On the palate it's sweet, barley sugar, more vanilla. The finish is a little bitter, faint dried fruits. Medium long. Overal very good, not super exciting though. Let's see how it develops over time 🍻

Simple whiskey with a slight green apple finish. Emphasis is on the barley malt. The cask finish flavor influence is minimal. The smooth finish defies a limited aged scotch. This is a very pleasant drinker without complexity. A barley purists single malt. Not smoky or peaty.