Description

Lochlea 5 Year Old Limited Release Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Volume: 700ml           ABV: 50%           Age: 5 Years Old           Country: Scotland

Distilled: 2018
Bottled: 2023
Cask Number(s): 249, 20, 25, 272, 295
Number of Bottles: 2000

The Lochlea Distillery is situated in Tarbolton in the Scottish lowland whisky region, near the town of Kilmarnock where Johnnie Walker started his blending many years ago. This Ayrshire independent distillery has been producing spirit since 2018. The estate on which the distillery sits is where Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns called home from 1777 to 1784. He also worked on the farm in his younger years. The team at Lochlea grow their own grain on the 90 hectare estate. The distillery manager is John Campbell who was a very familiar name at the Laphroaig Distillery for years.

The Lochlea 5 years old celebrates the Lochlea Distilleries release of their first 5 year old single malt. Two of the 5 casks used are from the distilleries first filling in August 2018. The expression combines two first fill ex bourbon casks, one first fill Oloroso Sherry cask, one double matured Oloroso Sherry cask and a double matured Pedro Ximènez Sherry cask. The whisky is bottled at 50% alc/vol.

Campbell said: “To mark our fifth anniversary milestone, we wanted to create a whisky that shows off the best of Lochlea spirit that has been matured in different styles of casks over the past half a decade. We have carefully chosen these five casks that have matured our single malt to perfection, then vatted them togethyer to create a unique bottling of Lochlea that we won’t replicate ever again, it’s an incredibly special dram to mark our first special milestone birthday. As always with our whiskies, it’s made entirely from barley grown on our farm here at Lochlea”.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: Hazelnuts and vanilla oak, baked pineapple, summer red fruits with sweet floral notes with a slightly tart aroma.

Palate: Rich with dark fruits, cherry compote, pear tart, hints of citrus and candied spices.

Finish: Long with black pepper, tobacco and nutmeg, hints of leather and still delivering the dark fruit notes on the palate.

Conclusion: The first age statement from this young distillery. Although age statements are important, in Lochlea’s case I’m not sure I would be bothering too much about how mature the liquid is. This whisky tastes much older that you would believe and in recent taste tests most agreed that it drinks like a 10 to 12 year old whisky. There’s only 2000 bottles for the entire world and some will collect it and some will drink it with a small allocation to bars. I’m sure this will be a collectors item to behold but also a whisky you will keep going back to. It’s certainly another solid step towards becoming Scotland’s only 100% paddock to bottle distillery. We’re watching this journey closely and can’t wait to see what comes next.