Lochlea ‘Our Barley’ 46%
Ex-Makers Mark Bourbon/ Miguel Martin Sherry Butts and STR wine Barriques
Tasted: July 2022
A lovely, sweet, juicy and estery nose with white fruit and barley. Subtle sherried dried fruit and winey dried red fruit notes appear along with some chocolaty tannins, citrus and green apple. A very well balanced nose.
The palate opens with oily barley and the STR cask chocolaty and spicy tannins. Some sweeter barley and American oak vanillins follow along with some well-integrated sherry. Lovely STR spice on the middle with a touch of green apple and marzipan. Good length with a chocolaty, spicy tannin finish.
Lochlea Harvest Edition (First Crop) 46%
Port, 1st Fill Oloroso (Miguel Martin) and 1st Fill Bourbon (Makers Mark)
Tasted: Sept 2022
Aromas of juicy red fruit and supple dusty tannin. A touch of sherried dried fruit appears along with barley, straw and vanilla. A little spirit character pokes through, but overall, it’s very well balanced.
The palate opens with soft, juicy red fruit, red liquorice and subtle dried fruit and vanilla. Supple dry tannins and spice on the middle. along with a touch of earth. Lovely building intensity and autumnal character. Long, juicy and fruity finish with a subtle estery fruit and soft spice finish.
Lochlea Ploughing Edition 46%
Ex-Islay Casks
Tasted:Jan 2023
A crisp, fresh, quite salty and coastal nose. The casks have imparted quite a fair amount of peat but the lovely estery white fruit, apple, pear and apricot is noticeable. Hints of sweet-ish barley, earth and fleshy fruit appear.
The palate is youthful but displays a good fullness with more fleshy/ estery white fruit, apricot and barley. The peat is subtler but still crisp and briny and adds a subtle astringency. Good, crisp, salty, mineral finish with lingering citrus. In conclusion: Very characterful.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 