Lochlea Extravaganza: new core range and new make
On my most recent trip to Scotland, I almost drove through the backyard of Lochlea Distillery, but sadly our murderous schedule did not allow for a stop. It will have to wait, assuming Lochlea has put on enough resilience to survive the current hard times that fall upon the whisky industry. The lifeline might well be that Lochlea is not only a distillery, but also a farm, located in the heart of Ayrshire. The whisky is made there from grain to glass. I understand from their touristic folder that each spring, they sow Laureate barley that is harvested in late summer. With a production capacity of around 200.000 litres per annum, Lochlea now presents a Single Estate Core Range, of which we will taste three today. These expressions are a progression on previous releases, the Sowing, Ploughing and Fallow editions.
We first put the new make in the glass. We got gifted a sample from the James Eadie 1927 Project. You can read more about what the project entails here. Lochlea Distillery was one of the six to participate in the project. We will start our Lochlea Extravaganza with that.
Lochlea New Make Spirit, bottled at 63,4 % abv by James Eadie
First things first: Fresh from the still for the 1927 Project. Barley malted on site, and brewer’s yeast Lager for fermentation.
Upon Sipping: Incredibly fruity to nose, beautiful alcohol vapours, lots of barley and warmth. The taste is equally fruity, with sugary barley notes and a sour edge. Hints of warm bread straight from the oven, and into the glass. Long and smouldering finish, not even from the alcohol kick but really from this wonderfully oily spirit. Why people drink vodka is beyond me, when you can drink such beautiful spirit like this Lochlea. With a dash of water, the intensity of the vapours is increased, but not changed. The palate is now softer, also a bit harder, closed up actually. Bitter chocolate notes come forward, or coffee beans. The last drop from a glass of Guiness. Interesting curve!
Word to the Wise: New make spirit is justifiably not called whisky, because it needs to settle on the influence of wood, but as far as raw spirits go, this Lochlea is an interesting and satisfying product. I got more of these Project 1927 samples, and look forward to tasting them.
Score: 78 points.
Lochlea Orchard & Oak – Single Estate, bottled at 46 %
First things first: Lochlea matured in first fill Bourbon, Virgin American Oak and Calvados casks. Bottled on 13 August 2025.
Upon Sipping: Extremely light in colour, and I have to say, quite a hotchpotch of casks involved here. But hey, the nose is quite pleasantly different! It is such fun to have tasted the new make just now, because the same fruitiness can be found here. But the Calvados casks are very loud, and it works like a charm in combination with that fruit. Is there such a thing as tropical apples? What a weird style to find in the glass, I am delighted. The taste continues the journey, with dry yellow apples first, before becoming a bit more complex. The virgin oak is not too dominant, even though it leaves a dry hint towards the finish. The spirit lacks some body, it is really lightweight, but where I was anxious for this cask combination, the authenticity of the spirit is very well kept. On repeated sipping, you get more apple skin than apple itself, and some honey drizzle. I have eaten lemon loafs that taste like this. The finish needs a bit more kick, but it is okay.
Word to the Wise: As far as “engineering” a single malt whisky goes, this is truly an impressive result. Absolute masterful blending of casks that seem to click. I am deeply impressed.
Score: 85 points.
Lochlea Smoke Without Fire – Single Estate, bottled at 46% abv
First things first: Lochlea matured in ex-peated refill Bourbon barrel and red wine casks. Bottled on 26 August 2025.
Upon Sipping: Red wine? Well, the colour is so light, I am thinking of white wine! This Lochlea is not less fruity than the predecessor, but there is a delicate ashy layer over all of it. Some red berries creep through the smoke. I am not always convinced that in-cask peating of single malt is the way to go. It delivers a subtle result here. So, when I take a sip, I long for more of the calvados variant above, that sparkled more. This Smoke Without Fire expression misses the joy, but also does not deliver the muscles of a smoky whisky. In fact, there is a distinct hint of soap on the exit, that I pinpoint on the wine casks. The finish is soft and gentle, but not offering a lot of oomph.
Word to the Wise: Well, this is not for me, that much is clear. I don’t like the soapy, lavender element on the finish. The whisky is fine, this is all intentional, but I recommend to try if this is your cup of tea. This is an incredible drop in scores for me, really remarkable.
Score: 77 points.
Lochlea Dark Briar – Single Estate, bottled at 46 % abv
First things first: Lochlea matured in Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso sherry butt and Port casks. Bottled on 21 Augustus 2025.
Upon Sipping: All the classic elements of sherried whisky, but with a diversion into unknown territory. That must be the dissonant of the port cask. You can mostly notice the red fruit influences of the PX and oloroso, but the port is loud too. This brings a weirdly versatile vibe into the glass. Impressively, the original fruitiness that we picked up in the new make spirit is still very much present. I also believe Lochlea works best without the interference of smoke. The taste is wonderfully rich, lots of spices and dark fruits and chocolate. The casks seem to get along very well. With enough time in the glass to breathe, the development is good. Some dades enter the fold, and perhaps some artificial fruit tea, like forest fruits. What it lacks is a bit more kick, otherwise this would be the ideal winter dram.
Word to the Wise: Another exemplary composition, like a piece of art, I have to say. This is not unlike the Rachel Barrie signature on bottlings from Benriach and Glenglassaugh. This whisky can set a standard for lowland single malt, being very light, but shows a lot of character. The oomph is missing, but this might appear with a few more years of maturing. On the road to age statements, Lochlea is making waves.
Score: 83 points.