Lochlea whisky is a recent discovery for me, and I had the pleasure of trying their Lochlea Our Barley, Harvest Edition (first crop), and their Cask Strength Batch 2. The Lochlea distillery has an interesting history, previously operating as a dairy farm until 2006. In 2017, they transformed their piggery into a distillery and repurposed their cattle shed into bonded warehouses. It’s worth noting that sustainability is a big part of their distillery.

Lochlea also recently announced Jill Boyd as their master distillery, who I had the fortune of meeting in 2019 when she was a distiller with Compass Box. She was subsequently named Master Blender of the Year at the Scottish Icons Whisky Awards in 2020. Meeting Jill was an absolute delight. Here is a picture of her and me during her visit to Boston. Now, let’s dive into these whiskies.

Our Barley – Nose: fruit and Jam; Palate: nutty, light sweetness and pepper; Finish: citrusy; ABV 46% Cost $75

Harvest Edition (First Crop) – Nose: fruit and oats; Palate: fruit, floral and lightly sweet; Finish: cereal and earthy; ABV 46% Cost $69

Cask Strength Batch 2 – Nose: tobacco and oak; Palate: nutty and fruity; Finish: lightly sweet; ABV 60% Cost $90

Amazingly enough, all three of these are fantastic. They were incredibly enjoyable, with a smooth and easy-drinking quality, even their Cask Strength. The presence of their own grown barley was evident, and it added a distinct remarkable flavor. It is evident that great care and thought were put into crafting each of these whiskies. It’s difficult to choose a favorite as I genuinely enjoyed all of them, and I would consider purchasing all three in the future for our shelves. These whiskies are a testament to the ‘farmed to bottle’ concept, and I believe that any choice from this selection would be an excellent one.

Cheers!

Note: The contents on my blog are solely my opinion. To me every palate is different! Although I may or may not like a product, I always recommend for people to try it and make up their own minds.