Lochlea Sowing Edition Second Crop

Nose: Sweet conference pear, shortbread, dried grass. Palate: Slightly oily mouthfeel. Sweet, toffee covered nuts. Malty. Finish: Peppery, lasting orchard fruit. Warming.

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #8 Nose: A light nose featuring aromas of grassy cereal, lemon shortbread, orchard fruits, stone fruits, fennel and vanilla. A dash of water brings out a light caramel note. Palate: Mildly sweet arrival with stewed apples, pear flan and some zesty lemon and cinnamon. More robust lemon appears in the development with toasted nuts and vanilla in support. Adding a little water softens the lemon presence and makes it more floral. The texture is good but not outstanding when neat, but with water it gains creaminess. Finish: Medium/short. Lemon, ginger and a sprinkle of pepper. Lochlea is an independent lowland distillery in Ayrshire that has been producing spirit since 2018. They launched their inaugural whiskies last year and this was the first time I'd had the opportunity to try them. I enjoyed this expression a lot. It’s a young, bright but soft whisky focused on cereal and crisp fruits, particularly citrus. The profile is not particularly complex, but it is pleasant and refreshing and has obviously been designed for early drinking after minimal maturation in first-fill bourbon barrels. It’s reasonably priced and stands up well against the raft of other young Scottish malts we are currently seeing. Although you might not expect it from the moderate rating I’m giving, this was one of the most interesting and exciting whiskies I tasted at the show. It has no pretensions but carries the promise of an excellent future, and I’ll be keeping my eye on this distillery. I enjoyed this enough to buy a bottle on the day. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25)