Lochlea Sowing Edition - First Crop
2022 Release | 48% ABV
Score: 5/10
Average In A Good Way.
TL;DR
A bright, bourbon-forward dram that’s perfect for summer… if you can find it
Summer In A Bottle
We’ve all seen the bun fights that have accompanied new distillery releases in recent years – or even when more established brands bring out a limited bottle. It’s chaos. People either queue outside shops for hours, or decide instead to go for the online option. Here, people’s web browsers are lined with tiny tabs representing different retailers and they frantically flick between them, feverishly refreshing each one like some deranged pianist, all desperately trying to secure that “must-have” bottle.
I know this because I’ve been there. I remember a few years ago when I was hypnotised by Islay and placed in some sort of peaty trance, when nothing but the latest Ardbeg committee release would do. That was until, when given the green light to drop a bottle of Ardbeg Drum into my online shopping basket, I thought: “What the hell am I doing? I don’t need this!” This was the start of my gradual detachment from the bottle-chasing madness.
Now, I still go after bottles that pique my interest, but I refuse to get involved in the scrum. If one comes my way, then that’ll do me. If it doesn’t? No matter. That said, I guess I’m still struggling to shake those resentful and bitter feelings I have about the mass hysteria surrounding whisky at the moment – and I very much miss those heady, golden days of way back in the mists of time (2018) when I could easily skip into one of Glasgow’s many excellent bottle shops and casually pluck a Springbank 12 Cask Strength off the shelf months after it was released.
So when Lochlea’s first release landed in 2021, old Clyde here looked on from a safe distance and watched the stramash unfold. Naturally, these bottles were snaffled within minutes and weren’t seen again until… oh, at least a month later, when auction sites were flooded with them. Disappointing? Sure, but unfortunately that’s just how the whisky landscape is right now. Another reason I didn’t flex my meagre muscles, strip to the waist and dive head first into the melee was due to that particular whisky’s makeup: Bourbon or refill casks are my preferred option and the inclusion of PX casks in Lochlea’s first release simply didn’t interest me.
Lochlea’s second bottle, the ex-bourbon matured Sowing Edition First Crop, however did. But in the time it took me to brew up a fresh cup of Joe and settle down in front of the laptop, credit card at the ready, it was gone from online retailers. I had lost out, and the flippers had a new bottle to punt. OK, some of them are being opened, but I wondered just how many.
“Lochlea started distilling in 2018 and aimed to produce an ‘orchard fruit and elegant’ Lowland-profile whisky. From early on, their team was joined by Malcolm Rennie who had previously worked at Kilchoman, Bruichladdich and Ardbeg for almost 30 years and now brought his experience into this project. ”
For a quick snap poll, I headed to Whiskybase to see how many bottles had been logged, and how many had actually been opened. As of writing, 579 bottles of the Lochlea Sowing Edition First Crop have been catalogued by site users. Of those 579 bottles, only 22 have been opened or are now empty. Of course, many of these will have been bought to quaff and people just haven’t got round to popping the cork yet, while I’m sure some drinkers won’t have updated their stash list yet. However, I thought it was interesting that so many remained tightly sealed a few months after release.
At recent auctions, meanwhile, bottles of the Sowing Edition First Crop have been selling for as much as £130 and for as little as £35 which did make me chuckle. Some people’s retirement plans have clearly had to be put on hold. A knock-on effect of these low prices at auction gives me hope that subsequent retail releases from this Ayrshire distillery might not sell out so fast. Well, we can hope, can’t we?
Review
Matured in first-fill ex bourbon barrels. Non-chill filtered, natural colour, 48% ABV
Sold out at retail
On a recent trip to Speyside, I removed my bunnet and sauntered into the treasure trove that is Gordon & MacPhail’s whisky emporium in Elgin. What a shop that is. Crammed to the rafters with the kinds of whisky that’ll make you weep tears of joy, I could have spent hours just looking longingly at some of the bottles – but I had a lunch appointment, a dog to walk and a budget to stick to. Along with their own stock, G&M also have a good selection of general releases – some of which don’t go on their website to give visitors to the shop the chance to buy stuff that would normally disappear in a flash. It was here I saw their last bottle of the Lochlea Sowing Edition First Crop and I picked it up for £55.
Nose
Lemon sherbet pips, banana toffee and a biscuit note that reminds me of lemon thins. Sugary shortbread and royal icing with marzipan. White pepper, a Werther’s Original butterscotch note along with a creamy menthol note like Murray Mint sweets. A few drops of water turns the dram into a sweet vanilla caramel sauce. And there’s butter - or at least the ghost of something buttery.
Palate
Lemons everywhere and cracked black peppercorns. A sprinkle of baking spices and the mouthfeel is really good too. I do get a little alcoholic bite, but given this is a young whisky, I guess that’s to be expected. The finish carries more spice along with a green, herbal note. Water rounds things off nicely and those lemons become softer, turning the dram into some sort of alcoholic traditional lemonade.
The Dregs
The Lochlea Sowing Edition is a smashing little whisky for the retail price – or £35 if you’re lucky. It might display youthful characteristics, but there’s integrity here. It’s not attempting to be something it’s not - it’s a light, lemon-forward ex bourbon cask dram. It’s going to go down well throughout the summer as it’s definitely a whisky I’m going to enjoy in the sunshine. It also makes – and buckle up whisky fans – a tasty long drink. I’ve made a lovely High Ball using this Lochlea and it’s also spritely and refreshing with a splash or two of tonic and a wedge of lemon. The higher ABV really helps drive the flavour of the whisky through. Try it. You might be surprised.
I’m invested in this family-owned Ayrshire distillery now and I love the fact they grow their own barley and mature their whisky on-site – and that they present this without chill filtration or added colouring. The 48% ABV is the cherry on top. I’m very interested to see how Lochlea progresses as their stocks gets older. That is, if I can find a bottle.
Score: 5/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. CS
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