Lochlea Distillery to launch first peated whisky, Lochlea Ploughing Edition

The team at Lochlea Distillery are delighted to reveal their fourth limited seasonal release, Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’. Launching on the 25th January 2023, it concludes the ‘First Crop’ of annual small batch bottlings showcasing their spirit throughout the farming seasons. ‘Ploughing Edition’ follows on from Lochlea ‘Sowing Edition’ which launched in March 2022, Lochlea ‘Harvest Edition’ which launched in September 2022, and Lochlea ‘Fallow Edition’ which launched in November 2022. In 2023, the ‘Second Crop’ limited edition series will be released each season, each one different to the first, and highlighting the progression of Lochlea’s single malt whiskies.

The launch date for Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’ represents the unequivocal connection between Lochlea Farm and Robert Burns, who lived and worked on the farm from 1777-1784. Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’ is inspired by the season of winter on the farm when the same fields that Burns tended are ploughed in preparation for sowing the barley seed in Spring. The bottle’s icy blue label reflects the cold and frosty west coast Ayrshire winters.

It is the first ever peated expression from Lochlea, matured in a combination of ex-Islay barrels and peated quarter casks, and the first smoky whisky created by Campbell since leaving Laphroaig. A comforting dram for the winter months, the resulting flavours include boiled sweets, cooked apple and brazil nuts, intertwined with a haze of lingering peat.

John Campbell, Lochlea Production Director and Master Blender, said: “Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’ is our first peated release and showcases all the expected Lochlea flavours with a wee touch of Islay. We have matured our unpeated single malt in ex-Islay peated barrels and this delivers a lightly peated version of Lochlea that I am sure you will enjoy.”

With demand greater than available stock, Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’ (First Crop) is on allocation to key UK retail and wholesale partners, and across 20 export markets. There are only 11,000 bottles globally. Sitting at 46% ABV, Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’ (First Crop) will retail for £50.00 and, as with all Lochlea whiskies, is non-chill filtered with no artificial colouring.

Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’ (First Crop) Official Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Baked fruit with a light peat smoke in the background
• Palate: Old fashioned boiled sweets, cooked apple and brazil nuts
• Finish: Lingering fruit and nuttiness, all intertwined with a haze of Islay peat smokeABV: 46%
• RRP: £50.00

About Lochlea Distillery

Lochlea Distillery is an independent single malt distillery based on Lochlea farm in the heart of Ayrshire. Under the management of Production Director John Campbell, the family-run farm grows and harvests their own barley, ensuring full traceability from field to bottle.

No corners were cut in the £6.5m set-up of the distillery back in 2018, with an unwavering commitment to quality in terms of equipment, spirit and casks, ultimately leading to a unique single malt Scotch whisky bursting with flavour.

Rooted in Scottish history, Lochlea is the only distillery where Robert Burns lived and worked on the farm, from 1777-1784.

Lochlea launched its first whisky, Lochlea ‘First Release’ in January 2022, which sold out within 24 hours. In March 2022, Lochlea launched Lochlea ‘Sowing Edition’ (First Crop); the first in a series of limited-edition seasonal expressions that reflects the activities on the farm. In July 2022, Lochlea launched their core single malt whisky that captures the wonderful fruit, nut and cereal flavours unique to the distillery, Lochlea ‘Our Barley.’

Source: Lochlea Distillery