This whisky is a new limited-edition single malt from the award-winning farm-to-cask distillery of Lochlea in the Lowlands. The Lochlea Overtone Stout Cask Finish is the first ever release from the distillery to feature maturation in such a beer cask. This has seen Lochlea collaborate with Glasgow-based brewery Overtone – the whisky has been finished in the beer barrels and in return an Overtone stout has been matured in ex-Our Barley (Lochlea’s core range whisky) casks.
The Lochlea Overtone Stout Cask Finish has seen initial maturation in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-Oloroso sherry and STR (shaved, toasted and re-charred) casks. The whisky was then finished in ex-stout beer casks supplied by Overtone. It is bottled at 52% ABV and is available exclusively in the UK market. You will find it in selected specialist whisky retailers with a bottle costing £60.
The Lochlea Distilling Co. was founded in 2015 by Neil McGeoch. Located near Kilmarnock, he converted the 300 year old Lochlea Farm from beef production to growing barley for whisky making. He had taken over the farm several years earlier in 2006 but decided to diversify and make the farm more profitable. The distillery is in the old piggery with two cattle sheds repurposed as maturation warehouses.
The independent family-owned distillery has an annual production capacity of 200,000 litres. Production began in late-2017 with the Lochlea First Release launching in early 2022. One of keys to their initial success is that all barley used for whisky production is grown on the farm. This equates to 600 tonnes per annum and makes them one of the only distilleries in Scotland to grown all of their own barley.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is vibrant gold and the nose is packed with aromas of crumbly brown sugar, fairground toffee apple and dried hay. Underneath are further aromas of good tangy pear perry, milk chocolate and mocha, plus hints of strawberry jam, blanched almond paste and yeasty brown bread. It is very much presenting a sweet vs. savoury vibe.
On the palate this whisky is quite tangy and a little hot initially. Something highly floral presents itself first and this is reminiscent of elderflower and freshly cut meadow flowers. Then comes the distinct crumbly brown sugar from the nose and some golden syrup, which sits alongside further notes of fresh green apple and crisp pear. Hints of confected and jammy red fruit also evolve. With time savoury characteristics develop – these include dusty cereals, something umami that sits in the background and makes one think of porcini mushroom, and fresh bread dough. There is plenty of wood spice and this grows and becomes more influential towards the finish. Further hints of cocoa powder, mocha and molasses add depth and intrigue.
The finish is of decent length and becomes slightly bitter and hot with time. Notes of burnt molasses, bitter chocolate and spent coffee grounds dominate, especially once the sweeter and more fruity elements have faded. This leaves a drying heat in the mouth and a mouthwatering bitterness.
What’s The Verdict?
We are big fans of Lochlea and what they are doing. This is the result of having tasted many of their early releases as they look to establish themselves. This Stout Cask Finish is a little more challenging than most of those previous bottlings if honest and sees the spirit pushed in a richer, darker and more bitter direction. It is an interesting collaboration with another local craft producer and this is great to see – it will be interesting to see if there is anything similar in the pipeline.
