| Whisky | Lochlea Sowing Edition Second Crop |
| Region | Lowland, Scotland |
| Style | Single Malt |
| ABV | 46% |
| Price | £47 |
Introducing: Lochlea Sowing Edition Second Crop
Now, this is an interesting find. Lochlea Sowing Edition Second Crop is a limited run lowland whisky from Kilmarnock. I was introduced to this whisky via a Ralfy video (now known as thewhiskybothy on YouTube). This was, knowingly, my very first young single malt experience. I’ve heard good things about this distillery and, to be honest, they aren’t very well known as of writing this review. I bought this limited edition bottle from my local wine and spirits shop on the high street. I paid £47 for this bottle of Lochlea Sowing Edition Second Crop which is a little bit more than I was expected to pay. There is a bit to like about this bottling – it’s non chill filtered, it doesn’t have any added colouring, it’s from a fairly unknown distillery, and although it wasn’t cheap, it wasn’t massively expensive either.
Lochlea bottle in small batches, following the seasons. I’m yet to try the first or third crop bottlings, and this is my first experience with Lochlea.
Gotta Catch 'Em All Like A Certain Popular Cartoon?
So, am I going to collect them all like Pokemon? Probably not. There’s a Sowing Edition, Ploughing Edition, Harvest Edition and a Fallow Edition, as well as an ‘Our Barley’ and a couple of young cask strength expressions.
This bottle of Sowing Edition – Second Crop was matured in first-fill bourbon barrels – and these barrels are lovely. This is a young whisky; much of the flavour comes from the cask that it sits in – and these are some lovely first fill bourbon casks at that. There is no age statement on this bottle – so I doubt it’s much older than four or five years. Lochlea pride themselves on growing their own barley, and since they secured all their licenses towards the end of 2018, their whisky cannot be that old. A quick Google search on whether or not they bought spirit from elsewhere didn’t return anything of interest.
It is bottled at 46% which is, in my opinion, very good. It’s strong enough to keep a lot of the flavour, but not so strong that you need a load of water to sip it. I think this whisky can be enjoyed without water as it is quite light, but I tend to drink it with two small drops from a teaspoon.
Nose
Lots of sweetness; caramel, vanilla and syrup, orange zest, and a hint of almond. Very little ethanol compared to the rest of the scents, a touch of toasted cereal, and some earthy smells – mushroom, a perhaps a hint of cut grass. Once the water has been added, it smells more floral – sweet pollen, and the cereal comes through more too. The almond smell becomes more pronounced, almost like a subtle Battenberg cake.
Pallate
The vanilla and the almond come through nicely, there’s a little spice to it – almost tastes ever so slightly peated but it does fade fairly quickly to a charred wood taste – but very subtle. The orange zest comes through too, especially after the other tastes have died down. It’s very light and delicate, largely due to the age of the spirit.
Finish
It has impressive longevity and complexity for its age. Flavours stay for probably 15 seconds before completely disappearing. The fruit hangs around the longest, alongside a slightly peppery crisp lettuce flavour.
Overall Impressions
Honestly, this is a very pleasing dram. On the nose, this reminds me of Glen Moray Our Classic (check out the review) but the taste is only slightly comparable. Lochlea Sowing Edition Second Crop is much more nuanced and carries a much more varied flavour profile compared to Glen Moray Our Classic, but I’m especially fond of the long lasting finish. It’s very delicate, and therefore very easy to sip.
Final Verdict
7/10
For a young single malt, it’s very good – the best I’ve reviewed so far. I’m around two thirds through this bottle as I bought it around twelve months ago. I’d buy another bottle for my stash, and I’ll also buy another seasonal bottle in the near future. I’d recommend giving this one a go. In the mean time, look at my review for The Sexton Irish Whiskey. It’s another young whisky that is gaining traction in whisk(e)y circles at the moment… but I don’t think it has that much to bring to the table.
You can buy yourself a bottle of Lochlea Sowing Edition Second Crop from here.
