LOCHLEA PLOUGHING EDITION SECOND CROP
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
SCOTLAND
WHY BUY:
The independent, no corner-cutting Lochlea has been an out-of-the-gate smash. Just two years into their bottling journey, they've already claimed gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and taken home two 2024 Icons of Whisky Scotland awards (Brand Innovator and Single Estate). And after tasting this, the culminating fourth release in their Second Crop seasonal quartet, we think it’s their most focused single malt yet … and a fantastic deal, besides, at less than $70 a bottle. Crafted from barley they've grown themselves on Robert Burns' old farmland, matured exclusively in 200-liter ex-Islay barrels and further refined in their on-site warehouse, it’s a stunning example of their farm-to-bottle ethos, as craft as craft comes.
OUR TASTING NOTES:
The nose opens with fresh green apple crispness balanced against Lochlea's signature cereal notes — that distinctive barley character that so many of us love. On the palate, succulent fruit flavors mix and mingle with the unexpected pleasure of freshly cut summer hay. The finish is a deft balancing act, with sea salt brightness playing against lingering peaty embers, a subtle (and gloriously welcome) reminder of those ex-Islay barrels.
THE PROCESS:
Lochlea grows and harvests its own barley on the farm, in order to maintain complete control over its process. For this particular release, they've matured the whisky exclusively in 200-liter ex-Islay barrels, storing it in their racked warehouse to develop depth and character. Their production methods remain as traditional can be: wooden washbacks and meticulous attention to every stage of production. Impressive as their many honors have been, it's what those awards represent: recognition that doing things the hard way sometimes produces the most remarkable results.
THE STORY:
There's something almost novelistic about Lochlea's emergence. When they began distilling in 2018, Scotland hardly needed another whisky maker — yet here they are, crafting spirit from barley grown on the very soil where the great national poet Robert Burns once worked. From the start, they have taken steps to de-emphasize an overarching narrative, a striking (and refreshingly unforced) approach to brand building. To that end, they also opted not to build a visitor center or gift shop, preferring instead to let their small team focus entirely on whisky. Their seasonal releases track the agricultural calendar of their working farm, creating a connection between drinker and land that feels genuine rather than marketed.
ABV:
46% (92 proof); non chill-filtration and no color added.
FUN FACT:
Among Burns’s most enduring works was "John Barleycorn,” whose titular character is, today, virtually a synonym for spirits and wine.
OUR GUARANTEE:
Given Lochlea's trajectory — from unknown to award-winning in barely two years— we expect these bottles (sourced, as always, directly from the distillery, to ensure pristine provenance) to vanish quickly. Secure yours today!