Origin: Lowlands (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Gradation: 50%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Lochlea Distilling Co.
Average price: € 120.00
Official website: www.lochleadistillery.com
In 2024, on Burns Night the 25th of January, the Lowland Distillery released its first declared age bottling, which is (almost) as old as the distillery itself: five years. Five is also the number of casks used to make it: two ex-bourbon first-fill casks (the 20 and 25, filled at the start of distillation), one ex-Sherry oloroso first-fill, and two moved from ex-bourbon to Oloroso and PX casks respectively.
With a logo that some nostalgic sci-fi fans will recognise from the graphics of the Babylon 5 series, this edition was recently repeated for Burns Night 2025 with a six year old.
Tasting Notes
The nose is, as you might expect, dominated by sherry influences, but in a subdued way, without prosopopoeia. Boiled and caramelised apple dipped in cinnamon leads the fruity compartment of plum, sultana, dried apricot, candied pineapple and dried coconut, with a distinct vein of coffee cream and hazelnut biscuits. Background of brown sugar, orange peel and shaved wood. Balanced and full.
The palate is lighter than I expected, with notes of coffee, baked apple and cinnamon being the standard bearers, along with a hint of black pepper and nutmeg. If the nose was quiet, here we are in the whispering zone, with little incisiveness of the notes that tend to hide behind the initial ones: ripe plum, nuts, bitter orange marmalade, brown sugar. A vegetal vein is also present, between black tea, tobacco and green wood. Malt in length.
The finish is not very long, with spices, coffee, toasted hazelnuts, brown sugar and vegetal notes.
I admit to a touch of disappointment, not that I had high expectations for a five-year-old, but given the other bottlings, I think it was legitimate to expect something more incisive and pronounced. Pleasant but weak.
Vote: 82/100