Lochlea Our Barley review. This is the single malt that carries the farm story, bottled at 46%, and it costs about £42. The name is a bit like a kid’s drawing of a field with a sun in the corner, and the whisky inside is cleaner, fruitier and more grown-up than the label suggests.
It is a young Lowland-style malt from a farm in Ayrshire, and it is one of the better-value new bottles of the last few years.
Lochlea is a farm distillery in Ayrshire, in the south-west of Scotland, and the labels talk about farming and flavour. The Lochlea distillery page has the story, the people and the range.
Our Barley is bottled at 46% with no age statement, which is normal for a new distillery. It is the place to start in the range, and the label is where to check the cask and batch details. The house style is light and fruit-forward by design.
That means a fresh, clean, slightly grassy malt that does not rely on sherry or smoke. It tastes of barley, which is rather the point of the name.
The farm in question has a literary past: Robert Burns lived and farmed at Lochlea in the 1700s. I mention it because it is a nice detail, and not because it affects the flavour. The whisky has to stand on its own, and it largely does.
Barley sugar, green apple and cut grass, in a glass that smells like a good summer morning.
Take a moment with the first sip. It can taste a little sharp and grassy straight away, and the sweetness and the apple only settle once the glass has had time.
The nose is fresh and fruity, with green apple, pear, barley sugar and vanilla, then a little honey, citrus and a faint grassy note. There is a light creaminess underneath. It smells clean and cheerful.
The palate is light to medium-bodied and a little creamy. Apple and barley lead, with vanilla, honey and a touch of lemon, then a gentle spiciness and a clean oak finish. At 46% it has a decent texture and it takes a splash of water well.
The finish is medium, with barley, vanilla and a faint grassy bitterness. It fades cleanly and leaves a pleasant, slightly sweet mouth.
Neat, with a drop of water, or in a long drink with soda and a slice of apple. It is a very good highball malt, because the fruit and the grass hold up against the fizz. I would not use ice in a neat glass. Water and ice explains the reasons.
It is a good bottle for a barbecue, a picnic or a summer evening on a terrace.
Pour it into a wide glass and give it a few minutes. The grass fades and the fruit comes through.
About £42 for 70 cl at 46%. That is fair for a new craft malt. Auchentoshan 12 scores 79 at about £38 and is the benchmark for light Lowland malt, and Glen Scotia Double Cask scores 78 at about £36.
The Lochlea Our Barley scores 75 on my page. It is a pleasant whisky, and the two cheaper rivals are slightly better. You are paying a small premium for the farm story and the freshness, and for a bottle that shows what a young distillery can do with just barley and patience.
I would add that the price will probably look better in a few years. Young distilleries tend to charge for potential, and the liquid improves as the stock gets older. If you like it now, you are getting in early.
Most whisky distilleries buy their barley from a maltster. A farm distillery grows its own, which makes the whole thing a little more connected to the soil. It does not necessarily make the whisky better, though it does make the label more honest.
I like the idea, and I like that the whisky tastes of what it says it is. It is a light, grassy, fruity malt with no airs, and that is a good thing at this price.
If you like the idea of a light, fruity young malt, these four are worth a look:
About £38 and triple distilled for a very soft style.
About £36 and sweeter, with a touch of salt.
About £38 and a bright, lemony favourite.
About £38 and a soft, nutty Highland classic.
Lochlea Our Barley is a fresh, fruity, grassy young malt at 46% and a fair price. It tastes of barley and nothing else, and that is a real virtue.
I would buy it for a summer dram or a highball, and I would buy the Auchentoshan 12 first if value mattered. It is a promising start for a young farm distillery.
Caskable score: 75 out of 100.
Green apple, pear and barley sugar with vanilla, honey, citrus and a faint grassy note.
Apple and barley with vanilla, honey and lemon, then gentle spice and clean oak.
Medium, with barley, vanilla and a faint grassy bitterness.
Fresh, fruity and grassy, and honest about it.
Thomas Grønvold is the founder of Caskable and a whisky enthusiast who believes the best way to learn about whisky is simply to drink it, compare it, and stay curious. From supermarket favourites to bottles from distilleries around the world, he writes about what he actually tastes and experiences, without pretending you need to be an expert to enjoy a good dram.
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