Scotland's Lochlea Distillery is commencing the third and final 'crop' of its annual Seasonal whisky series.
Launched in 2022, the Seasonal editions aim to celebrate Lochlea's connection to the Ayrshire landscape in which it is based and put the agricultural nature of whisky at the forefront.
As in the past two Seasonal series, the first release in the third crop will be the Sowing Edition, available from the end of April 2024. This Sowing release has been fully matured in ex-bourbon barrels, which the Lochlea team says has allowed the spirit's fruity and floral notes to shine through.
John Campbell, Lochlea's production director, noted that the timing of the spirit's distillation had also affected its flavour. He said the spirit for the third Sowing Edition was distilled in the colder months, lending more crisp fresh fruit flavours, compared with the stewed fruit notes present in the second Sowing Edition, which was distilled in warmer months.
As the Seasonal releases have progressed, the whiskies released in them have got older — the final Sowing Edition is bottled at about the same age as Lochlea's sell-out 5 Years Old single malt.
It will be followed with three more editions in the third crop — Harvest, Fallow, and Ploughing — which will be released between now and early 2025. The editions are named for, and released to coincide with, milestones in the farming calendar.
Campbell said: "Our third and final crop of the Seasonal releases will offer whisky lovers the chance to taste our maturing limited-edition releases and even compare them with the past two crops, so they can see how our whiskies are evolving. The Seasonal editions have been a brilliant platform for us to showcase our whisky in different cask types and highlight the farming calendar."
Lochlea Sowing Edition Third Crop (46% ABV, non-chill filtered) will be available from 25 April while stocks last at specialist retailers with a recommended price of £51.50.
Founded in 2017 on a former livestock farm, Lochlea Distillery produces whisky using barley which is grown on its 222-acre estate. Its core expression Our Barley, matured in a mix of bourbon, oloroso, and STR casks, is available year-round.
