Lochlea to end seasonal series

Ayrshire distillery Lochlea will launch its third seasonal edition at the end of the month, with no further additions to the series.

Sowing Edition Third Crop will be the first release, following the conclusion of the second series in March. This year’s Sowing edition was matured exclusively in ex-Bourbon barrels, creating ‘floral, fruity’ notes. The new release is nearly as old as Lochlea's first age-statement whisky, a five-year-old single malt that coincided with the brand’s fifth anniversary. Production director John 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. “One of the main differences between our last Sowing Edition Second Crop and our new Third Crop is when the spirit was distilled. Second Crop was distilled in warmer months, whereas the new release in colder months. Distillation during warmer periods results in more of a stewed fruit flavour, whereas in the colder months we see much more of a crisp, fresh fruit flavour – in the case of this spirit, delicious green apple and pear.” Campbell had previously told SB that the seasonal releases could ‘evolve’ into age-statement whiskies. On the future of the distillery, he added: “We have a wealth of ideas at Lochlea within the team and our ability to explore and innovate easily without too many constraints means there will be many more exciting whiskies to emerge from Lochlea beyond our seasonals.” Lochlea Sowing Edition Third Crop is bottled at 46% ABV and will be available to purchase at select retailers from 25 April for £51.50 (US$65).