Lochlea – Our Barley (46%)

The permanent core release from Lochlea, an independent, family-run farm distillery in the Lowlands, bottled at 46%. Lochlea is one of only four Scottish distilleries to use barley grown entirely on its own land, and it distils and matures on site. John Campbell devised the cask recipe, and the distillery team tasted it blind. It combines first-fill bourbon barrels, Oloroso sherry butts and STR barriques, which are wine casks that have been shaved, toasted and recharred. The nose offers pear syrup and fruit sweets, the palate fresh fruit and cereal, and the finish macadamia nuts and orange beeswax.