Lochlea Fallow Edition
First Crop Release | 46% ABV
Score: 5/10
Average. In a good way.
TL;DR
Real promise for a solid Lowland malt
Making Whisky Memories
Can you recall when that 'taste of whisky' became something more and opened your eyes to it being a dynamic, gripping thing; filling your senses with wonder and excitement?
Along our whisky journeys, some drams hold a special place in our hearts. Be it our first sip from a particular producer, or the start of a fall down another whisky rabbit hole.
There's been a couple of memorable drams for me over the most recent years of exploration: my first Springbank for example - getting to understand that infamous ‘funk’ that I was so curious about, or that peat-bomb from Laphroaig, or the sherried Speyside wonderment from Aberlour’s A'bunadh, to name just a few.
It wasn't until, one day, I sat down with a tasting flight from Master of Malt containing Bunnahabhain 12yo, Lagavulin 16yo and the Ledaig 10yo, that everything stopped. I was compelled to pause; to properly pay attention and appreciate the complexity and layers to whisky. I needed to try more. It all began then; I felt like Neo, faced by Morpheus holding two pills in hand, with me selecting the one that would decide my fate and the whisky path I would follow.
Between endless curiosity and FOMO, I'm enthusiastically deeper down the whisky-lover path each and every day. As an outlet, I'm humbled and very grateful to be a part of Dramface and this fantastic and engaging online whisky community. Rambling on in each review with a fantastic readership who interact with each writer’s own musings as they’re published to whisky’s world-wide web. It's all about the people, it always has been. Whisky is just the bonus right?
Yet, I'm still having these stop-what-you're-doing moments of bliss and fascination. Some catch me by surprise, other times I might go in with some bias in mind and either feel it didn't meet my expectations, or I fall in love all over again. I’ll share an example.
The first time I sampled some Lochlea was the Friday night before Glasgow Whisky Festival back in November 2023. A large crowd of attendees amassed at the Pot Still, and it was here where I found myself holding a mystery dram, handed to me by none other than @north_coast_drammer.
It was one of those wow moments when, sipping for the first time, I was hooked. In the giddy atmosphere of the bustling city centre pub, my guesses on what was in the glass were well off the mark. I think I went from Laphroaig Sherry, to a Benromach cask strength to a Cu Bocan 15 before Tony obliged in letting us all know the round in question - I think he bought six or seven, fair play sir - was a Lochlea Sowing Edition. I was quite blown away, but also delighted.
Tasting this for the first time, I was able to see what one of these new producers can actually deliver. Well done. Another addition to that weekend, a funny story: At the Bon Accord on the Saturday of the weekend, I noticed that John Campbell walked in for the evening dram session. I don't think our boys Jackie or Dougie believed me when I said, 'Here, there's John Campbell! Will we go say hello?'. I might have had the old Dutch courage in me, but I thought it would be cool to meet him and share how much I enjoyed a wee Lochlea. Alas, it wasn't meant to be as I was stopped abruptly and told, 'move along' by an entourage unit in the Bon who were tucked up in their own wee section of the booth. Fair enough - he’d been grafting at the festival all day. Another time maybe.
More recently, while in Edinburgh I saw that Lochlea was the 'Malt of the Month' while visiting the Ensign Ewart bar, situated in Lawnmarket right next to the main entrance to Edinburgh Castle. A fantastic, romantic and quaint little bar, my wife and I sought some shelter there from a day-long downpour and thankfully inside wasn't too busy. With a seat by the fire, I ordered a pint of stout and their Lochlea 'malt of the month' Fallow Edition was in the glass for £5 a dram; a bargain.
Once I got home, I decided it was time to buy a bottle of Lochlea for myself. I wanted to see how it might fare in solitude, away from the hustle and bustle of a bar or a festival weekend and I’d had Lochlea on my mind ever since Glasgow. It captured my attention so much, it was hard to think of another dram that had done so in the recent past. £38 for their First Crop Fallow? Add to Basket and I'll see you soon.
Once it arrived, an immediate opening and pour was in order; I wanted to revisit and see what else was in store from this new producer. Once sampled a few times, I found myself pondering 'Does the setting, atmosphere and company elevate a whisky to help it shine or do better in the moment?'.
My thoughts are below for this bottle, but I was intrigued by the thought. Some drams that I would deem underwhelming or thin on experience might perform a bit better if you're surrounded by good company or engaged in good conversation. Better pours might make that moment even more special. This is the power of whisky and the part it plays in our wider interactions. This delicious little liquid, how it captures our attention and senses so well.
Review
Lochlea, Fallow Edition, First Crop Limited release, 2022, NCF, natural colour, 46% ABV
£38 paid, (£40-50 typically and still available)
This bottle has been matured entirely in first-fill oloroso sherry cask. It's made with barley grown on the Lochlea farm, natural colour and also non chill filtered. Before purchasing this bottle, I wasn't aware what the word 'Fallow' actually meant and this theme of seasonal events with regard to crops and seasonal farming is key to this range. The word ‘fallow’ points to the resting period of the fields after the harvest. With this bottle and release wholly inspired by the season of autumn on the farm.
As I said, I picked this up for £38 from Celtic Whiskey Shop online (a retailer based in Dublin), but this is still widely available and priced between £40 - 50.
Score: 5/10
Average. In a good way.
TL;DR
Real promise for a solid Lowland malt
Nose
Creamy with nice thick, dense sherry notes on the nose. Murray mints and white pepper. Fresh meringue nests with a touch of orange rind and raisins. Some farmyard aspects to this. Think of damp hay and animal feed. Interesting. A lick of malt, with damp cloth, flakey pastry and chopped walnuts.
Palate
Initially sweet, soft and honeyed when you take the first sip. A silky feel on the palate. Kick of pepper right up front too, with the tip of the tongue feeling a little tingle. It’s a bit dirty too; in a pleasant way. The pepper weirdly transforms into lemon curd and then becomes almost wooden; maybe more of a charred wood, suggesting subtle and tasty wafts of smoke.
It’s a bright dram, which I wasn’t expecting from the nose. Unripe pear skin comes through, which hints at the younger age in this liquid. However, it’s not off-putting. Malty, more sweetness in a toffee apple and vanilla custard. Again, that youthful quality only really comes out as the dram lingers and mellows, the kind of rawness that might make you think of a young peated whisky. Overall, a long finish rounded out with lasting kiwi and plum.
The Dregs
Am I glad I bought this bottle? Yes. Very much so. The youth of the whisky became more apparent with time, but I must say it’s been enjoyable. 5/10 in the scoring might seem harsh, but it comes with a caveat; there’s promise here. Lochlea Fallow is in no way a bad whisky, far from it. I mean, if this is the standard, quality and character coming from Lochlea now, time will only make it better. And it’s exciting witnessing a new producer form its own journey from launch.
Overall, it would seem, rose-tinted spectacles were indeed donned during the first Lochlea experience at The Pot Still and during my time in Edinburgh’s Ensign Ewart. I’ll always have those memories, and the change in experience while sampling this at home won’t take away my enjoyment of those moments and positive feelings toward Lochlea.
I’m excited to try more and maybe dip into previous releases. I see a five year old was released, as well as a cask strength version alongside these ‘Seasonal’ limited editions covering Ploughing, Sowing, Harvest and this Fallow Edition; with all four now on their second ‘crop’ of releases. This alongside their core-range; Our Barley available all year round, so there’s plenty to explore and plot their progression. Although arguably, there can be too much choice sometimes, which can be daunting and a bit overwhelming.
From what I can gather, I think there’s a good chance their Second Crop releases are a little more settled, they’re finding their feet and things are progressing, as might be expected with the evolution of any whisky. This would help explain some of the difference between my experiences out in the world and this earlier edition I purchased. I’m also led to believe the Second Crop of the Fallow was a John Campbell creation, adding some PX casks alongside the oloroso, so there’s real, measurable validity in that further exploration of how the spirit is evolving.
And so… Here's to making the next memory!
Score: 5/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HF
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