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Lochlea finishes whisky in stout casks
Ayrshire-based Lochlea Distillery has revealed its first single malt finished in stout beer casks from Overtone.
The UK-exclusive limited edition release is a culmination of various cask experiments between Lochlea and Glasgow-based craft brewery Overtone, known for its range of seasonal beers inspired by music and musical genres.
After initial ageing in ex-Bourbon, STR and oloroso Sherry casks, the whisky was then placed into casks that had been used to age Overtone’s stout beer.
Bottled at 52% ABV, the resulting whisky displays aromas of butter shortbread, tropical fruit and macadamia nuts, joined on the palate by sweet toffee notes and toasted barley.
Emma Kirk, trade sales manager of Lochlea, said: “One of the benefits of Lochlea’s position as an independent distillery is our ability to be experimental and collaborate with other like-minded brands. When we discovered Overtone, one of Glasgow’s best craft breweries, was on the hunt for whisky casks to mature their first-ever double mash stout in, we could not turn the opportunity down.
“Lochlea gifted the brewery the cask makeup of our core expression, Our Barley. In return, our production team filled each stout-seasoned cask with ‘Our Barley’ for a year. Our distillery team have chosen three casks out of the six; the result is this delicious first stout cask finish ever to be released by us, which we are really proud of.”
Lochlea Stout Cask Finish is offered non-chill filtered and will be available in select retailers across the UK from 3 December. The RRP is £59.99 (US$76).
The team at Overtone added: “It’s been a pleasure to have this ongoing yearly side project with a local distillery that’s consistently pushing boundaries and doing incredible things. Our collaboration begins with brewing a rich, robust stout, full of roasty goodness, which is then aged in their freshly emptied casks.
“After about eight months, the barrels are emptied and refilled with their whisky, creating a fascinating blend of flavours. I’m excited to see how this partnership evolves in the years to come, and I’m sure craft enthusiasts will enjoy the unique character it brings. We truly value this relationship and look forward to what we can achieve together.”
Built on an old farm, Lochlea Distillery was established in 2017 by Neil and Jen McGeoch and distilled its first spirits in 2018.
The farm element has remained a unique part of Lochlea, with the move into barley production resulting in limited releases, including the now-discontinued seasonal series.
In August, the distillery announced the departure of production director John Campbell, who in October took on the roles of chief operating officer and master distiller at California’s Sespe Creek Distillery.
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