Sound like the second instalment in some Scorsese Gangster thriller? Well, this is a thrilling tasting but but I hope it take less than 3h40 to complete.
We’re continuing with the theme of trying out whisky from the New Wave of Scotch (malt) distilleries. There are currently 43 distilleries in this wave (with more in construction), if we start counting from Kilchoman and Daftmill in 2005. These distilleries are not so young anymore, and recently released 16 and 15yo expressions, respectively. The most recent distillery before these two is Arran in 1995, and then from 2008 there’s been at least one distillery founded every year until now, with the exception of 2011. It’s worth noticing that the majority of these new distilleries are not owned by large multinationals, and indeed 21 of are independently owned, in a few instances by the local community.
Only a 25 of these 43 distilleries have put out reasonably accessible bottlings. In the table below I include only the distilleries that have released official inaugural versions of their own single malts. Clearly the distilleries too young to have at least 3yo spirit are excluded, but also other distilleries like Ardnahoe (which I visited) who are waiting for their stock to mature before it’s released.
| Distillery | Region | Founded | My progress |
| Bonnington | Lowland | 2019 | — |
| Holyrood | Lowland | 2019 | Reviewed |
| Lagg | Islands (Isle of Arran) | 2019 | — |
| Lochlea | Lowland | 2018 | Reviewed today! |
| Clydeside | Lowland | 2017 | Reviewed today! |
| Lindores Abbey | Lowland | 2017 | Tried once |
| Nc’nean | Highland | 2017 | Tried, Have samples |
| Torabhaig | Island (Isle of Skye) | 2017 | Reviewed |
| Dornoch | Highland | 2016 | Reviewed, Have Bottle |
| Inchdairnie | Lowland | 2016 | — |
| Dalmunach | Speyside | 2015 | Familiar, Have bottle |
| Glasgow | Lowland | 2015 | Probably tried? |
| GlenWyvis | Highland | 2015 | Reviewed |
| Harris | Islands (Tarbert) | 2015 | Reviewed today! |
| Ardnamurchan | Highland | 2014 | Tried many times |
| Annandale* | Lowland | 2014 | Reviewed today! |
| Ballindalloch | Speyside | 2014 | — |
| Kingsbarns | Lowland | 2014 | Visited distillery, Drank bottle, Have samples |
| Raasay | Islands (Isle of Raasay) | 2014 | — |
| Strathearn | Highland | 2013 | Tried (friend owns casks) |
| Wolfburn | Highland | 2013 | Have several bottles |
| Eden Mill | Lowland | 2012 | — |
| Roseisle | Speyside | 2010 | Reviewed |
| Ailsa Bay | Lowland | 2009 | — |
| Abhainn Dearg | Islands (Isle of Lewis) | 2008 | Tried (from a friend) |
| Daftmill | Lowland | 2005 | Familiar, Have bottle |
| Kilchoman | Islay | 2005 | Visited distillery, Reviewed? |
Now let’s make some progress with the last column of the table.
Lochlea “Our Barley” | NAS | 46% | Official Bottling
🌐
🪵
🔆
💲
🔗
Scotch single malt
bourbon, sherry butts, STR casks
unchillfiltered & natural color
available, €40
Sample review
⚡Experience
Bountiful nose, with fruits and pastries at first: banana fritters, pears and apples, and quite a deal of vanilla, a little cinnamon. There’s are flowery and green notes too, like rose pepper and pine. A little sour and yeasty, as well. The palate is very substantial and malty, medium-sweet, and with notes of roasted coffee and nuts, alongside fruits. Becomes quite spicy in the finish.
💡Thoughts
There’s great potential here, and in truth I find it quite worthwhile and enjoyable as is, with plenty of interesting notes to explore. Some might find the “fermentation-y” notes on the nose (esters, yeast, sour) a bit too much, but for me it’s stimulating. My reservations is that it’s a bit too spicy and un-integrated at the moment for my full satisfaction, but hey — I’ll keep coming back to Lochlea over the years to see how they’re doing.
Rewarding
✔️
Hearach (Harris) | 5yo | 46% | Official Bottling
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Scotch single malt
1st fill ex-bourbon, oloroso & fino sherry casks
unchillfiltered & natural color
limited availability, €80
whiskybase (or similar batch)
Sample review
⚡Experience
The nose is a bit closed, but there’s fresh yellow fruits, vanilla, dried seaweed (nori), and light peat. With water a hint of geranium. The palate is in correspondence with the nose: mildly maritime (salty, nori) and with barley sugar and gentle peat. A bit drying and bitter. Overall simplistic but clean.
💡Thoughts
Not terribly exciting to me, but it’s definitely well put together and works as a young peated malt.
Rewarding
✔️
Clydeside | bott. 2023 | 60.6% | Official Bottling
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🪵
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💲
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Sample review
⚡Experience
Clean and malty profile. Distinct note of grapefruit, also pears, unripe tropical fruit, a little ginger ale, cotton candy, rosemary and damp wood. Deeply malty and creamy palate, with a beautiful ripe grapefruit note.
💡Thoughts
I like the grapefruit, but still a rather simplistic. In time this could become phenomenal, though.
Rewarding
✔️
Annandale “Man O’ Sword” | 2017 | 60.8% | Official Bottling
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🔆
💲
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Scotch single malt
oloroso sherry butt
presumably unchillfiltered & natural color
similar batches available, €100
Sample review
⚡Experience
Heavy toffee and oloroso sherry on the nose. Behind this veil, something green. The peat is light on the nose but prominent on the palate. Sweet, salty, peaty. Yum. (Ok, my palate is saturating)
💡Thoughts
I generally find the combination of heavy sherry and peat delightful, even as it throws elegance and subtlety out the window. There’s nothing unique here, nothing to inform me about the distillery character itself. But I’m having a good time with it.
Rewarding
✔️
I think there is hope for the future of Scotch whisky!
DuckDrams 
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