Lochlea reveals first sherry and peat combination with Cask Strength #3

Curated by Jill Boyd, Lochlea’s new Master Blender

Award winning farm-to-cask Lochlea Distillery has unveiled Cask Strength Batch 3 – the latest release in its annual series of limited-edition cask strength bottlings – and a first in flavour profile for the independently owned distillery.

This year’s release marks a bold evolution in Lochlea’s Cask Strength series, combining rich Oloroso sherry with distinctive Islay peat – a pairing never before explored by the distillery. It also represents a significant milestone for Lochlea’s Master Blender Jill Boyd, who joined the distillery in late 2024 and has led the selection and blending of Cask Strength Batch 3 from start to finish.

Jill carefully selected whisky that has been matured in a combination of Oloroso Sherry Butts and Ex-Islay peated casks, creating a final spirit that balances richness and depth with a surprising twist of smoke. Cask Strength Batch 3 delivers a captivating nose of ripe red fruits and savoury BBQ smoke, followed by a rich palate of cherries and dark molasses lifted by warming ginger cake, toasted rye and charred wood smoke. The long, layered finish lingers with baking spice, salty smoke, and oaky tannins intertwining with delicate floral notes of red roses to create a bold new take on Lochlea’s signature style.

Each batch of Lochlea’s Cask Strength whiskies are carefully blended and bottled without any dilution, so every sip is just like trying samples from the warehouse itself. This latest release follows Cask Strength Batch 2 released last summer that had been matured in a combination of PX, Oloroso and STR casks showcasing a depth and complexity. The inaugural Cask Strength expression in 2023 was a combination of spirit matured in first-fill Bourbon barrels and Oloroso Sherry casks, working particularly well at high strength to amplify the fruit, nut and cereal flavours that form Lochlea’s house spirit style.

Jill commented: “I am especially proud of Cask Strength Batch 3 as it has been my first opportunity to curate one of our whiskies from concept to bottle, putting my own mark on our range. I wanted to push the boundaries of our house style with something bold and different.  As many whisky lovers will know, sherry and peat are both hugely popular flavour profiles, and we saw an opportunity to bring them together in a way that feels fresh and bold, yet rooted in our distillery’s DNA. It’s complex, it’s warming, and it’s got a smoky twist making it the perfect dram to enjoy with a BBQ in the sunshine!”

Availability & pricing:

Like all Lochlea’s whiskies, Cask Strength Batch 3 has no added colouring and is non-chill filtered. It has been bottled at  59.8%  and has an RRP of £67. It is available from Lochlea stockists from 29^th May 2025 onwards. For a full list of Lochlea stockists, visit: Lochlea Distillery stockists

Cask Strength Batch 3 – Tasting notes: 

Nose: Rich and juicy, with lots of ripe red fruits, and a hint of smoky bacon

Palate: Cherries, ripe berries, ginger cake, dark sugar, dark rye and BBQ smoke

Finish: Long and rich, with baking spice, salty smoke, red roses and oaky tannins woven through

Lochlea’s core range product: 

Lochlea is a farm-to-cask independent distillery growing all of its own barley on its farm. It also has a core whisky expression available all year round – Our Barley. This unpeated single malt has been matured in a combination of three different casks: first fill ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry casks and STR barriques, all of which add depths of flavour to the spirit. Launched in July 2022, Our Barley has received much acclaim as a superb example of a young non-age statement (NAS) Lowlands whisky, made entirely from the distillery’s own home-grown barley.

About Lochlea Distillery: www.lochleadistillery.com

Lochlea was originally a 222 acre livestock farm before being purchased by Neil and Jen McGeoch in 2006. After much consideration of the future of the farm and a successful trial to grow its own barley in 2015, the couple transformed the land and existing farm buildings into a fully-operational distillery in 2017 and started distilling the following year. The farming side has remained a unique part of Lochlea, with the move into barley production – paving the way for Lochlea to be one of the very few fully grain-to-cask distilleries in Scotland. It also has a rich Scottish heritage with strong links to Robbie Burns, with the bard having worked and lived on the farm a several years.