In the rolling countryside of South Ayrshire, where the winds carry both the scent of earth and the memory of Scotland’s greatest poet, stands a distillery rewriting the rules of Scotch whisky.
Lochlea Distillery single malt whisky, is more than just another name on the whisky map,  it is a farm, a philosophy, and a fiercely independent voice in a tradition-heavy industry.

This is the story of how one patch of farmland, once worked by Robert Burns himself, became a beacon of modern whisky-making, and how its bottles, now proudly sitting on the shelves at Robert Graham 1874, carry with them the flavour of that land and the spirit of its history.

From Burns’ Fields to Barley Rows

The land that is now Lochlea Farm carries literary weight. Between 1777 and 1784, Robert Burns lived and worked here, farming the same soil that now yields the distillery’s barley. This link to Scotland’s cultural heritage could have been little more than a marketing flourish but Lochlea has done something far more substantial: it has made that soil central to every drop it produces.

The modern chapter began in 2014, when Neil McGeoch purchased Lochlea Farm with an ambitious vision, to create a single malt whisky made entirely from barley grown on the estate. Where most distilleries buy their grain in bulk, McGeoch saw the advantage of total control over the crop, ensuring the whisky could be traced back, quite literally, to the field.

He brought in the experienced distiller Malcolm Rennie, whose time at Kilchoman, Ardbeg and Bruichladdich had given him a reputation for creating distinctive spirits. Under his guidance, the first spirit ran from Lochlea’s stills in 2018. The result was a whisky that, from the very first drop, carried the fingerprint of its land.

Farm-to-Glass: The Lochlea Philosophy

Lochlea’s ethos is built on three pillars: authenticity, quality, and sustainability.

Everything is done on site, from planting barley seeds in the spring to bottling the finished whisky years later. Long fermentation times and slow distillation coax rich, fruit-driven character from the spirit, while a variety of cask types give the whisky layers of depth.

Sustainability is woven into their daily operations: pot ale is converted to biogas, draff is fed to local cattle, and reed beds naturally filter waste water. Even the soil is nurtured with cover crops between barley cycles, helping biodiversity thrive. This is a distillery that understands whisky’s roots go far deeper than the cask.

The First Release – Burns Night 2022

Every whisky lover remembers their first dram from a new distillery, and for Lochlea, that moment came in January 2022 with the aptly timed First Release. A combination of first-fill bourbon and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, bottled at 46% ABV without chill-filtration or added colour, it was a statement of intent: approachable yet complex, true to the spirit of the farm.

It sold out quickly, proving that the whisky community was ready for Lochlea’s approach, and setting the stage for their core expression, Our Barley. Crafted from a marriage of bourbon, oloroso sherry, and STR (shaved, toasted, re-charred) casks, Our Barley became the distillery’s flagship, available year-round yet still carrying the depth and individuality of a limited release.

A Year in the Fields – The Seasonal Series

Having established a core style, Lochlea Distillery single malt whisky began exploring the seasons through whisky, each release reflecting a stage in the farm’s agricultural calendar.

• Sowing Edition celebrated the optimism of spring, with a light, bright profile driven by bourbon cask maturation.
• Harvest Edition captured the vibrancy of late summer, incorporating a mix of casks for a fruit-forward, rounded dram.
• Fallow Edition reflected autumn’s slower pace, leaning into sherry casks for rich, warming depth.
• Finally, Ploughing Edition closed the cycle with a nod to winter – and, in the Third Crop release, introduced a gentle smokiness from ex-Islay casks, layered over Lochlea’s hallmark orchard fruit and cereal sweetness.

Each bottling not only told the story of the farm’s year, but also gave drinkers a new perspective on the distillery’s spirit. For collectors and enthusiasts, following the series became a way to taste the passage of time at Lochlea.

Cask Strength – Turning Up the Volume

For those wanting to experience the spirit at its purest, Lochlea introduced the Cask Strength Batch Series.
Batch 1, released in 2023, was a powerful yet balanced combination of bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, showing the spirit’s muscular fruit character.
Batch 2 expanded the flavour palette with Pedro Ximénez, oloroso and STR casks, offering deeper sweetness and spice.

Then came Batch 3 in May 2025, a turning point in the series. Under the guidance of Master Blender Jill Boyd, the whisky combined oloroso sherry casks with ex-Islay peated casks for the first time. The result was a marriage of red fruit richness and savoury smoke, an unusual combination for a Lowland whisky, and a sign of Lochlea’s willingness to challenge expectations.

Collaborations and Exclusive Projects

Lochlea’s adventurous spirit extends beyond its own releases. In July 2025, The Heart Cut, an independent bottler, released a limited ex-Islay cask bottling from Lochlea’s spirit, curated again by Jill Boyd. At just 410 bottles, it showcased the distillery’s adaptability and the versatility of its spirit when matured in different environments.

Lochlea has also launched a Private Cask Release programme, offering enthusiasts the opportunity to own a cask from the distillery’s warehouses, a rare chance to invest in a piece of this young yet fast-rising distillery’s history.

On the Shelves at Robert Graham 1874

Robert Graham is proud to stock a broad selection of Lochlea whiskies, allowing customers to experience the evolution of this remarkable distillery. Current expressions available include:

• Lochlea Our Barley – the flagship core range release.
• Lochlea Ploughing Edition – Third Crop – the final chapter in the seasonal series, with a gentle smokiness.
• Lochlea Overtone Stout Cask Finish – a creative, beer-cask matured release.
• Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 2 – robust, layered, and full of character.
• Seasonal editions from past years – including Fallow, Harvest, and Sowing releases.

What Lies Ahead

Lochlea’s trajectory suggests we have only seen the beginning of its creativity. The combination of estate-grown barley, meticulous production, and openness to cask experimentation positions the distillery to make an even greater impact in the coming years.

With Jill Boyd now firmly in place as Master Blender and John Campbell (formerly of Laphroaig) as Production Director, Lochlea has the leadership to push boundaries while remaining rooted in authenticity. Whether it’s future cask strength batches, innovative finishes, or special collaborations, each release promises to be a continuation of the story that began when the first seeds were sown on Robert Burns’ former farmland.

Conclusion – A Distillery to Watch

Lochlea Distillery is proof that tradition and innovation need not be opposites. By grounding their whisky in the land’s history and their own barley fields, they have created something unmistakably Scottish yet refreshingly modern.

For whisky lovers, Lochlea offers more than flavour, it offers a connection to place, to season, and to the craft of whisky-making at its most transparent.
And for those browsing the shelves at Robert Graham 1874, a bottle of Lochlea Distillery single malt whisky is not just a purchase, it is an invitation to taste a story that began in Ayrshire soil and now resonates far beyond Scotland’s borders.