Lochlea Dark Briar: A Rich New Chapter in the Core Range

Lochlea Distillery sits quietly in rural Ayrshire, on a working farm just a short distance from where Robert Burns once lived and worked. Family owned and independently run, Lochlea grows its own barley on the estate and carries out distillation, maturation and bottling entirely on site.

Since distillation commenced in 2018 and the first casks were laid down, the distillery has taken a measured, deliberate approach, favouring transparency, provenance and long term thinking over rushing whisky to market. Early releases from Lochlea focused on exploring distillery character through different cask styles, often via seasonal and limited editions. These bottlings played an important role in shaping the direction of the range, offering insight into how Lochlea’s spirit behaves under different influences while stocks continued to mature.

From Fallow Edition to Dark Briar

One of the most significant of those earlier releases was the Fallow Edition, which marked a clear shift towards a richer, more autumnal style. Fallow was the first expression where Lochlea moved decisively away from lighter, spirit forward maturation and began to explore deeper, sherry influenced character. It showed that the distillery’s spirit could comfortably carry greater weight, fruit and spice without losing its identity.

Dark Briar builds directly on that foundation. Where Fallow hinted at a darker direction through a limited release, Dark Briar brings those ideas into a permanent core range expression. It reflects a growing confidence at the distillery, taking the lessons learned from Fallow and applying them with greater structure and intent.

About Lochlea Dark Briar

Dark Briar is matured in a carefully balanced combination of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry butts, alongside Port casks. Rather than leaning on a single cask type, the vatting brings together different styles of fortified wine casks to create depth, richness and warmth, while still allowing Lochlea’s house character to remain clearly defined.

Bottled non-chill filtered and with natural colour, Dark Briar sits comfortably alongside Lochlea’s other core releases, but occupies a darker, more indulgent space within the range. It is not an experiment or a one off but a considered statement of where the distillery sees its spirit heading in these types of casks, as stocks continue to age.

Lochlea Dark Briar Tastings Notes

The nose is rich and inviting, with dark fruits, stewed berries and ginger cake. Cocoa powder, dried vine fruits and gentle oak sit beneath a soft sweetness. The palate is full and rounded, showing juicy red fruits, warming baking spices and a velvety texture. Sherry richness is balanced by the subtle influence of Port casks, adding depth without overwhelming the spirit. On the finish, long and warming, with lingering spice, dried fruit and a gentle dryness that draws the flavours out.

A Confident Step Forward

Dark Briar feels like a natural evolution for Lochlea. It takes the darker, richer ideas first explored in the Fallow Edition and refines them into a composed, permanent expression. For those who have followed the distillery’s journey so far, it’s a clear sign of growing confidence, patience and intent and a welcome addition to the Lochlea core range.

It’s also a whisky that hints strongly at what’s still to come. While Dark Briar is well worth exploring now, it feels very much like part of a longer story, with Lochlea’s spirit and cask stock only set to improve with time. One to watch closely as the distillery continues to mature.

You can purchase Lochlea Dark Briar at Abbey Whisky via the following link. 

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