The Heart Cut Lochlea #17 is a delicate yet smoky single malt matured in an ex-Islay cask to produce an elegant interplay of coastal smoke and orchard sweetness. Released in a single cask bottling of 410 bottles and drawn from a distillery that grows all its own barley, this dram showcases the gentle, cask-derived smoke that can be achieved without peating the malt.
Lochlea #17 is remarkable for its provenance and restrained smokiness: Laureate barley grown on the farm gives a biscuity, citrusy spirit which takes on subtle smoky layers from the ex-Islay cask, resulting in a composed profile of bonfire embers, baked orchard fruit and creamy nuttiness. Selected by the distillery’s master blender, the whisky is bottled at 54% ABV, non-chill filtered and uncoloured for a true single-cask expression.
Lochlea #17’s creamy hazelnut and baked-apple notes pair beautifully with smoked or charred seafood such as barbecued pineapple prawns or smoked salmon canapés, while richer matches include duck or hazelnut-studded desserts; sessionable, citrus-led craft beers also lift the dram’s orchard and sherbet highlights for an accessible tasting experience.
The nose evokes freshly cut grass, barbecued pineapple and delicate coastal smoke with buttery apples and green pepper; the palate offers barbecued citrus, runny honey and creamy hazelnut before smoke thickens into birchwood embers, finishing long with sherbet candy, bitter orange peel and a wisp of sea salt.
Ayrshire, Scotland
54.0%