23/01/2026
Burns can often be reduced to a bit of a caricature in the whisky world (see my last post) and it’s easy to see why. Outside of the interesting and clever ways he wrote about drink, the most compelling thing for me was his obvious connection to the land, something that should resonate with whisky enthusiasts nowadays, what with our fascination with provenance and locality.
don’t really make a big fuss of the fact that Robert Burns lived and worked at the very farm where the distillery is now located. His father was the tenant farmer at ‘Lochlie’ until his death in 1784. Sure, the fact is mentioned but it doesn’t define them. Instead they focus on their ethos of being an integrity driven farm to bottle operation.
The distillery isn’t open to visitors but I was lucky enough to be shown round on behalf of last year and it really made me appreciate what they’re doing at the farm. Those hills of barley…what a sight.
Walking around the fields later it was hard not to romanticise the idea that Burns would’ve cast his gaze across the very same grey, winters landscape some 250 years ago and been inspired by what he saw.
Today Lochlea release their 7 year old. A milestone for a young distillery quietly going about their business in the right way. Here’s to Burns, here’s to the land and here’s to Lochlea!
Big thanks to , and for showing me round.
🌾🥃🏴
