Single Estate: what does it mean?

At Lochlea, we aim to keep as much of our process on-site as possible. Why? Because we want to work with the land and maintain full traceability of the ingredients used to make our single malt whisky.

We grow our own barley, access our water on-site, and conduct annual malting trials, with a view to introducing our own malt floor in the future. With a hands-on approach to production, all of our spirit is distilled and matured on-site too, with our team filling roughly 32 casks per week.

In 2023, a new 'Single Estate' category was introduced at the Icons of Whisky Awards. We were honoured to be the first distillery named the global winner of this category. While it was a testament to our efforts, it also highlighted the increase in single estate distilleries being established across the globe.

In her recent Foodism feature, Millie Milliken explores how distilleries around the world are defining their approach to single estate operations. Our Production Director, John, sat down with Millie to discuss what this looks like for Lochlea.

Thank you to Millie and Foodism for the opportunity!