Nov. 3: Chicago -w- Lochlea's Master Blender John Campbell...

Nov 3rd at 6pm - Master Class with John Campbell
Production Director & Master Blender

Hello Chicago Drammers!
We can not be more excited and proud to announce our third fall event to host the legendary John Campbell of Lochlea Distillery.

John announced that he was stepping down from his position at Laphroaig in 2021, citing wanting to be closer to his family on the mainland and taking up a new challenge at an at the time unnamed independent distillery as factors that played into his decision. John Campbell said: “Moving over to the mainland and joining Lochlea Distillery is an exciting step for my career. It’s an opportunity to develop a whisky that is innovative and distinctive, with a distillery that shares my ethos on quality, environment and sustainability. Getting involved in the process from this early stage means I can help to define what Lochlea becomes. The next few years are going to be incredibly exciting for us and I’m looking forward to us creating something really special.”… and yes he did!!!!!!

Founded by Neil McGeoch, Lochlea was a cattle farm when it was originally acquired in 2006. Construction of the distillery got underway in 2017, converting the former piggery, byre and midden in the heart of the farm steading into the distillery, and repurposing the cattle sheds into bonded warehouses. All licenses were secured in 2018, and the distillery was commissioned in August 2018.

Lochlea is situated in Lowlands, on a farm from the 1700s in Ayrshire just south of Kilmarnock. What make sit so special is that Robert Burns, the famous bard, actually lived and worked here during his formative years (1777-1784) and it was that time he wrote some of his most famous poems and also founded the Bachelor’s Club.

Lochlea Distillery has been named the global winner of Single Estate Distillery of the Year 2023 at the Icons of Whisky Awards, hosted by Whisky Magazine.

As having a chance to meet John Campbell is not enough, you’ll be tasting 6 great drams:

• Lochlea Our Barley

• Lochlea Cask Strength

• Ploughing Edition First Crop

• Sowing Edition Second Crop

• Harvest Edition Second Crop

• Fallow Edition First Crop

 Thank you John and Lochlea team, Mary and Impex Team and Gene and Zak at Warehouse Liquors for making this incredible event possible. We hope you can join us! Please let us know if you have any questions.

Cheers!

Charlie, Elhan, Michael and Drammers Club