Impression // The Lakes Distillery - Blended Whiskies & Single Malts

Let me ask you a question: do you think whisky should be made solely in Scotland? If yes, stop reading, and miss out on the opportunity to learn about one of the ‘hot’ and ‘new’ distilleries, impressing whisky enthusiasts all over the world. Still reading? Yeah, I wouldn’t want to skip this article either. Here are my tasting impressions of the The Lakes’ blended whiskies and two of their single malts. Whisky from England? Yes please.

Text by Mickaël Van Nieuwenhove
Photography is © The Lakes Distillery and © Alex Tefler

Regular readers of the blog will remember that this is not the first article that I’ve written about The Lakes Distillery. A little over a year ago, I reviewed The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No. 2, and I was lyrical about it:

“The Whiskymaker's Reserve No.2 is a high-quality single malt whisky, eager to join the 'big boys' in the line-up. […] With its sophisticated yet accessible flavours, this expression has what it takes to convince and impress. If this is the product of holistic whisky-making, I'm eager to join their masterclass.“

Did I just quote myself on my own blog? Yes, I did. But if you can get over the idea that blatant showcasing of self-promotion, and you check that article, you will find their story intriguing and their whisky process invigorating, and even a little bit inspiring. One of their whiskies even made it in the “Top 20 single malt whiskies from around the world“ by IWSC.

A couple of weeks ago, I met up with Johan from Young Charly for a tasting session of their blended whiskies and two single malts in their portfolio: Whiskymaker's Reserve No.3 & The Whiskymaker's Editions
Colheita. He even gave me some homework: samples of their gins and gin liqueurs, and the promise of a sample of their vodka.

If, by now, you’ve refreshed your memory by reading up on The Lakes in the previous article, you’ve undoubtedly found out that Dhavall Gandhi, master blender and director of whisky & spirit operations for The Lakes Distillery, practices (and preaches) holistic whisky-making: whisky production is not a series of individual steps, but more “a continuum, a net of possibilities where everything is interlinked. Change one element and the effect will change everything else.“ (lakesdistillery.com)

The Lakes treats every step of the process (yes, even the choice of the label and the design of the bottle) as a necessary phase that should be handled with great care, and I more or less get that approach. You can’t lose yourself in details by keeping the greater picture in mind, and at the same time every detail in the process builds towards the best possible product.

Do I taste this in the whisky? I don’t know. The only thing I can say is that I like their products, and plenty of other people seem to like them too!

The Lakes - Blended Whisky

The Lakes releases its blended whiskies under the “The One” label, offering up expressions that fit nicely in your drinks cabinet: excellent flavors to be enjoyed neat or in cocktails, and the bottles fit nicely on your drinks cabinet to display your level of sophistication.

Their signature blend is The One Fine Blended Whisky, the cornerstone of the blended range. Made from select grain and malt Scotch whiskies from Speyside and Islay, this 46,6% ABV release is light in the nose, with some fruits and a sweeter side, but also a little bit of smoke. On the palate, sweet with a warming sensation, thicker than most blended whiskies, offering the same fruits and a little bit of spice.

To diversify, The Lakes decided to experiment with their blends. At the moment, 4 special releases are available: an orange wine cask finish, a port cask finish, a sherry cask finish, and a Moscatel wine cask finish. I was able to try out the first 3, as the Moscatel was released merely days after our tasting. UPDATE (27/04): I have since received a sample of the Moscatel finish, which I will review below.

The One Orange Wine Cask Finished Whisky is bottled at 46,6% ABV, just like all the other blended whiskies The Lakes produces, and contains whisky “from first-fill American oak casks, seasoned with an exceptionally rare aromatised wine, known as 'Vino de Naranja' from Huelva in Andalucía”. (lakesdistillery.com)

It is fruity in the nose, with the same warm note which can be found in their The Whiskymaker's Editions
Colheita (more on that later). On the palate, inklings of dryness, bitterness, and sweetness, all balanced superbly. Lots of fruits, again, reminding me of blood oranges and exotic fruits. There’s a long finish to be enjoyed.

Next, The One Sherry Cask Finished Whisky, very different in style, but very rewarding. This sherry cask blend nestles itself nicely in your nose. It is sweet like powdered sugar, with a strong sherry DNA hidden within. The blend can best be described as ‘heavy on the tongue’. It's flavors are weighty, full-bodied, but also slightly subdued. A creamy texture is the foundation for chocolate and nutty flavors, and the same long finish that I enjoyed in the orange wine cask finish.

Lastly, I tried The One Port Cask Finished Whisky, dried out in the nose, hot like a summer in sandy southern Europe. Wood notes and a shadow of cherries. An easy drinker, though a bit thicker than most blends, but well-rounded, warm, and full of fruity flavors. A slightly shorter finish, but with a pinch of spice at the end.

UPDATE:

Thanks to Johan from Young Charly, I recently received a sample from The One Moscatel Wine Cask Finished, also bottled at 46,6% ABV. This is a blend of select grain and malt Scotch whiskies, with The Lakes Single Malt as its cornerstone. The - already familiar - gentle nature of this blend is expressed in fragrances reminding me of delicate flowers and sweet mandarins, with some vanilla sugar to add. I tasted a bit of honey glaze (the kind you find on pastries), followed by some vanilla and that warm, sticky, slightly tangy, and dry flavor that you get when you enjoy a dessert wine. Yeah, the Moscatel is in there, alright! The finish is warm, long, and satisfactory, like a summer evening on a terrace somewhere in southern France…

I stand by my initial thoughts: delicious, refined, high-quality.

The Lakes - Single Malt Whisky

Before I tried out The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No. 3 (with No. 4 and No. 5 to be released in the near future), I tried out The Whiskymaker's Editions Colheita, a single malt whisky which matured partially on vintage port casks, selected personally by Dhavall Gandhi. In this case, an aged Tawny Port cask was used.

At 52% ABV, this expression really made me think of a drawn-out summer evening on the porch. The scents are warming, sweet, with plenty of summer fruits. The texture is a little bit thicker than water, on its way towards syrup. There’s orange peel, bitters, and a warm and long finish with a little bit of spice at the end.

The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No. 3, in contrast, is more subdued in nature, more careful. Even though it has a slightly higher ABV (54%), it takes a bit more time to open up in the nose. The influence of the PX, Oloroso, Cream Sherry and red wine casks is present, but only if you give it some time. The texture is even more sticky than the Colheita, with warm and creamy flavors in a delicate balance. The finish is slightly drier, with even some bitterness right at the end.

In summary, these two expressions would fit perfectly after a nice outdoor meal, were it not that they have completely sold out already! If you find a bottle in retail, give me a call! Or get it yourself. It’s a free country.