Lakes Distillery ‘The ONE Whisky’
A little while ago, an impromptu trip took me to the most Northern part of England, just below the Scottish border. Obviously then, I visited the Lakes Distillery, located in—of course—the Lake District. I went on a Sunday.
It was the only day I could manage to visit, but in hindsight you’re probably better of visiting during a week day. Man, it was BUSY! Tours every hour, targeted at the millions of tourists that visit the Lake District every year.
It quickly became clear to me that I was not what they had in mind when the visitor experience was designed. Which, you know, was to be expected, I guess. For me it’s another distillery I can tick off my list, but there’s not much of an opportunity to for some in-depth information or questions.
What I will say, is that the Sunday roast at the bistro is absolutely top-notch. The alpaca’s grazing behind the distillery are a nice touch as well. And the Lake District is beautiful. Although I must say there are countless parts of Scotland that offer a similar or often even better landscape.
The ONE Whisky includes—as far as I can tell—no whisky at all from the Lakes Distillery. It is a blend with whisky from all over the the British Isles, so it might also include some Irish whiskey. More likely though, this is mostly whisky from Scotland.
Lakes Distillery ‘The ONE Whisky’ (40%, OB, 2018)
Nose: Grass and straw, as well as malt and honey with a hint of oak shavings. Soft notes of banana custard and red apple peel. A whisper of wood smoke in the background.
Taste: Young with a mellow peat influence, accompanied by sweet breakfast cereals and a hint of banana and wood smoke. Hint of black pepper and blackcurrants. Decent enough.
Finish: Lingering spiciness and smokiness.
Rating: 82
While I get the idea behind the name, I still find it a bit pretentious. Yet, I quite like what they’ve done actually. Proper balance, enough depth of flavour. Yeah, can’t really fault it.
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
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