It has to be said that with the belting boom of world whisky
over the last few years, you could very easily be forgiven for partially taking your eyes off the ball, with regards to what's been drammed up and distilled right here on Blighty.
In fact whilst distilleries of both the "big boy owned" and "Independent" variety
continue to thrive and grow in the motherland of Scotchland, further down south things have also
been booming along nicely.
Up until a couple of years ago, the only notable whisky producing
names in the UK outside Scotland were Penderyn in Wales, founded in 2000 and The English Whisky
Co in Norfolk, founded in 2006. Now there is a plethora of new names on the Great British whisky map,
made up of existing distillers and those starting from scratch.
From Healey’s in Cornwall and Adnams in Southwold to the
Cotswold’s Distillery and The London Distillery Company, the ever growing list
is proof if proof be needed, that we’re not only a proud nation of whisky
drinkers, we’re now well and truly a proud nation of whisky producers!
One name in particular and one that would fall into the
category of starting from scratch, is The Lakes Distillery in Cumbria. Founded
by Paul Currie, who just happens to know a thing or two about whisky, having
previously set up the Arran Distillery with his father in 1995.
Whisky production itself won’t start at the distillery until
later this year, and when it does it’ll be a few years before anything can be
bottled post maturation. So in the meantime and as with other newbies, a
revenue source will be created through sales of their artisan, small batch
‘Lakes Gin’ and continuing sales of their unique British blended whisky ‘The
One’.
The nose kicks off with waves of smoked infused heathery
honey, vanilla fudge, a wedge of key lime pie and a distant wondering waft of a
Moroccan spice market.
Things then get fruity and fresh with the arrival of granny
smith apples, gooseberries, white grapes and a splash-ette of rose water.
Followed by a bar of Cadbury’s fruit and nut and a bag of Rowntree's Tooty
Frooties.
The palate kicks off with a decadent mouth coating burst of
Paul A Young’s chocolate salted caramels, followed instantaneously by a hearty
slice of spiced treacle cake, covered in lashings of vanilla custard.
Feisty fiery oak, cayenne pepper, cardamom and toasted fennel
seeds make for the next set of palatable pleasures, along with lychees, a handful
of chocolate covered dates and something gloriously grain-esque.
The finish provides the perfect sassily spiced long
lingering end to what was the consistent and cracking start of the nose and the
middle of the palate.
All in all it’s a bountiful, big bang for buck, belting British
blend, that makes a lot of promises on its initial nosing, and most certainly keeps
each and every one, right on up to and including its final savouring sip.
