Lakes Distillery unveils first permanent single malt

Nyetimber-owned The Lakes Distillery has revealed its first permanent style of Sherry-led whisky, known as Signature.

Signature is said to bring together discoveries made from more than a decade of exploration by the distillery’s whiskymakers, who have embraced the art of élevage – a proactive involvement in the spirit’s maturation that sees the whiskymaker observe the evolution of flavours within a cask rather than leaving it to mature untouched –  as well as Sherry cask ageing to create exceptional whiskies in the surroundings of England’s Lake District. Speaking to The Spirits Business ahead of the whisky’s official launch today (27 March), whiskymaker Sarah Burgess explained why the brand had decided now was the time to create a flagship expression: “When you look at what The Lakes has done up until now: we launched our first whisky with Genesis; we broke records with a brand new distillery, and a brand new whisky in terms of value or price; we went into the Quatrefoil range; then we started to really explore Sherry styles and worked through our Whiskymaker Reserve whiskies, releases one to seven. That was all about trying to create that house style and the backbone of The Lakes,” she explained. However, when it came to the Whiskymaker’s Edition range, which showcased the team’s sense of adventure in cask selection, maturation, and blending, Burgess said: “They were all about play time. They were us asking: ‘How can we push the boundaries? How can we make something different?’ That’s why in the Whiskymaker’s Editions we get a huge variation, and huge difference in flavour, and I think that is the beauty of what élevage can do. “Now, it's amazing to play and constantly make limited editions, but when I put myself as a whisky consumer and a whisky lover, it's amazing and depressing at the same time, because you can find your most amazing whisky and have one of your lifetime whisky moments with this product, but then you can never recreate it. So that's pretty sad, and that's why it's really important for me, and I think for a brand, to have a whisky that becomes your go-to. You can say, whether it is celebration or commiseration, that's the whisky I'm after, because I know what I'm going to get.” Burgess explained this new signature expression had to be Sherry-led on account of that being the style the team had experimented, played, and engineered flavours with the most. “It’s our knowledge and specialism,” she said. “But did it need to be European-led – really heavy, really spicy, really dried fruits? It could have been, but does that make it an accessible whisky? I think the answer to that is no.” As such, she explained that they chose to go down more of an American flavour line. “There is obviously European in there as well, but there's more of an American flavour profile to it, because for me, it appeals to more people, and for someone that's not a whisky drinker, you can approach Signature and enjoy it. And this is pretty nice for a non-whisky drinker, but also the experienced whisky drinker will be able to pick all of those layers of fruit, that element of treacle, possibly hints of tobacco, and that caramel and vanilla that swing back and forward." The Lakes Signature single malt whisky offers aromas of rich polished oak, dried fruits, pecan nuts, dark chocolate and a touch of orange zest, while on the palate is a melody of baking spices, sweet sultanas, raisins, and figs, that give way to stewed orchard fruits, a burst of citrus, and opulent notes of treacle intertwined with the depth of oak. “And, of course, what you always get with The Lakes whisky is that long lingering flavour and that rich mouth coat – it's there. It's not heavy on spice, it's not heavy on dried fruit, just because I wanted to make it a bit of a moreish go-to whisky. That's what I wanted.” The whisky is presented in a gift box, with the design created to reflect the stillness of the deep waters surrounding the distillery. Also speaking to The Spirits Business, Eric Hereema, CEO and owner of the Nyetimber Group, explained it was very important to the company for The Lakes to have a permanent presentation of one house style, and that going forward, he expects 60% to 70% of the distillery’s production to be for Signature. However, he noted that this is not the end of the distillery’s special editions, though it will be limiting the releases so as not to dilute the brand. “I think in the past, The Lakes launched a lot of single malts, many in one year. We don't want to do that. We want to make the special editions more special, and have a real specific identity and character differing from Signature. So it will only be a few a year in the future.” The Lakes Distillery Signature single malt whisky is bottled at 47% ABV and has an RRP of £85 (US$110). It is available from www.lakesdistillery.com.