Tastes

Part of a three part duty free exclusive series inspired by iconic animals in Viking culture. The marketing team have done their best to pack some stories into these TREs. Preparing for battle, Viking warriors believed they could harness the great bear’s mighty power and stamina by wrapping themselves in its skins. These fearless warriors became known as ‘berserkers’, their name derived from the old Norse words ‘ber’ – bear and ‘sekr ‘– skin. Apparently these bear skin warriors also believed whisky should be bottled by the litre. If you don’t bottle by the litre you’ll cop an axe to the skull. True facts here, nothing but. N: Light, but not necessarily delicate. I find this very immediately cereal driven, lots of honey and malt with a freshly baked pastry quality. But after 15 minutes or so in my glass this has opened up to give the HP heathery florals that I am coming to adore a little vanilla, and a touch of coastal sea air freshness. Im trying to convince myself some smoke is there, I’m not doing a good job of that. P: Soft, juicy and crisply refreshing arrival that is packed with malt, fresh orange peel and crystallised ginger. A creamy roundness is offered by a toffee note and some black pepper keeps it interesting. The smoke here I find is just a gentle whisper that threads everything together. Its light, and slightly herbal to perfumed. By the time my dram is done the whisper is a quiet conversation that I would like to continue. F: Medium. A little drying and warming with a pleasantly fading mix of honey and marmalade on white toast. Pepper is the last to leave. I don’t know how to feel about this. Many of the best things about HP are here, but they are all also a little short and lacking in depth. Then again, I would have no hesitation in pouring freely from the bottle and enjoying in good company. The litre bottling, when on offer at AUD $99 would be a steal worth stealing. Is it as good as perhaps the 10, probably not. Is it more easily enjoyed and just as good as my other recent NAS Dragon Legend and Raven; yes. Next time I travel allowances will be filled, that is for sure. [Pictured here with this drams Viking themed rock; a biotite-garnet amphibolite or as its locally known, cherry cake. This delectable looking chunk is from Akland in Southern Norway and represents metamorphic temperatures of over 500 degrees celsius and pressures concordant with depths of around 30-40 km. No bears needed] Price is for 1000 ml bottle. Distiller whisky taste #138 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.5

Seems that HP marketing struggled with finding more viking labels and what not, so they went with a raven and packed in as much back story about magical omens and Odins eyes as possible. None of which appears to have any bearing on the liquid other than perhaps a tenuous link to travel on the open seas and an initially travel retail exclusive release. Not sure what to expect going into this, but I am worried about the TRE and NAS bottling… N: Feels a little young and abrasive at first with a plastic-acetone prominent profile that over time turns slightly medicinal and earthy. I would not pick this as a Highland Park at all. There is perhaps a deftest touch of peat but its minor. A dark cherry is about all I take away here as a discrete note. P: OK. Now we are opening up. An oily to creamy fullness delivers a quick one-two punch combo of sherry influence and peat-smoke. Dark cherry again, stewed plum, and mocha and a little backing of leatheriness are accompanied by a soft and balanced herbal peat smoke. There is no earthiness here that the nose suggested and medicinal peat notes are absent, instead the smoke leans towards a beach bonfire. And, when I’m lucky I can dig up some preserved lemon. Much, much more interesting than the nose suggests F: Medium-long. Drying smoke and cherry with a little toffee-cream softness. Is there a little heathery-herbal touch here. The nose is the let down here, it offered me next to nothing. The palate though, and finish both offer a clear insight into the sherry casks in use at HP. Off the back of last nights Dragon Legend, which was supposed to be the balancing act of sherry and smoke, the Raven has defeated the dragon. The dragon wins on the nose, but the overall dram is slightly better executed by the Raven. Not at all bad, but still second last in my current HP exploration. [Pictured here with this drams Viking themed rock a highly evolved igneous rock containing almost exclusively elongate green aegerine and white albite. This chunk of viking homeland is from Sulitjelma, Nordhordland; Norway. Given the use of ravens by viking longboats to identify the presence of nearby land this rock was fitting. Aegerine is a mineral which gets its name from Aegir, the Scandinavian god of the sea] Distiller whisky taste #137 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5

According to the team at HP the Dragon Legend bottling was inspired by Sigurd the dragon slayer who licked dragon’s blood from his thumb and was granted powers of wisdom and prophesy. I think perhaps the marketing push is trying to hard. For this release HP have focussed on their classic sherry seasoned European oak casks but put with a higher proportion of Orkney peated malt than normal. Hopefully this is a build on from last nights more intensely smoky Valkyrie… N: Initially full but soft with a developing complexity. A toasty wood mixes with nutty and feinty slightly sweaty notes. There is a mulchy to teabag like quality here too. The peat smoke builds but remains in the realm of woody and slightly herbal. Working really hard I can dig up the fruit sweetness and winey notes contributed by the sherry cask, but they are not stars of this show. Not my favourite HP nose, and a little too one dimensional compared to recent HP delights. P: Immediate presence of smoke, an earthy and slightly floral smoke that fills the mouth leaving room for strong black pepper and an oily texture. Malty-cereals come next and bring salted pork, sherry fruits of dates and cherry(?), and dehydrated lemon. Oiliness develops to slightly leathery or tobacco like. Pepper remains constant, smoke builds its presence, and over time a HP floral-heathery honey develops. A lot more enticing than the nose suggested would follow. F: Medium-long. Drying smoke fades to a peppery close that slightly pushes out the malt and lemon notes. I was expecting more from the sherry casks, but the Dragon name of this bottle should have foretold me of the smoke that was to come forward. I like the restrained use of peat smoke by HP, its always delicate and intriguing. This is a much more forceful representation of their peat profile. The delicate dehydrated lemon, or maybe preserved lemon for some palates, is a nice brightness and the malty flavours along with some of the feinty leathery or sweaty notes are quite nice counterparts to the smokiness. I don’t mind this in the slightest. But, where I have been finding HP to be a ‘bright’ exploration of peat, the dragon legend feels comparatively ‘dark’. If I want darkness I can’t help but feel that Ardbeg 10 or Talisker 10 would be better places to go as this is, to me at least; a little one dimensional and in need of some more character befitting such an ambitious name. [Pictured here with this drams Viking themed rock, a 450-400 million year old garnet bearing olivine-websterite from Holsnøy, Norway. This rock is an incredible representative of our upper mantle at depths of up to 185 km. Rather than being a typical olivine rich peridotite this rock is enriched in vibrant green chromium-pyroxene] Distiller whisky taste #136 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25

Back in October @cascode was gracious enough to send me a dram of the Valknut. I enjoyed that intense and complex pour greatly. I was excited then to get my hands on the first in the ‘Val’ series, the Valkyrie. Only Valfather escapes me now. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries would descend onto the battlefields to find the best and bravest warriors and give them passage to Valhalla. A little digging and I can see that these three offerings use an unlisted higher contribution of the distillery's floor-malted barley than the usual 20% floor-malted to 80% externally-sourced barley. I think everything else is typical HP; American and European oak sherry casks and American oak ex-bourbon casks, and refill casks. Right enough jabbering, time for me to be carried off by Tessa Thompson,. N: Gentle and inviting with an understated maritime character. Chocolate is the first discrete note I find along with honey and apricot. The beautiful signature HP floral smoke rolls on in and blends together creating a lovely balanced profile. With time in the glass there is some sherry presence but the smoke also builds to a pleasant forcefulness and takes on an ashiness also. Even more time an I do find some wood spice, but I have really had to work to find that, worth it though, really good; freshly waxed and polished oak. P: Thick, full and immediately thick with ashy smoke. Behind the thick smoke curtain are initially wood spice followed by chocolate and toffee with gingery tingle to peppery spice. As the smoke builds the ashy character drops away and allows some fruity sweetness to come out; dried apple rings, plum, and maybe some bitter orange or marmalade? As things develop and meld with subsequent tastes a fudgy creamy texture takes over. Can you get smoke flavoured chocolate marmalade fudge? If not, HP should make it and give me a cut of the profits; thats what this is. F: Medium-short. Creamy texture with warming pepper, chocolate, wood spice and the constance of smoke. I feel like my HP tastings are starting to be the same? Is that just me, I can’t tell any more. Perhaps, I have died at the battlefield of drams and been carried off by a Valkyrie after all? Alternately, maybe I am just dialling into the excellence at the core of a very heavily stacked set of offerings by the team on Orkney? There is much heavier weight to the smoke in Valkyrie, but it also feels different to the standard age statement smoke. Here, things feel heavy and ashy. In the core age range, things culminate at the 18 as floral, light, and delicate - it’s here where I think HP really shine. Despite smoke being heavy and ashy here in Valkyrie, it’s not overbearing. The whole pour is well balanced by the fruity and the woody\winey notes. I’m happy. I’d be happier if Tessa could come take me to the Valfather now! [Pictured here with another Viking themed rock, this time a 440-400 million year old dunite from Åheim, Norway. This green blob is almost pure olivine and representative of the upper mantle after basalt has been extracted] Distiller whisky taste #135 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25

Continuing the deep dive into Highland Park we arrive at the fabled 18. Tonight I pour a 30 ml sample but to my shame there was a bottle of this precious liquid on my shelf many years ago around a year into my whisky journey. I had no right having it. Back in my early days discovering distiller I saw the 99 rating (admittedly on the old bottling), and then discovered the two time winner of the accolade “worlds best spirit”. I was/am an idiot. I wasted that bottle through a lack of appreciation and undestanding of what I was drinking. Now I’m back. Rounding out my Distiller tastes of the core range age statements. Only the 21 evades me, so if anyone wants to send me 30 ml, I’d be much obliged. The 10, 12, and 15 have all been subtly different, each beautiful in their own rights. The 25 was exceptional. I now have very high expectations of the 18. N: Wow, I was not expecting such a floral explosion. Beautifully fragrant and crisp with light honey and sherry cask sweetness, and the faintest notion of smoke. A soft vanilla presence is there with a little malt cereal and a delicious orange oil. Over time a little oak tannin becomes apparent. Dare I say it, as good as the 25? The longer I sit with this the more I am drawn in. Is the best thing about Highland Park the nose? The smoke is taking on a slightly briny-maritime character and combined with the florals, just brilliant. P: Creamy and rich arrival. Sweet, spicy, and bitter; all the players are here with excellent balance. Dark cherry with syrupy consistency provides depth of sweetness, espresso-mocha adds a velvety bitterness, and peppery cinnamon and ginger add some spicy vibrancy. Behind these major players though are honey, barley, more fruitiness, and a toffee-fudge creaminess. The smoke is ever so slightly salted and as per my other HP notes, like BBQ burnt ends. F: Medium. Honied malt, orange spritz and a gentle salty-smoke. The exiting texture is gingery and lightly prickly with softening milk chocolate fullness. Oh dear. Past Robert is an absolute moron. I had no idea how good this was, a bottle wasted; never again. This is a truly delectable whisky with depth and character beyond what I was expecting. Again, so similar to the other age statement offerings but with wonderful new developments coming to the table. What I find particularly interesting is that the 25 is perhaps not as exciting. I think the added age on the 25 may have muted some of the more subtle notes I get here in the 18. The 25 definitely doesn’t have the same incredibly floral bouquet on the first nose. At 1/4 the price of the 25 the 18 gets my pick of the age statement bunch, in my opinion its as good. [Pictured here with a garnet-corona granulite from the Lindas Nappe of the Bergen Arc in Nordhordland, Norway. This is one of my pride and joy rocks, perfectly fitting for Highland Parks Viking Pride. This rock is a very high temperature metamorphic rock formed 930 million years ago that got caught up in the roots of the Caledonian Mountains that formed 420 million years ago] Distiller whisky taste #134 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25

Continuing with my Highland Park exploration we move to the newly released 15 y/o. This bottle received a fair amount of marketing from HP with the newly designed ceramic ‘bottle’ and lots of ‘visual tasting’ adverts on social media. Given how remarkable the 10 and 12 are I have very high expectations tonight as I pour a measure of this beautiful looking liquid. N: Mild and oily with a delicate presence. Soft brown sugar is up front and melts you in. As brown sugar wraps around; I find orange oil and a tiny spice note, like clove or cinnamon. Dried apricot and the most beautifully soft cushion of floral heathery smoke are wonderful. The more I let this sit and breathe, and the deeper I inhale, the more I can find a slightly figgy to raisin fruit note that is undoubtedly delivered by the sherry casking. Time in the glass intensifies everything and demands more time and attention before the first sip. P: A smoky and sooty arrival that has a mouth filling presence. Heathery and slightly briny smoke pushes all around giving way for dark (but not bitter) cocoa, dark toffee and a suggestion of vanilla, a thick dark marmalade, and candied ginger. A slightly nutty-creamy development accompanies a building smoke that reaches BBQ burnt end appeal. Sherry fruit and sweetness is present but it is not the lead singer, it’s the backing trio that just keep the harmonies ticking along. Lovely stuff. It is the smoke and chocolatey marmalade that draw me back in though. F: Medium-long. Creamy cocoa, delicate spice notes and lingering embers. This is perhaps better than my expectations and lives up to the marketing hype. The extra age over the 10 and 12 have taken the sugars and dark fruits of the sherry cask and pushed them into dark toffee and cocoa. Supporting efforts fo marmalade are wonderful and with the exemplification of the smoke on the nose through to the palate we end up with a lovely maturity and balance without being lost in complexity. I’m wondering if this might be a bit of a sweet spot for ageing Highland Park spirit. Looking back at my taste for the 25 year old I’m not thinking there is a huge improvement from this point. Very excited for the 18 now thats for sure. [Pictured here on Boxing Day with a Christmas Tree coloured 450 million year old eclogite. This rock is from the Western Gneiss Region of Norway; a viking heart(land) you might say. Representing metamorphism of oceanic crust at around 50 km depth that occurred during the Caledonian Orogeny that built mountains across Scandinavia and Scotland] Distiller whisky taste #133 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25

I didn’t plan on starting here for this next distillery run… I think the first HP I had was the new (current) 18 some five or six years ago. Way before I knew what I was doing, even though I still don’t know what I’m doing now. I have since had the 12 (taste #86), the 25 (taste #51) and Valknut (taste #92; thank you @cascode). I have always been drawn to HP, I think a combination of excellent marketing and the unique heather laden peat have captured me. So, I decided I needed to do a deep dive on whatever I could get my hands on. Ten 30 ml tastings, a bottle of an Australian exclusive, and then tonight… an unexpected generous share from a newly broken bottle. The 15 and 18 to come next, but for tonight; 10. N: Very soft, delicate and inviting. A little toffee or honey lace the malty-biscuity background. Really quite sublime herbal smoke and dried fruit influence add a heap of character and interest. P: Slightly oily to every so slightly earthy. Perhaps a slightest touch thin but delivers really good flavours. A pear juice fullness carries everything and keeps things slightly refreshing against a little cereal and merest suggestion of time in sherry casks. In the mix we have a well balanced and maritime influenced smoke and glazed ham. Not complex but, delivers everything you want for this price point. Although saying that, I just found that floral touch of heathery peat, and it’s just great. F: Medium. Oily with a salty bite. Herbal and slightly menthol or minty on a deep breath. There is also a late and short-lived arrival of pepper. I was expecting this to be good, and I was not disappointed. There is no great complexity or mystery to this. It’s relatively young but old enough to not be rough or harsh. Perhaps the slightly earthy texture I found is a sign of the younger spirit, but it’s not a problem. There is less honey on the nose and palate than the 12 with a lesser spice profile and an absence of both chocolatey and citrus notes. But I don’t mind at all. What I wanted, HP floral-herbaceous smoke and a notion of BBQ meat (glazed ham in this case), was found. It may be bottom shelf HP, but i’d still be very happy to add it to all my shelves. To be honest I wouldn’t choose between the 10 and the 12. For all their similarity they are very different whiskies that showcase different elements of the HP maturation story. I can get behind both in equal measure. I may be over generous in my score here but the smoke profile elevates this slightly more than the next score down in my books. A great start to my coming HP journey. Also at <80 AUD, this is a steal. [For all you rock fans, no rock with this pour as it wasn’t imbibed in the comfort of my rock room, sorry] Distiller whisky taste #132 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25

Taking a momentary pause from distillery focused tastings to open this limited release. First though, two points to address. This whisky is a limited release made available from Australia’s subscription monthly whisky service “The Whisky Club”. I have complained to people about them before for being a bit crap and peddling exclusive releases that are really not worth the hype or additional $15 postage. I have tried a few from TWC before, and have bought one, the Bladnoch Embers, that even impressed the Oracle @cascode. Having recently very much enjoyed cognac casking, i couldn’t resist this one. Secondly, Starward. *Sigh* Starward are the biggest distributors and producers of Australian Whisky. They have recently got massive spotlight attention for winning eight double golds at the San Fran Spirts Comp and title of worlds best distillery. However, I have found the few I have tried to date, just about average. I have also complained about all the experimental barrels to play with that they then peddle as special and exclusive. Gah. But again, cognac casks! So, the whisky: here we have standard Starward distillate matured in red wine barrels which is their signature style but then a second maturation (~1 year) in Limousin Oak French Cognac casks. I am pleading with the whisky gods that this is deserving of such premiere wood… N: Luscious arrival with a little bit of ethanol burn. Thick with red berries, apples and pears and perhaps stone fruit. This is an orchard in autumn. Why autumn? Well there is a little bit of warming wood and cinnamon spice. To round everything out and deliver it the nose is wrapped in a lightly vanilla caramel. Punchy, bold and heavy. No subtlety; but good all the same. Over time things turn ever so slightly sour and after a few sips a little apple cider vinegar maybe. P: thick and creamy to oily. The oak is the most apparent note straight away and it has imparted a butteriness that delivers a somewhat heavy handed smack of wood spice. Beyond the smack, there is a little honey sweetness, a nutty chocolate, and some ginger to chilli heat. Very simple at first taste, and I’m going to need to come back in with some water… F: Medium-long. Lots of oak with some sweetness and a little coconut cream. I’m reminded a little of Malibu rum. A few drops of water cuts straight through the little ethanol prickle on the nose and the wood spice softens and allows the fruity caramel to really do its thing. The slightly sour apple cider note has faded. That note is interesting as its the same one I found in the cognac finished Balvennie I tasted back at taste #101. I think its safe to say its a cognac thing. Water takes the heavy handed smack of spice and really unravels it. The palate is so much more velvety and creamy the spices stretch to nutmeg, cinnamon, tannic tartness. Great. The chocolaty nuttiness is pretty much bang on a chocolate dipped gingerbread man biscuit. There is perhaps also a slight citrus spritz, orange. This is my fourth Starward distiller taste, and to date everything has been around average, not befitting the hype. This one though, the best yet. It’s not as delicate as I was hoping for but it abounds with flavours. I think a little air in the bottle and some time to mellow will do a little bit of good here. Both the whisky club and Starward are given some much needed points in my ledger. [Pictured here with a cute little rock in a rock from the Bunger Hills of Antarctica. Here we have a very high temperature metamorphic granulite (stained red by iron weathering) that has origins 1.7 billion years ago intruded by a tiny little black basalt dyke from 1.14 billion years ago.] Distiller whisky taste #131 *If you’ve read this far, you get to partake in my post christmas tasting decision making. Where do i go first: 11 deep in Highland Park and some pretty special bottles from them, or seven deep in London based Bimber?* **Also, Distiller App people e.g., @mikael, cab you make it so that user added bottles can be edited? This is not a Cognac cask, it is a red wine cask with Cognac finishing. Details matter**

And so I have arrived at the end of my six dram tour of the Lakes Distillery and their offerings. I hope I have saved the best until last. The Lakes Whisky Makers Reserve No. 5. Probably need to do a wank check and see what the liberal arts majors have been employed to say here: “The Whisky maker’s Reserve series is an artistic exploration of our sherry-led house style. The whisky maker defines the architecture of each release as he unlocks infinite variables and never-ending flavour possibilities. Matured in the finest, bespoke Oloroso, PX, and red wine casks, comprising Spanish and American oak, The Whisky maker’s Reserve No.5 is an elegant and moorish evolution, possessing the same sherry-led, wood-forward characteristics as its predecessors. Wonderfully fruity aromatics lead to indulgent baklava and a vibrant, creamy finish.” N: Deliciously deep and enticing with a thick woody feel. A very perfumed and floral lift delivers dried fruit, cherry, old wood furniture, chocolate, and a nutty oiliness. Give it long enough and you may find the chocolate becomes slightly bitter as in a mocha-espresso. If the palate is even a fraction as spectacular then I may need to move back to the UK. P: Oily mouthfeel with a spattering of really pleasant high proof prickle. Light coffee, wood spice, a fruity vaguely tropical vibrancy and syrupy red wine influence. A little toffee-vanilla and the slightest touch of cereal that rapidly turns to an almost crunchy brown sugar taste. Not quite as complex as the nose but whistle clean, purposeful and just deliciously executed. Somebody very much cared about making this, and it shows/tastes. F: Long. Toasty wood spices, buttery brown sugar. No hint or indication that 54% ABV was here. Yep. The best was indeed saved until last. Whilst again, the nose has overshadowed the palate, this is a wonderful example of just how good a young whisky can be if it is made with care and attention to detail. everything from the spirit to the casking and eventual bottling has worked wonderfully and delivered a nuanced, delicate yet authoritative, simply delicious English whisky. Well done Lakes, well done. It’s just occurred to me that I enjoyed this so much I didn’t stop to see what water does. Oh well, clearly I didn’t think it needed it… I believe the whisky makers reserve are the crown jewels in the Lakes portfolio. Their No. 4 won the world whisky award this year, so global expectations are likely to be high. My fear though, with this level of coverage and prestige and the former Mcallan dhavall ghandi running the Lakes with carte blanche I see one of two outcomes: (1) prestige bottlings that impress on the shelf but don’t deliver on the high price tag, or (2) demand that strips puppy and makes them impossible to get a hold of. I will be eagerly awaiting my visit to learn more about these trail blazers. GBP70 but here in the Australian market; not even available. [Pictured here with a Fault Breccia consisting of 450 million year old andesitic lavas and thick white calcite cements. The original volcanic rocks formed from the remnants of a volcanic island arc like is seen in the west pacific today. Now, these enigmatic, fractured and broken rocks are found in Greater Langdale around 30 miles south of our gracious host for these last six drams; The Lakes Distillery]. Distiller whisky taste #130

Four drams deep into my pre-visit exploration of the Lakes Distillery and we arrive at my second of the Makers Series, the 54% Bal Masque. Having been impressed by the Mosaic I have high hopes for another excellent offering. What does the distillery have to say about this offering: “Complex and aromatic, Bal Masque bears the mystery and seduction of a masquerade ball. Flavours and aromas mingle like masked revellers with featherlight touches. The beauty of Bal Masque derives from the mercurial, not the obvious. With untold guile, wisdom, wit and panache, the whisky maker has masterfully conducted enigmatic French oak casks to create a seductive, mysterious character.” I still have no idea what the marketing department were smoking when they wrote these synopses. So much BS. It does seem though that both Quercus Petraea, previously used as wine casks, and Quercus Robur (undisclosed former use) were combined to create this liquid. N: Assertive and slightly aggressive. There is a bounty of wood spice, cinnamon (thats the aggressor), crisp pear (or apple?), and most interestingly a slightly floral smoky like quality. Theres even more though; vanilla, caramel, cereal, and maybe a crisp brown sugar. Wonderful stuff. Everything beautifully refined and the lightest of presences that lets everything come through in equal measure. A dash of water has brought that floral note forward and turned it into the inside of a hippie crystal wand and dragon statue shop; incense. Water tames the aggressive edge but also takes the rich caramel notes way down too. P: Light, but with an oily presence. Vanilla caramel arrives first and leaves last but carries with it a toasty-nutty creaminess that I suspect is the wood talking. Cinnamon and nutmeg spice (and a lot of them) are reminders of the 54% ABV, generic fruit juiciness keeps the spice in check. The smallest of sips reveals a red berry to stewed plum like sweet-freshness. All lovely enough, but overshadowed by the remarkable intrigue the nose presents. Water destroys here, the palate becomes thin and bland. Don’t do it, drink it at 54%, its not harsh or bitey here. F: Long. The cinnamon warmth is beautifully wholesome and carries a little juicy fruit and wooded spice. This is again, really good stuff. Highly engaging and interesting, with just the most wonderfully complex and delicate nose. Some of the wanky BS marketing spiel I have to concede, applies here. It is “featherlight” and mysterious. Sadly the palate is a touch less than the nose, just slightly under delivering on big promises made by the nose. The finish, perfect for a cold night coming in from the cold (not well suited to the sweaty state I’m in today at 36 °C). Still impressive stuff, and the Lakes Spirit is clearly very good. So far my early half baked uneducated and unprofessional opinion is that the One Series can be ignored in place of the Makers Series. I am now pumped for the last in my exploration; The Reserve No. 5. GBP80 but here in the Australian market; not even available. [Pictured here with a porphyritic microgranite from Threlkeld, around 10 miles southeast of the Lakes Distillery. This 451 million year old rock was originally the same composition as granite, but cooled much more rapidly to produce a ‘micro’ texture. Now altered to buggery, so it looks absolutely nothing like a granite]. Distiller whisky taste #129