Tastes

Three of seven ‘The One’ series complete I am moving onto The Lakes Distilleries ‘Makers Series’. Having found my experience with the blended One series slightly flat and lacklustre (Moscatel excepted) I have high hopes for the Makers series that reflects 100% Lakes Distillery spirt, as opposed to the blended grain and malt from all over Scotland in the Ones. The Whisky Maker’s Series are special-edition single malts which showcase our whisky maker's sense of adventure in cask selection, maturation, and blending. What does the distillery have to say about this offering: “Made with carefully designed pockets of flavour from our bespoke collection of oak casks, the latest Edition, Mosaic, is a story told through art and flavour. Taking inspiration from the Silk Road, the ancient intercontinental avenue of east-west trade and cultural exchange, it draws together a sense of adventure from East and West, uniting eclectic influences and flavours in a singular, sophisticated expression. Taking you on a journey through time and cultural becoming, it seeks to immerse you in a tale of two worlds with a mellow, rustic elegance in keeping with its cosmopolitan influences” I’ll be honest, I have no idea what all that means. Blah blah blah, lots of wank. Let’s get stuck in… N: Rich and velvety. Oozing caramel that carries with it fresh oak, spicy chilli, and a honey sweetness. The faintest hint of sherry casking as dried fruit and bitter cocoa. I am sat greedily inhaling this simple, but richly engaging nose. P: A punchy arrival that is packed with early chilli spice fading into milky toffee with a hint of orange and vanilla. Plenty of wood backs a light dried fruit and brown sugar richness. The chilli spice, on subsequent tastes turns more exotic with a general herbal-spice, maybe cardamon or caraway? Engaging, and I already want another pour, thats a pretty good outcome. F: Medium-long. Just the right amount of drying to allow the creamy wood to linger after the fruit and sugar fade with warming spices (toasty cumin?) hanging around until the last. OK. Yep, I like this. There is wonderful interesting flavours against a back drop of solid classic textures and flavours. There is a really rustic and simple element to this but also carefully crafted, additive quality of flavour from what must be some really good cask selection. I can see the distilleries maturation from the One Series already, and their core spirit has clearly married excellently well. I would enjoy this even more if a little of the chilli could be backed off and the more herbal-spices bought forward. Everything else is very much on point. [Pictured here with one of Englands, and the Lake Districts, most famous rocks; the Shap Granite. This is a 397 million year old intrusive rock from around 55 miles south east of the Lakes Distillery. This rock isn’t really a granite though it is a quartz monzonite; because clearly anyone reading this will care deeply about the slight lack of quartz versus a granite] Distiller whisky taste #128

I am now three deep in The Lakes Distillery and at the end of my “The One” mini series. With each pour I am getting more excited for my June visit. I started with the orange cask which I felt lacked its own distinctive character and was somewhat insipid. The Moscatel impressed with vibrancy. Now, the port cask and what should be a fairly hard casking to muck up, I am concerned about the grain content of the blend though and how it will handle the ooomph of a port cask. As appears to be the case for all ’The One’ series there is a blend of grain and malt whisky from the Highlands, Speyside, and Islay with “Lakes Single Malt at its heart”. Here, the blend was casked with first fill Portuguese Tawny casks and Ruby Port casks. Good start. N: Slightly thin to oily. Stewed red fruits and raisin with some oak spice. Over time a more defined fresh cherry and gingery spice come out. Not as punchy as I thought this would be and a little bit of an ethanol sting. The ethanol does seem to carry with it though a promise of peat with just the slightest vegetal smoke. P: Prickly and drying tannic opening. Rich plum, dark chocolate bitterness, wood spice and cinnamon. Light orange spray with nuttiness and plenty of pepper. Very busy and a little overpowered by the pepper. The fruity notes when found are juicy but short lived. F: Medium. Lingering pepper, dark cherry (like a Dr Pepper or cherry coke) Should have put this second and finished The One series with the Moscatel. In a word: pepper. This is a port cask, and the nose gave me an impression that some good red fruits and nice bakery spice notes would be lurking about, but sadly they are hard work to find amidst a storm of pepper. I get the distinct feeling that these The One blends are too internally conflicted. Excellent cask choices have not made up for the plain base spirits to perhaps muted effect of the grain component. I’m perhaps being harsh, but there are a plethora of better port finished liquids out there, not least of all my current stand out, the Arran Port NAS. Heres to hoping the Lakes Makers Series offers redemption… [Pictured here with an Andalusite Slate with origins dating back around 500 million years. A quintessential metamorphic rock for the Lake District, hailing from Skiddaw just across Bassenthwaite Lake from the Distillery] Distiller whisky taste #127

Last night I excitedly stepped into my first experience with English whisky and The Lakes Distillery. I picked up some tastings of ‘The One’ and the Makers series. Quite exciting also, that in June I will be visiting the distillery and get to learn more about this interesting new comer. I started with the orange cask which I felt lacked its own distinctive character and was somewhat insipid, coming in at a meagre 2.75/5. Now I move into the moscatel cask finish, and hope for a stronger performance. As appears to be the case for all ’The One’ series there is a blend of grain and malt whisky from the Highlands, Speyside, and Islay with “Lakes Single Malt at its heart. It shouldn’t be a surprise that this blended approach was a stop gap for the distillery to have a product to sell whilst they waited for enough mature spirit of their own. Here, the blend was casked with Spanish Moscatel with the aim of delivering fruity and chocolatey notes for an after dinner dram. N: light and a little rough. Floral honey, fruity white wine. Honey sweetness develops into a slightly stickier maple and the florals take on a slightly jasmine tea-esque profile, perhaps that some Islay smoke getting into the mix? The nose is very restrained and delicate, undoubtedly a consequence of the blend, but; its still easy and quite refreshing. P: soft and with a sensation I can only liken to popping candy. Beautifully crisp honeyed malt, a milk chocolate texture to the body, stone fruit sweetness and buttery cream. A slightest hint of smoke is trying to push through but it fails to take prominence as some woodiness battles with it. F: Medium. Honeyed malt, brown sugar and florals are backed by warming oak. Delicate, balanced sweetness, and clean crisp profiles make for a refreshing and vibrant dram. This is an english flower garden in the height of summer. It doesn’t wow me, but it does hold my attention. I’m not sure if the desert intention is here, for me I’d be happy filling a wine glass with it and having it on the grass, in the sun in place of a SSB or other crisp white wine. Assuming that this is the same blend as the orange cask finish then the cask choice is clearly so vey important to the mix. Where I found the orange insipid and shy, the Moscatel is balanced, vibrant, and vivacious. It could use some more depth of flavours, if the Islay smoke could drift in a little more then I’d be very happy indeed. And sure, the nose could be more punchy. But, overall this is a great little blend and a well executed use of casking. [Pictured here with a 444 million year old Diorite from Embleton, pretty much outside the Lakes Distillery front door. This intrusive igneous rock formed as one of many plugs and sheets that intrude into the slates around Cockermouth in the Lake District. In case you are wondering, diorites are chemically somewhere inbetween basalt and granite] Distiller whisky taste #126

As I continue to work my through single distillery tasting sets I am now excitedly stepping into my first English whiskies. The Lakes have been in the spotlight lately with a World Whisky Awards Win for their Makers Reserve No. 4, and the fervour around that seems to have made accessing them hard in Australia. Fortunately I have picked up some tastings of three of ‘The One’ offerings and three of the Makers series. Quite exciting also, that in June I will be visiting the distillery and get to learn more about this interesting new comer. For now though, having no clue where to start with this lot the orange cask seemed as good a place as any to dive in. This release of The One is touted as “a singular blend of select grain and malt Scotch whiskies from Speyside and Islay with The Lakes Single Malt at its heart”. The orange cask is referring to First-fill American oak casks seasoned with said Orange wine. The wine itself; 'Vino de Naranja' from Huelva in Andalucía made from white wine macerated with orange peel. Frankly, I think this sounds a little ghastly, so starting here seemed like the best way to get anything nasty out the way first. Let’s see… N: very light and crisp. marmalade acidity (if you really search for it), a generic light white wine, slightest tannic oak and something a little like a leathery brandy snap. P: Ooh this is interesting… a slightly zesty and peppery open swirls around with gentle smoky peat, musty tobacco or leather and a definite orange juice thinly through the middle of everything. The peppery heat does build at the back of the mouth but its just about restraint enough to be ok. Perhaps some generic vanilla and syrup sweetness from what I suspect is the grain component of the mix. F: short-medium. A little sweetness, juicy fruits, lingering iodine-smoke and chilli. The nose is lacklustre. I was expecting something really sticky and laden with orange, but there is only the slightest winey and bitter orange marmalade hint to find. I like a delicate nose, but this is on the side of insipid. The palate is varied and interesting, it strikes a nice balance but I think the slight burn is distracting. The orange flavours are not as pronounced as I thought they would be, in fact they are almost an afterthought, but they do work; still, would be nice to have a greater presence. Overall I’m not fussed. It’s clearly experimental, and its not bad, its just ok. The biggest disappointment is that between the Islay and grain contributions, and the odd cask choice I am not sure what the ‘Lakes Single Malt heart’ is. I guess I’ll need to look for it in the next five… [Pictured here with a garish looking rock for a garish looking whisky. This whisky on the rocks is bought to you by Pyromorphite, a lead chloro-phosphate mineral. This green snot looking mess is from the Carboniferous Period (~360-300 million years ago) of Caldbeck Falls, just a stones throw (if you can throw a stone 10 miles) from the Lakes Distillery] Distiller whisky taste #125

We arrive at the last of my Kavalan tastings. From ex Bourbon cask strength, to Olorosso Sherry cask, and now the Solist Vinho Barrique cask strength. I believe there is some variability between batches of this single cask offering but from what I can tell it matters for some of the bitter-sweet balance. But ho-hum, a single entry seems reasonable. Vinho is fully matured in used American oak wine barrels that have been toasted and re-charred to bring out fruity vanilla notes from the whisky and wood overlaid on a delicate background of complex fruitiness. The oak casks are made from American oak that has been seasoned in the open air for at least 24 months. The oak is slow grown that results in a greater release of flavours into the whisky. This reduces the astringent effect of tannins and releases more vanilla spiciness and hints of herbs such as dill and lemon grass. The result is softness and added complexity. The casks have (deliberately) been used to mature both red and white wines which eventually will contribute the background complex fruitiness to Kavalan Solist Vinho. After their use for wine maturation the casks are carefully shaved inside then gently toasted over an oak chip fire for a strictly controlled period of time and temperature. This converts wine residues into a complex mixture of fruit flavours including lime, berry fruits and peaches. Then the casks are charred for a short period of time to release lashings of flavours such as vanilla, ice cream and caramelised sugars. Blah blah blah, all sounds a bit wanky really. Will this be a case of trying to hard, or does it live up to the hype (of which there is a fair bit). N: slightly acidic, a juicy apple and pear comes rushing forward first. Beautiful and gentle caramelised sugar, a little chocolate and vanilla gently do their thing with a slight punch of vibrancy from a hit of pepper. Dig in enough and there is some melon and perhaps citrus too. Wood spice, hello. Wonderfully delicate but not shy, refined but with plenty of character. A wonderful start. Worth noting the colour too, ooph this is dark, somewhere between tawny and burnt umber. It looks delicious. A little splash of water unlocks a balsamic flair and a juicy tropical development of the apple/pear that was there to start. P: oily and slightly drying with an appreciable upfront bite that moves backwards with drying forcefulness. Burnt orange, wood spice, cinnamon, cocoa, sultanas and espresso, coconut(?). Wow, there is a lot going on here, closest thing that springs to mind is a wonderful cake batter that has just had the pantry thrown into it. Complex but balanced, everything knows where it should be. Theres a little nuttiness too. This liquid delivers. Second sip, no where near as drying (thankfully) oaky spices and the mocha like chocolate and espresso are stars now but they bring a touch of vanilla to keep things soft and approachable. This cask is 57.8% ABV, but its not too aggressive and the dash of water is taken well. Brown sugar is put into the mix (seems to be the common Kavalan element?) and a little dark blackberry sweetness comes to play. Delightful stuff. F: medium-long. Figgy and sticky with a touch more spicy tingle carrying vanilla and cocoa. OK. Three Kavalans in and we have a winner. This is objectively good sauce. Huge character with flavours for days, clean, well purposed, crisp, and beautifully delivered. There are exciting depths to be had and yet it remains approachable. The 57.8% is forceful without being overbearing and the ability to add water and lengthen this out is great. Heres the rub though, AUD$299.99. Thats mega bucks and on the same price point as Red Breast 21, the 2014 Lagavulin 12, and a clear $100 more than a Highland Park 18, to name just a few. I ask then, is it worth it? Not to me. Very happy to have sampled this though. Well done Kavalan, well done. [No connection to Taiwan, but pictured here with this dram (because he happened to be out for his evening walk) is Asaphus lepidurus. This chonky critter is an ~470 million year old trilobite from near St. Petersburg in Russia. His body plan was perfectly suited to scurrying over bottom sediments whilst keeping a literal low profile] Distiller whisky taste #124

After my run down of Whipper Snapper a week or two ago I told myself that I needed to try some more single distillery tasting flights to really try and understand the whisky making process better and how a new make spirit can be turned into the elixir of life, or absolutely destroyed by processes. So, I picked up about 20 different whiskies representing four distilleries and thought I’d start off with a trio of Kavalans. I opened a few days ago with a solid Kavalan and what I suspect wasthe most representative of the core spirit, the Solist ex-Bourbon cask strength. Now the natural progression, sherry casking. N: a thinly syrupy and ever so slightly acetone open. The classic sherry nose of dark fruit medley and oak spice is joined by a little marzipan. A little butterscotch-vanilla develops over time. P: A prominent ethanol burn is surprising for only 46%, but it delivers a slightly thick and syrupy-oily profile. The palate follows directly from the nose with raisins, stewed red fruit, classic sherry cask Christmas cake. A rounding softness from toffee and vanilla keeps things balanced. And over time the toffee becomes more akin to the brown-sugar note of the ex Bourbon Cask Strength I had last time around. F: Medium-long. Thick, syrupy and chewy. Sultana and red fruit continue with a little pepper spice and a notable cocoa runs throughout. Overall this is a fairly run of the mill sherry cask to me. I thought the nose would open more forcefully, but its gentle and a little subdued, whats there though is pleasant but nothing particularly special or novel. The palate delivers clean and sharp flavours but they are perhaps a little simple and lacking in nuance. I suspect the cask strength offering of this version would be somewhat better. There are some nice carry throughs from the bourbon cask, brown sugar and the peppery finish. The spirit burn isn’t ideal and I hope it’s not present for the next Kavalan I have lined up. Nice enough, but at a whopping AUD 190 there are, I think, better options, The Arran Bodega for a start… [No connection to Taiwan, but pictured here with this dram (because they happened to be out for their evening walk) is a brace of Asaphus kowalewskii. These critters are ~470 million year old trilobite from near St. Petersburg in Russia. Their long eye stalks were perfectly adapted for hiding in bottom sediments whilst keeping an eye, or two, out for predators] Distiller whisky taste #123

After my run down of Whipper Snapper a week or two ago I told myself that I needed to try some more single distillery tasting flights to really try and understand the whisky making process better and how a new make spirit can be turned into the elixir of life, or absolutely destroyed by processes. So, I picked up about 20 different whiskies representing four distillieries and thought I’d start off with a trio of Kavalans over the next few days. No expectations but I hear good things about the Kavalan crew, starting with what I suspect will be the most representative of the core spirit, the Solist ex-Bourbon cask strength. N: Immediately hit with a heavy dose of honey and a lightly floral and bright malty character. Vanilla, oak-spice, and maple are all stars once the honey fades. With deeper sniffs and long breaths I find a comparison to coconut water also. There is no hint of the 58.7% ABV either. Really lovely stuff here, and no need to add water for this. P: There is some prickle to get past initially but this is a thick and bold palate that punches a heavy vanilla forward profile. Fudgey, brown sugar chewiness is enveloped with some tropical fruit sweetness like mango mixed with really ripe juicy pear. The high proof does build and reminds you that you are not mucking around but if you can get past that i think there is maybe some peanuty savouriness in there too. Lovely texture, lovely heavy weight flavours. A drop or two of water stretches things out, the tropical sweetness heads towards banana and the prickle turns to a gentle red chilli. Brown sugar sticks around longer. F: Medium-long. Slightly waxy carrying peppery heat and some soft vanilla. A strong start, and a start that leaves me excited for what is to follow. There is a wonderful balance of sweet and juicy fruit flavours with rich and heavy vanillas, fudges and dark sugars. The high proof works well here and keeps things vibrant. I have to admit though as well done as the palate is, it is also a little pedestrian, there are not seemingly to many things to find and those that are found are what I thought would show up. Classic ex-bourbon stuff. However, the nose. Thats the stand out, lovely lightness of character and the floral waft underneath the honey is like sitting in a blossoming meadow. Brilliant. [No connection to Taiwan, but pictured here with this dram( because he happened to be out for his Saturday walk) is Illaenus tauricornis. This little critter is an ~470 million year old trilobite from near St. Petersburg in Russia. His giant boof-head was perfectly adapted for ploughing though bottom sediments on ancient seabeds looking for food] Distiller whisky taste #122

Talisker No. 5 for me. 2021 Special Release 8, 10, 18, 57 North are already in the bag. All have been absolute hero’s. So there are huge expectations here. The marketing notes don’t fill me with confidence though: “Talisker Skye whisky is perfect for those who perhaps find the classic Talisker flavour profile a bit too much”. I think I’m finding I can’t tolerate people who don’t like Talisker. Yes, yes, taste is a personal preference blah blah blah. However, sometimes opinions are just wrong. Talisker is amazing and shouldn’t be dialled down for anyone, not even you grandma. N: pleasant and approachable. Slightly sweet with a little medicinal brine. Pear and smoke are restrained and lack the heft of other classic Talisker offerings. Slightly grain like perhaps with the sweetness. As this sits in the glass I find the sweetness to be honey like and sticky but I don’t think it sits well with the mild maritime smoke. I’m conflicted already. P: A little thin. No notably oily, syrupy, creamy or full bodied textures surface. Mild Talisker maritime smoke with a peppery chilli tingle are forward. A little toasty-malty note and perhaps a lemon rind citrus. There’s a little fruity juicy salivation inducing element right towards the end of the palate, perhaps pear. F: Medium. drying with plenty of pepper and a slightly sweet maltiness. The maritime smoke and saltiness of Talisker are most apparent here. Ok. The tasting notes were warning enough. This is Talisker on sedatives. Everything I love about Talisker is here, but it’s been toned down and subdued. That toning down has not been for the benefit of any one texture, profile, or note; but rather to the detriment of them all. I don’t understand the point of this. Talisker, thou shalt not take thy name (or Skyes) in vain! Truth be told; it’s still better than a lot of drain water out there but it is a disappointing caricature of what Talisker are known for. Something tells me this is the blended bottled dregs of barrels that failed to be deemed good enough for the great Talisker bottlings. Diageo: shade thrown. Distiller whisky taste #121

Upshot Red Corn the last stop on my Whipper Snapper journey today. Red Corn is a relatively new addition to the Whipper Snapper corn series created to highlight the many different varieties of maize, and the first of many to come apparently. Now sold out until sometime next year I have managed to get a second tasting this week from the very last bottle which is at about 50% empty. The red corn used here is a rare heirloom variety, also known as ‘Jimmy Red’, which was a favourite amongst southern U.S moonshiners in the early 1900s, apparently. Back in 2018 Whipper Snapper sourced the variety from the same farmer who grows the Whipper Snapper yellow corn, at the Bothkamp family farm in Kununurra in northernmost Western Australia. N: Very soft. Is your head sinking into a really good pillow a smell? It should be. Delicately floral, sweetness from honey, slightly nutty and with a background of pear. Overtime starts to feel slightly oily. P: Arrival texture walks a tightrope between oily and syrupy. Vanilla and toffee forward that initially masks subtle crisp green apple and light honey. There is a creamy texture but I am not finding as much wood as in the yellow corn upshot. As I near the end of the pour there is a macadamia or Brazil nut like quality that is really interesting. F: Medium-short. Toasty nuttiness, caramel-brown sugar, soft chocolate. Surprisingly complex. Kununurra is a fantastic place, I have spent around 6-8 months of my life looking at rocks there, up in the very furthest north of Western Australia. Kununurra is a violent environment, incredible temperatures of over 45 °C, insane deluges, fires, incredible humidity, unforgiving ancient landscapes of rocky canyons, dry scrub land and deadly snakes. This whisky is not that. Very far from it. In a word, delicate. This is perhaps not unsurprising, but the Red Corn is a completely different whisky to its regular yellow corn Upshot brethren. Delicate and light, here is a liquid with unexpected gentleness and novel character. It requires a lot of patience and hard contemplation to get out of it what it offers. I must have spent close to an hour with this and I’m not satisfied I’m done with it. It’s a little bit of an anticlimax then to have to say that after all that it’s less enjoyable than the regular upshot. I will concede it is superior, but it was just a lot of work. I wonder what a freshly opened bottle would hold? Distiller whisky taste #120

Last week I was at Whipper Snapper Distillery on the outskirts of Perth, here in Western Australia. Before the cocktail class I had a tasting flight of the Wheat and Quinoa whiskies along with the Upshot, Upshot Cask Strength and Red Corn Upshot. Sadly, those last three were rushed. Fortunately, I live a stones throw from the distillery, I went back today and did another flight with a lot of time to sit, consider, and enjoy. If you feel like scrolling down a little you’ll find my notes on the Wheat and Quinoa that were really interesting liquids and worth the time to track down. The standard offerings from Whipper Snapper are their ‘Crazy Uncle Moonshine’ a new make white spirit, the Crazy Uncle Moonshine Barrel Aged, and then Upshot and Upshot Cask Strength. I added the Upshot Red Corn to the run and here we have todays five… At 63% ABV we have the powerhouse of Whipper Snapper and the last of the progressions from new make through barrel ageing, flagship offerings and now here. I’m excited to see what the extra 20% ABV does to Upshot. Surely nothing but good stuff? N: OK, The ethanol is felt, not lying about 63%. Somehow this feels thinner than the lower proof sibling, less thick and creamy and without pronounced notes.feeling closer to the crazy uncle moonshine new make there is some generic corn sweetness, touches of wood and just the vaguest suggestion of vanilla. P: oily arrival with a pleasant kick of heat. Brown sugar, pecan pie and buttery oak emerge with a developing creaminess (hooray!). Hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. I think this is going to need some water. F: Long. Initially vanilla caramel and brown sugar turning to milk chocolate and lingering warmth. A splash of water and a few minutes to open up is a necessity. The perfumed wood notes loft (cedar/sandalwood), and the creamy buttery wood is felt. The palate relaxes, the initial heat is quelled, and velvety texture with creamy wood, nutmeg, and maple pile on. The finish is pretty much the same. Apparently the flagship Upshot goes into the barrel at 43%, this monster though gets filled at 63.5%. The resultant 63% liquid, too me, speaks of more flavour, more nuance, more depth. Not the case on tasting though in my opinion. The powerful ABV is nice to see but I’m not sure it brings anything to the table. A splash of water brings things down into the realms of the upshot. Nothing added, nothing taken away. I’m not sure what the point of the extra ABV is. Is it marketing? Is it to add another product to the simple offerings but at a higher price point? Is it meant solely for mixing and maintaining presence in a cocktail? Perhaps. Ultimately, I think this is only as good as the lower proof Upshot but the ability to control the delivery through additions of water is a nice touch I suppose. Distiller whisky taste #119