The lakes Bal masque

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

Sweet spices, quite young. Very warm

Part of the 'The Whiskymaker's Editions' from The Lakes. Matured in two different types of French oak, previously used as wine casks. A pleasant, fruity smell. It tingles the tongue, fills your mouth with flavour and lingers for a long time. I really enjoy it.

Rating: 15/23 I finished a rough week at work and decided to go ahead and open this one up. I've been wondering about The Lakes for a while and have been very skeptical of it, but I had one experience with Penderyn and was very pleasantly surprised (though I hear that isn't the norm), so I figured I'd give this a shot. N: Yeah, it's a bit youthful. Not in a bad way though. I was expecting sulphur, industrial scents, and/or overwhelming PX sherry. There's a nice maltiness with some interesting spice that reminds me of Gouden Carolus. It's dry but yeasty, then a full oloroso oily scent comes in. There's a faint buckwheat scent too. I get hints of cherry and blackberry, but they're very light. This may not be the most mature nose, but it's very nicely balanced and developed. P: Sweet with malt and spices. Very classic. It actually tastes nicely rich and fairly old. I would guess that this was a more than 12 year old Speysider. There's that rich, oily backing with a hint of buckwheat and a really nice, mild cherry sweetness going on. It's full and decadent without being aggressive. The ethanol does come through a bit, but keep in mind that this is 54% ABV. I get some spiciness that is founded largely in yeasty complexity that melds into the malt. The balance here is terrific. F: Lingering oily cherry with malt and a hint of something nutty or maybe buckwheat. A vague cloud of light spiciness with a bit of woody complexity to that cloud. This is actually quite a nice finish. - Conclusion - I do get the idea that this isn't super old, but The Lakes is one to watch for sure. This strikes me as an excellent execution of a fairly young malt whisky with an oloroso finish. It isn't over the top with excessive flavor to cover its youth and it has a really nice flavor from the distillate itself. This literally cannot be more than 10 years old and that fact is blowing my mind. Gouden Carolus (15/23) has a lot of interesting spicy, yeasty nuance going on, but it doesn't have the refined complexity that this has. This is less challenging with more of a standard profile and the ethanol does show through more here, but it's clean and tasty with a nice amount of balance and complexity. This isn't blowing the Goudon Carolus out of the water at all, but it's showing such terrific nuance in spite of its young age and ethanol bite that I'm really enjoying it. I could maybe be convinced to go down to a 14 for this. Likewise, I could maybe be convinced to go up to an 18. This is very solid. Although the Gouden Carolus is richer, my general impression is that this is slightly better executed. There is a lot of sophistication to the Gouden Carolus though. Maybe I should have put it at a 16 instead of a 15? It's very enjoyable. This doesn't have quite the same amount going on, but it's more refined with subtle layers lurking in the nuance. I'm getting a bit of guava from this now, which I absolutely love. As sort of an odd side note, I don't really like this mixed with the Gouden Carolus. It waters down the Gouden Carolus while increasing the ethanol and losing the complexity and depth that this has. Small quantities of Gouden Carolus (25% or less) can add to this, but it requires caution. The right blend though is delightful. Easily better than either of them, but not mind-blowing. This is in the 14 to 17 range. It's a tough call. I can imagine an 18 as well. Despite the ethanol here, I don't think that a 13 is reasonable. Mortlach 15 Six Kingdons (16/23) strikes me as perhaps very slightly beating the Goudon Carolus. It has a richer and more typical malt profile while retaining some complexity. It isn't as out there ,but it is more generally enjoyable. The Lakes shows up with a much weaker palate that thins out quickly as its dependence on ABV becomes apparent. It's younger, but at least it embraces some of the shared advancements before giving into a more modern take on this story. I am kind of worried though that The Lakes is relying on paying over-performers to wear their brand. OK, so this is out of control. I'm posting all future videos under a channel that oddly makes no profits, if you can believe it. I'm continuing to wonder whether this is a 15 or 16. It's decadent, but has a lot of alcohol and not as much complexity as those 16s. Loch Lomond 12 (16/23) is richer, but more muddled. It has less alcohol, but also less proof. It's funkier with more richness. This is kind of close. It's no 17, but it could be a 16 or 15. I very much enjoy this, but I think I need to go with a 15 for now. This may not be great value, but I am enjoying this a fair amount. I was worried that this would be hard to get down, but it's actually an easy, casual sipper (assuming you can handle the high proof). I imagine myself going back to this a little bit at a time until I'm surprised that I've managed to drain it all. I'm looking forward to more releases from The Lakes!

Nose. Nutmeg, red wine and summer fruits. With a drop of water there’s also a bread note. Palate. Spicy, oily and rich. Finish. Long, with a spicy warmth.

Whisky me pouch. Pretty hot and spicy off the bat with some burn. Once it settled the sweetness came out. Almonds, marzipan and cinnamon. Nice and sweet with a kick.