The Lakes The Whiskymaker's Reserve No.5

Dry wine, flower

This is the number 4 though appears to have the same profile as the 5. C: dark amber N: heavy px nose, burned somewhat by the abv, some rich thick cut marmalade, P: a little over cooked with the px dates, some baked apples, with 'apple tart' sweets on the edges of the tongue. Water opens it up and makes it more approachable but oddly brings out a steeliness along the edge of the tongue. The 52% abv doesn't add to this dram and leaves it a little unbalanced. F: long, with the citrus of the marmalade peel cutting through the syrup of the sherry. Nice juicy finish, morish.

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