The Lakes Whiskymaker's Editions Iris

Ohhhh I’m excited. Closing in on 300 Distiller Reviews. I’ve tried to have something pretty good every 50 tastes, and as was the case for 100 and 200, I ended up with a very special Bruichladdich liquid in my glass. So, with 300 approaching I tried to line up what I hope is an enviable line up of ten drams to carry me to 300… I was essentially next door to the Lakes Distillery in July of 2023. Alas, I failed to get through the distillery for want of more mountains and rocks. I am though quite excited to pick up where I left off in December 2022 with my last tastings from The Lakes. As has been customary with my Lakes tastings, we start with some epic walk written by the Liberal Arts Major: “Inspired by the magnificent Himalayan town of Gulmarg – meaning “meadow of flowers” – this bold and uplifting expression showcases our whiskymaker’s sense of adventure as we explore intensely tropical, modern flavour profiles.” Thats pretty good marketing wank. Now bring on the sauce! N: Bright, crisp and with a lot to unwrap in a sultry and enticing kind of way. Initial creaminess from a white chocolate turns to juicy pears, vanilla, and a fragrant herbal or turkish delight presence. Some very subtle malty-sugary and honey notes are hiding in the back. P: A zingy and vibrant approach with some astringency from the high ABV. Crisp as a deep frost, this is a tart green apple at first. Ginger cake, slightly bitter dark chocolate, dark caramel and the sweetness of Black Forrest gateaux. F: Long. Ginger tang lingers on with some mocha and dark fruit. The 56% isn’t present on the nose, but I felt it added to some of the powerful ginger prickle, not that this was ‘alchohol-y’ but it deserved a dash of water to see what happens. The nose is largely unchanged but perhaps a gooseberry or sauvignon blanc grassiness starts to make its way through. The palate definitely tones down and a light wood spice arcs up along with a nutty oiliness and a more apparent floral presence. The finish with water leads slightly more buttery and malty. I reread my reviews for the other Lakes I have tried, they share a common theme, incredible noses and just good palates. This is no exception on the nose, I would of loved longer to sit and inhale this incredibly light yet deep and accessible but complex nose. Beautiful. The gingery prickle is a little overbearing, but there are some curious interplays of juicy fruits, sharp acidic fruits, and deep dark brooding rich and bitter flavours to contend with. This is lovely stuff and am eager to try more of the Lakes whisky makers series; a cracking start on the road to 300. Distiller whisky taste #291 [Pictured here with a piece of K2 Granite from the Karakoram Mountains between Pakistan and China… I don’t have any Himalayan rocks, so this is as close a match to the whisky as I could manage. Anyway, this fancy rock is a white coloured granite with flaky black biotite and little blue blobs of secondary azurite] The Lakes Running Scores: The One Orange: 2.75/5 The One Moscatel: 3.75/5 The One Port: 2.75/5 Mosaic: 4/5 Bal Masque: 3.75/5 Iris: 4.25/5 Reserve No. 5: 4.5/5