The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.5
On a journey to define their signature style, The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.5 is the latest in what has become an internationally award-winning series of single malt whiskies made by The Lakes Distillery!
Matured in the finest, bespoke Oloroso, PX, and red wine casks, comprising Spanish and American oak, The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.5 is an elegant and Moorish evolution, possessing the same sherry-led, wood-forward characteristics as its predecessors.
Now available throughout the UK!
Drawing inspiration from Cognac’s cellarmasters, The Lakes has taken the art of élevage to create a whisky with complexity and depth. Rather than sealing the oak and waiting for the result, unlike other distilleries, they take an active involvement that requires patience and time, and an intimate understanding of how the flavours in each cask are developing.
By frequently effecting change throughout the whisky’s maturation, whether by moving a cask’s location, or transferring the spirit between casks, The Lakes seek to evolve an array of intriguing layers of flavour from which they can blend the final whisky.
With The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.5, we wanted to create a whisky with a similar sherry-led profile to previous releases, but with certain characters restrained to achieve a textural refinement.
This is a whisky with seductively aromatic notes of dark chocolate and dried fruits, and a smooth finish with intricate layers of wood spice.
– Dhavall Gandhi: The Lakes’ whiskymaker
To celebrate the release of The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.5 and to connect the complexity of élevage with the simplicity of enjoying flavoursome whisky, The Lakes Distillery sought the imagination of some of the best Old Fashioned makers in the world.
By adding a twist to the traditional, layering complementary and contrasting flavours, and integrating personal influences within the recipe, mixologists from Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood London, The Berkeley Bar & Terrace, The Goring Cocktail Bar, The Chinoiserie at The Carlton Tower Jumeirah, and The Northall Bar at Corinthia London have used The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.5 to develop their own delectably delicious takes on the eminent Whisky Cocktail.
The result is a series of sophisticated and dramatically different serves, each designed to tell a story through the art of flavour creation, and available to enjoy from 1 June throughout the summer at any of these world-renowned bars.
Non-chill filtered, bottled at the natural colour, and 52% ABV, The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.5 is now available from LakesDistillery.com and throughout the UK with a recommended retail price of £70
Lakes Distillery Whiskies (& Gins) are also available to buy from:-
The Lakes Distillery have kindly sent me a sample of their new dram to try (Thanks Lakes Distillery!)
So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …
Tasting Notes – The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.5 (52%)
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Nose: A bit shy on the nose at first but there’s creamy, silky vanilla with spiced apples and hints of spice. Later on I detect slightly tropical fruits with mint.
Palate: Creamy, sherried fruits with chocolate and some coffee. Finish: Sweet spices with shades of wood but it’s also peppery and gets more so with time. Overall: A delicately balanced dram. Very fine with a subtleness to it’s flavours that’s very welcome in this world of taste-bud overkill! |
The Lakes Distillery sought the imagination of some of the best Old Fashioned makers in the world!
About Lakes Distillery
On the shore of Bassenthwaite Lake, near Keswick, in The English Lake District, The Lakes Distillery creates an exceptional collection of whiskies, gins and vodkas and attracts over 100,000 visitors each year.
Twice named ‘one of eight distilleries to visit before you die’ by the World Whisky Day campaign, the visitor centre, bistro and tour has held Visit England’s Gold accolade for the last three years and was voted the Icons of Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year 2019 by Whisky magazine.
On 7 September 2019, The Lakes Distillery unveiled the first in a series of widely available single malt whisky releases that will showcase their house style, defined by whiskymaker Dhavall Gandhi.
The Lakes’ Story
The Lake District has long been a crucible for creativity, a place in which the imagination can flourish, and it’s no different for The Lakes Distillery. Taking inspiration from the UNESCO World Heritage Site where our state-of-the-art distillery has been built meticulously within a 160-year-old farmstead on the banks of the River Derwent, the idea of distilling being distinct individual elements is not how we look at the art. Rather it is part of a continuum, a net of possibilities where everything is interlinked. Change one element and the effect will change everything else.
Only by understanding how flavours are created throughout the spirit’s journey through the distillery can our whiskymaker fully comprehend the possibilities. That is why, unusually, Dhavall Gandhi is actively involved at every stage. It is holistic whisky-making, to ensure every flavour possibility is achieved.
Find out more about our whisky story at www.LakesDistillery.com
Recent Awards
Named by The London Stock Exchange Group as one of the ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2020’ and 19th fastest growing brand in Alantra’s 2019 Food and Beverage Fast 50, The Lakes’ portfolio of award-winning spirits includes single malt whisky, blended malt whisky, blended whisky, gin and vodka. Recently, they received the following prestigious World Drinks awards:
2020:
World’s Best English Single Malt Whisky, No Age Statement (Gold Award) – The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.2
International Spirit’s Challenge (ISC), World Single Malt Whisky (Gold Award) – The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.2
International Wine And Spirit Competition (IWSC), Spirit Gold Award – The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.1
2019:
World’s Best Blended Malt Whisky, No Age Statement (Best in English Category) – Steel Bonnets
World’s Best Blended Limited Release Whisky, No Age Statement (Best in English Category) – The ONE Sherry Expression
World’s Best Gin (Gold Award) – The Lakes Gin
World’s Best Gin Liqueur (Gold Award) – The Lakes Rhubarb & Rosehip Gin Liqueur
World’s Best Vodka (World’s Best) – The Lakes Vodka
World’s Best Chocolate Liqueur (World’s Best) – The Lakes Salted Caramel Vodka Liqueur
