Sampling The Lakes Distillery New Release: “Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.6” – A Very Welcome Dram Indeed!

“Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.6” – A Very Welcome Dram Indeed!

The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.6 is the penultimate release in The Lakes Distillery’s journey to define a signature style!

An intensely aromatic evolution, the new sherry-led single malt retains the bold and complex characters The Whiskymaker’s Reserve is known for, bringing rich new flavours to the fore.

No.6 is Non-chill filtered, bottled at the natural colour, and 52% ABV

Delving deep into the subtleties of flavour creation, No.6 explores multi-layered nuances, turning the spotlight on exotic spices and gentle rose fragrance to create a distinctly different mood from its predecessors.

More flavour-driven, with a focus on accentuating notes of wood spice, it has been principally matured in bespoke-made Oloroso, PX, and red wine casks, hand-crafted from Spanish and American oak, and designed through the art of élevage and blending expertise.

Non-chill filtered, bottled at the natural colour, and 52% ABV, The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.6 is available from LakesDistillery.com and specialist whisky retailers, with a recommended retail price of £85.

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.6 (52%)

Nose: Intensely sherried (as highlighted in it’s colour!) and, surprisingly, cherries! Demerera sugar, caramel, creamy strawberries, mint and hints of rose – WoW!

Palate: Sherry and red wine in luscious abundance! Sugary caramel, creamy strawberries.

Finish: A tasty, peppery spice with some grapefruit and woodiness but the fruity creaminess is still there.

Overall: A fruit cocktail of a dram or maybe a sherry trifle of a dram! Whichever, it’s a taste sensation that always makes me wish the sample I was sent was a little bit larger! A whisky with a variety of flavours not always seen in a sherry-type dram – and that is a very welcome thing indeed!

Lakes Distillery Whiskies (& Gins) are also available to buy from:-

THE LAKES DISTILLERY

On the shore of Bassenthwaite Lake, near Keswick, in The English Lake District, The Lakes Distillery design an exceptional collection of spirits and attracts over 30,000 visitors to their whisky distillery each year.

Twice named “one of eight distilleries to visit before you die” by the World Whisky Day campaign, their bistro and distillery tour experience has held Visit England’s Gold accolade since 2018 and was voted the Icons of Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year 2019 by Whisky magazine.

In September 2019, the brand unveiled The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.1, their first widely available single malt whisky in what has become an internationally award-winning series showcasing their sherry-led signature style.

Named by The London Stock Exchange Group as one of the ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2020’, The Lakes’ portfolio of spirits includes single malt whisky, blended whisky, gin, and vodka.

Recently, The Lakes Distillery received the following prestigious awards:

2022: World’s Best Single Malt Whisky, World Whiskies Awards: The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.4
Outstanding Gold (98/100), International Wine & Spirits Competition: The Lakes Pink Grapefruit Gin.

2021: Best English Blended Whisky, World Whiskies Awards: The One Sherry Cask Finished

2020: Best English Single Malt Whisky, World Whiskies Awards: The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.2
Gold Award, International Spirit’s Challenge: The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.2
Spirit Gold Award (95/100), International Wine & Spirit Competition: The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.1

2019: World’s Best Vodka, World Vodka Awards: The Lakes Vodka
World’s Best Chocolate Liqueur, World Vodka Awards: The Lakes Salted Caramel Vodka Liqueur