2,975 Founder’s Club members are on a journey of maturation and discovery. Receiving 10 exclusive whiskies over 10 years – each drawn from the earliest casks produced at the distillery – they have a unique opportunity to experience how the character and flavour of The Lakes Spirit is evolving over time.
These were tasted as part of our Whiskey chaps Founders tasting of bottles 1-6 yrs of age, and the Whiskymaker #4 with @GentlemanGrimm from Twitter and Instagram, who very kindly gifted us the samples.
Founders bottle 5yr old 46.6 % ABV
Appearance
This is only marginally deeper in colour, a lovely thick swirl line again with thick syrupy legs #thewhiskeychaps
Nose
Developing further now, aromatic wood, sandalwood, almost fizzy too. The ABV seems higher than it is, tropical fruits again but now joined by cocktail cherries, more tobacco leaves, definitely linseed too. #thewhiskeychaps
Nose: Honey, toffee mint, pine and red berries present first. #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) January 13, 2022
Palate
Lovely mouthfeel, more rounded, and lovely and deep. I have lemon and tropical fruits, and more darker fruits, and pecan nuts now, tobacco leaves, anise, pontifract cakes, red berries, a slightly burnt red berry strudel. #thewhiskeychaps
Anise is spot on, I’m getting a touch of clove in there too. Really jumped forward for me in flavour from year 4, loads more depth to it now #TheWhiskeyChaps
— Gentleman Grimm (@GentlemanGrimm) January 13, 2022
Finish
The finish on this years bottle is quite long, and its more integrated. It is definitely like the palate flavour wise and shows off the hard work done. I do get a touch of peach before the finish fades away.
My thoughts
Reaching 5 years maturity and aromas and flavours do continue to evolve, but i feel this aspect is slowing down. The upside is that the mouthfeel, depth, marriage and maturity of these aromas and flavours are strengthening, the whisky has a much more mature feeling about it, it’s very nice indeed.
Founders Bottle 6yr old 46.6% ABV
Appearance
Again only slighter darker than the year before, still has a lovely thick swirl line and thick legs. #thewhiskeychaps
Nose
It’s much like the 5yr old for me, but it is spicier on the nose, yes generally like the 5yr old for me, perhaps the palate will have developed some more. #thewhiskeychaps
Nose was very similar for me too between 5 and 6. Onto the palate now though… #TheWhiskeyChaps
— Gentleman Grimm (@GentlemanGrimm) January 13, 2022
Palate
Lovely mouthfeel again, very well married, and it’s chest Warmingly spicy with more dark fruits, but also has a zesty lemon and icing sugar. The flavours are indeed quite similar, but the whisky is better quality, it has become a wonderful dram. #thewhiskeychaps
Finish
Quite long, and really enjoyable tbh, I think it’s about maturity now rather than all out flavour improvement, it’s lovely at this point. #thewhiskeychaps
Overall: This is really shaping up to be something great. Plenty of the right aromas and flavours, in the right quantities and balance too.#thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) January 13, 2022
My thoughts
The darker fruits are really pilling in now, and the juicy sweetness they bring is becoming stronger. Now it has become a wonderful whisky. At 6 years old it has so much depth and maturity with fantastic flavours.
Knowing little about the intricacies of the crafting and maturation of whisk(e)y i can’t imagine how it will develop from here, perhaps a few years in another cask or a finish of some sort would be the usual place to go, though these will continue to be drawn direct from the cask for the next 4 years.
I can honestly say it’s been fascinating following this journey, and it’s taken turns that surprised me from the start, and i have learnt quite a lot just from nosing and tasting it through 6 years of development, it has been an absolute pleasure to be honest, and likely a once only event for me.
A huge thank you goes out to @GentlemanGrimm for these tasting sets, i’m sure i’d never have gotten to taste them otherwise.
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