Drawn exclusively from the first 100 casks of whisky ever produced at The Lakes Distillery over 10 years. These bottles are limited to the members of the ‘Founders Club’ at the distillery.
Appearance: The colour is definitely starting to take now. Light white wine. Good oiliness, a nice corrugated film with plenty of water droplets and medium legs.
Nose: The increase in ABV definitely agrees with my tastes. This is starting to shape into a lovely whisky. The nose is more rounded and balanced now, Again, the spice has jumped a level, but there’s also a sweetness to compensate.
It’s quite a transformation from the 1 and 2 year-olds actually. I really like the nose on this one. This one has a funk from the word ‘go’, probably from the finishing, but it works, like it.
The sherry influence is noticeable for sure. A lovely rich fruity, almost sharp (in a good way) element has been added.
Palate: Much thicker mouthfeel (comparatively), really pleasing arrival. A nice buttery and fruitcakey forward palate. An element of spice and some dying embers/ashy notes. Slightly drying towards the finish.
Finish: Medium. Spice forward and sweetness following. The buttery cakey notes are there but dissipate first.
Overall: The jump from the 2 to 3-year-old is huge. The sherry finish definitely has its influence, but so too does the extra 6.6% ABV. Quite the transformation and one welcomed by me.
