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: Honey gold. Nice thick legs and good oily coating.
Nose: Honey, toffee mint, pine and red berries present first. More tropical than the 4yo, nothing specific (maybe pineapple again), more like a tropical fruit bowl. Maybe even Fruit Salad sweets? ….but there are also orchard fruits such as apple and pear.
That funk is growing in strength and presence too, which I love.
Palate: Ooh, this palate is the best so far, by far. Lovely oily arrival, big fruit pie flavours, berries and an increased depth and richness.
This one is starting to become a real chest warmer too. There’s a well-balanced spice note that, although more dominant, doesn’t overpower but instead compliments the sweeter notes.
Finish: Creamy notes, baking spices and a chocolate note linger for a relatively short time. There might be a slight bitterness too, which I’d prefer wasn’t there, but doesn’t take anything away from the whisky overall.
Overall: This is really shaping into a very pleasing whisky. The depth, balance and overall completeness of the liquid is really starting to take shape now.