The Lakes Distillery The One Moscatel Cask Finished

Last night marked my inaugural experience with English whisky and The Lakes Distillery. I sampled 'The One' and the Makers series. It's also exciting that I'll be visiting the distillery in June to learn more about this intriguing newcomer. I began with the orange cask expression, which I found lacked a distinct identity and was rather bland, rating it a mere 2.75/5. Now, I'm moving on to the moscatel cask finish, hoping for a more impressive showing. As is typical for 'The One' series, this is a blend of grain and malt whiskies from the Highlands, Speyside, and Islay, featuring 'Lakes Single Malt at its core.' It's understandable that this blended approach served as a temporary solution for the distillery to offer a product while awaiting sufficient maturity in their own spirit. For this expression, the blend was finished in Spanish Moscatel casks, intended to impart fruity and chocolatey notes for an after-dinner drink. Nose: Light and somewhat unrefined. Floral honey, fruity white wine. The honey sweetness evolves into a slightly stickier maple, and the floral notes take on a jasmine tea-like profile. Perhaps a hint of Islay smoke is present? The nose is very reserved and delicate, undoubtedly a result of the blend, but it remains approachable and quite refreshing. Palate: Smooth, with a sensation I can only describe as popping candy. Beautifully crisp honeyed malt, a milk chocolate texture to the body, sweet stone fruit, and buttery cream. A faint hint of smoke attempts to emerge but doesn't dominate, as some woodiness contends with it. Finish: Moderate. Honeyed malt, brown sugar, and floral notes are supported by warming oak. Delicate, balanced sweetness, and clean, crisp profiles create a refreshing and vibrant dram. It evokes an English flower garden in peak summer. It doesn't astound me, but it does capture my attention. I'm uncertain if it truly serves as a dessert drink; I could easily imagine enjoying a large glass of it outdoors on a sunny day, in place of a Sauvignon Blanc or similar crisp white wine. Assuming this is the same blend as the orange cask finish, the cask choice is clearly crucial to the outcome. Where I found the orange expression insipid and timid, the Moscatel is balanced, vibrant, and lively. It could benefit from more depth of flavor; if the Islay smoke were more pronounced, I'd be very pleased. And yes, the nose could be bolder. But overall, this is a great little blend and a skillfully executed use of cask finishing. [Pictured with a 444-million-year-old Diorite from Embleton, found just outside the front door of The Lakes Distillery. This intrusive igneous rock formed as one of many plugs and dikes that penetrate the slates near Cockermouth in the Lake District. For context, diorites have a chemical composition somewhere between basalt and granite.]

Sweet, fruity, and quite refined. Honey, zesty, with a hint of smoke. A bitter dark chocolate quality.