“Whisky is more than a drink.” In this sentence, which, if translated directly, would lose much of the atmosphere it conveys, lies the charm of this quintessentially British spirit. And in the case of The Lakes Distillery, the magic is even more impressive. Located near Bassenthwaite Lake in the heart of England’s Lake District – an area well-known to every Englishman or casual tourist for its romantic beauty, ecological balance, and the fascinating blend of flora and fauna unique to the region.
The distillery was founded in 2011 by Nigel Mills and Paul Curry, who chose to establish it in England rather than Scotland or Ireland. It joins 26 other distilleries operating in the country, hoping that connoisseurs will start sipping English whisky, which is relatively new, rather than exclusively those from the traditional whisky-producing nations.
The Lakes Distillery has won the title of “One of the eight distilleries you must visit before you die…” twice, awarded by the organizers of “World Whisky Day.” It is situated on an old farm that raises alpacas, a sprawling estate perfect for housing the giant copper still, with a capacity of 3,500 liters, the original still where the distillery’s first whisky was created. More than 100,000 visitors flock to the distillery each year, which serves as both a school for tasting English whisky and a school for whisky in general. Tourism at its finest.
The Tasting: The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No. 5. The English have also mastered the barrel game. The whisky in the bottle brings the aromas and flavors of the strongest, most fragrant, and most charred cask. The English whisky has spent time in sweet sherry casks, both rich and sweet – Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks, which are sweet sherry beverages. Together with the oak from the cask, the final drink reflects its past. A colorless whisky containing 52% alcohol.
