The Lakes Distillery Signature Single Malt Whisky, 70cl

The Lakes Distillery has spent more than a decade releasing limited and experimental single malts. Signature is their first permanent expression: the whisky they believe defines their house style, and the one they're prepared to stand behind indefinitely.

It's sherry-led and makes no apology for it. Matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks — European and American oak — the influence shows immediately on the nose: polished oak and leather, dried figs and sultanas, dark chocolate, and a lift of orange zest. On the palate, baking spices and treacly sweetness sit alongside stewed orchard fruit and a burst of citrus; the finish is long, fruit-laden, and warming. 47% Alc., natural colour, non-chill filtered.

Central to everything The Lakes makes is élevage: the practice of making deliberate, active changes to a whisky's maturation rather than simply leaving it in cask. Moving spirit between cask types, adjusting warehouse conditions, recombining parcels at precisely the right moment. It's a technique borrowed from fine wine and Cognac, and it's what gives Signature its structural complexity.

In our view, this is a strong choice for drinkers who enjoy sherry-driven Scotch but want to explore what English whisky can do with a similar approach. Bronze Medal, IWSC 2025.