The Lakes Distillery

In 2010, Paul Currie, son of the founder of the Arran Distillery on the Isle of Arran in Scotland, bought a now derelict farm dating back to 1860 in the suggestive area of "The Lake District" National Park, a Unesco world heritage site and a major British domestic tourism center . After four years of incessant work, in 2014 the farm was transformed into a modern and functional distillery, which was presented to the public on December 15th. Production, limited to less than 1,000,000 liters per year, follows strict quality criteria, right from the selection of raw materials. The barley, of different varieties, comes entirely from Yorkshire fields, and the pure and icy water of the Lake District National Park is perfect for the production of whisky. However, the innovative drive brought by Whiskeymaker Dhavall Ghandi focuses above all on the fermentation phase: inspired by the perfume industry, in which ingredients are chosen based on a pyramid of aromas, Ghandi uses two different strains of yeast, alternating during the week and then joined before padding. The discontinuous distillation phase in pot still is very slow, in order to obtain a robust and fruity new make, which also contributes to a very restricted blend. 80% of the barrels used for the maturation of Lakes whiskey consist of ex-Sherry casks, mostly 500l European oak butts. Most of the barrels are ex-Oloroso, but there are several experiments. All the barrels of whiskey selected by Ghandi spend at least a year in blending vats, so that they can blend perfectly and in harmony: this creates depth and balance , key elements in the conception of Lakes whiskey.