England’s The Lakes Distillery Adds Moscatel Cask Finish To Its The One Whisky

The Lakes Distillery out of England recently unveiled its latest cask finished expression of The One fine blended whisky. The distillers said they were inspired by the floral nature of the Moscatel wine, and created an “uplifting and fragrant whisky.” The One Moscatel was finished in hand-selected Moscatel wine casks from southern Spain. The rest of the series is full of cask-finished whiskies that show the influence of oak and cask seasoning on the flavor of the single blend whisky.

The Moscatel is said by the brand to be similar in style to PX, though it is less sweet. The Moscatel wine is made with grapes sourced from Chipiona in the Cádiz province of Andalucía that are sun-dried before being pressed — a process known as the Soleo process. This process creates a reduction in water and change in the sugar level, giving it fresh and floral characters in the cask itself.

The blended whisky was crafted by The Lakes’ Whiskymaker, Dhavall Gandhi, making use of what’s described as select Scotch grain and malt whiskies from the Highlands, Speyside and Islay.

“Using an identical recipe for each expression enables us to showcase the impact oak and cask seasoning has on the whisky’s flavour,” Gandhi said in a prepared statement. “The floral characteristics of Moscatel, in combination with American oak, have transformed the blend into a fresh and uplifting whisky which is easy to drink on its own but versatile enough to enjoy in a refreshing highball or cocktail.”

The official tasting notes of the whisky were described as having fragrant jasmine and honeyed fruits on the nose lead to a delicate and uplifting palate of citrus with underlying notes of vanilla and manuka honey, with a clean and lingering finish.

The One Moscatel is bottled at 46.6% ABV, non-chill filtered and being sold at a suggested retail price of £48, or close to $70 USD.