THE ONE BECOMES MANY AS LAKES WHISKY GOES GLOBAL 

The first whisky from a brand new £5m distillery being built in the Lake District has already gone global. 

The ONE is the first blend of whiskies from around the British Isles ever to be produced, and has been created by The Lakes Distillery team that includes former Isle of Arran Distillers co- founder, Paul Currie, and Chris Anderson, Master Distiller, formerly of Dewars. 

Only a few months after its UK launch last Autumn, The ONE blend has already clinched distribution deals in The Netherlands, France and Belgium, and will launch in the UAE this May. 

The Lakes Distillery managing director, Paul Currie, said on his return from an Eastern Europe trade mission this month: “To create The ONE, we searched far and wide to bring together a range of very special whiskies from the British Isles. These have been blended with great care and passion to create a perfectly balanced whisky and, as we hoped, exports have taken off in a big way already. 

“As well as the distribution deals already secured, we are in talks with partners in Spain and Poland, and have other territories in Europe and Asia in our sights. 

“We all know the global success story of Scotch, and now England is seeing a real whisky boom with several new distilleries planned to open this year. Our £5m development at Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria will be the biggest new distillery in England and the first official one in the Lakes. Building work is well underway and we plan to start production of whisky, gin and vodka in the summer and open our bistro, tours and shop to the public by the December 2014. 

“The ONE is an important brand for us in the growing premium whisky sector, and it has received an outstanding response both with its smooth taste and innovative packaging. We will start production of The Lakes Malt in the summer, and we also plan for that to be a global brand. The stills arrive in the June and our experienced team, who all have decades of distillery experience, are now very excited about creating a new quality malt from scratch.” 

A select number of whisky enthusiasts around the world are invited to become part of the early stages of The Lakes Distillery story. The company has launched a Connoisseurs’ Club, where just 60 members can come to the distillery to make their own whisky, fill their own rare sherry cask, and then come to annual tasting ceremonies when they can taste their maturing whisky. 

In addition, the Lakes Distillery will set aside the first 100 casks of malt whisky produced exclusively for members of its Founders’ Club. Each year for ten years, members will then receive one 70cl bottle and two tasting bottles, making up a collectible set of the distillery’s first ever production. 

More information is available at http://www.lakesdistillery.com/e-brochure/   

Notes:

The Lakes Distillery

Close to Bassenthwaite Lake, in an area of unimaginable beauty encircled by Cumbrian fells, is the perfect home for the first-ever Lakes Distillery. 

The experienced team behind the Lakes Distillery, which includes managing director Paul Currie who co founded the Arran Distillery, Master Distiller Chris Anderson with over 30 years’ experience and Alan Rutherford the former Production Director of Diageo, are renovating the historic buildings of an old Victorian Model Farm next to the famous river Derwent and close to Bassenthwaite Lake, with the aim to produce a new world-class single malt whisky. 

The water from the famous River Derwent, with its source high up in the fells, a team steeped in whisky experience, and perfect conditions for distilling are set to create a very special malt. 

The Lakes Distillery will open to the public in late 2014. The Lakes single malt will begin production this summer, and will be ready to taste in 2015. Its blended whisky from the British Isles, called The ONE is available to buy now. 

The ONE Whisky

The ONE is the first British blended whisky ever to be produced.  As opposed to blends made only of scotch whiskies, The ONE has been carefully created from whiskies from around the British Isles, leading to a very unique whisky.  This is very much an artisan blend – the team in Cumbria has enormous experience in making the very finest whiskies, and their expertise has put together this outstanding blend, which has a lightly peated character.  

Blended whiskies are made up of grain and malt whiskies, and it is the quantity of malt whisky in the blend that dictates the quality – so the more malt whisky in the blend, the better the quality. The ONE has a very high malt content and its quality is very much in line with single malt whiskies. 

Distributors

–      Netherlands – launched Dec with Van Wees. 

–      France – launching this month with La Maison du Whisky

–      Belgium – launching this month with Nectar


–      UAE – launching in May with MMI


–      Spain/Poland – currently in discussions with potential distributors 

The Connoisseurs’ Club  

The company has launched a  Connoisseurs’ Club, offering the opportunity for just 60 members to own their own very rare cask of The Lakes Malt. 

Each cask is estimated to contain more than 100 bottles and members can be there on that historic first day to make the whisky themselves, fill their own Connoisseur’s Cask and see it stored in the distillery warehouse. The Connoisseurs’ Club limited membership is valued at £12,000, which includes the unique signature cask, exclusive annual events, accommodation at the nearby 4-star Trout Hotel, delivery, all duty and VAT. It’s estimated if kept, the cask will be worth over £20,000 in years to come. 

The Founders’ Club

The first ever distillery in the beautiful Lake District, opening later this year, is setting aside the first ever 100 casks of malt whisky produced for members of its Founders’ Club. 

Each year for ten years, members will receive one 70cl bottle plus two tasting miniatures of the maturing malt, making up a collectible set of the distillery’s first ever production, all with unique, limited edition labels. These casks will not be available for the general public and are uniquely reserved for members. 

Founders’ Club membership costs just £595, with an expected value of over £1,400 over the ten years period. Delivery of the first bottle will be in 2015.