The Lakes Distillery's Whiskymaker's Editions Colheita Review

Colheita is the third release from The Lakes Distillery's Whiskymaker's Editions series. Colheita (Col-yate-a) means “harvest” in Portuguese, a reference to the use of grapes from a single crop to create the tawny port that seasons the casks used in the maturation of this English whisky. Along with the Colheita casks, this single malt was matured in a small proportion of bourbon casks before being bottled at 52%, without added colour or chill filtration.

The Whiskmaker’s Editions series explores the art of blending and oak maturation, two principles that are central to whisky making at The Lakes Distillery. The series gives chief whiskymaker Dhavall Gandhi the opportunity to showcase the techniques, but in a way that doesn’t necessarily confirm to the sherry-led house style that The Lakes Distillery are establishing for themselves. Read more about The Lakes Distillery's whisky ranges here.

We’ve had the pleasure of sharing a few drams with Dhavall, who has recently been recognised as "Master Distiller / Master Blender of the Year" by the Icons of Whisky Awards. He puts his passion, energy and expertise into each and every whisky made at The Lakes Distillery, and Colheita is no exception.

So that's the background, but what about the whisky itself? Let's get stuck in.

The Lakes Distillery's Whiskymaker's Editions Colheita Tasting Notes

Colour: Natural colour; burnished gold. Legs that slowly develop and slide down down my copita glass.

Nose: A deep medley of fruit: plums, raisins, and blackberries. A gentle sweetness, as if that fruit has been macerated in a sugary syrup. A touch of spice.

Palate: A rich mouthfeel that coats the palate. More of those fruits I found on the nose: plums, raisins and blackberries. Brown sugar, a touch of vanilla. Wood spice adds an extra warming dimension.

Finish: A medium to long, complex, finish; more fruit, ending in a little spice.

The Lakes Distillery's Whiskymaker's Editions Colheita Review

This whisky has Dhavall’s signature all over it. I can picture him going through The Lakes elevage process, building and layering flavour throughout the whisky making process. The port casks work beautifully, and the layers of fruit mesh together to create something that feels like a cross between a single malt whisky and a jar of excellent jam.

Delicious. More-ish (I quite literally had to pour myself another, once I’d finished writing this review).

You can read more about The Lakes Distillery here. And you can find The Lakes Distillery's Whiskymaker's Editions Colheita here for £65, if you’d like to give this whisky a try. Which you should. You may also like to try a whisky from The Lakes' other major series, Whiskymaker's Reserve; you can find The Lakes Whiskymaker's Reserve No.4 here.