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Celebrating Women in Whisky: Sarah Burgess
Sarah Burgess is a big name in the world of whisky, and a previous feature star of our very own Whiskeria! With our Women in Whisky celebrations well underway, what better time to celebrate The Lakes Distillery’s era-defining Whiskymaker than at the release of their latest bottling – The Lakes Signature Malt!
Whiskymaker, Sarah Burgess
Sarah joined the team at The Lakes Distillery in 2023 as their Whiskymaker, bringing an incredible wealth of experience from her work with some of Scotland’s top whisky distilleries and brands, including Cardhu, Clynelish, Oban, Glenkinchie, Craigellachie, and The Macallan. Not many have as much claim to fame!
One of the many traits which make Sarah such an exceptional Whiskymaker is the relationship between her and the casks. Through an alchemy-like practice called ‘élevage’, This involves regular tastings and contact with cask suppliers, enabling Sarah to feedback early and quickly into the spirit making process about what’s working and what isn’t – giving her time to intervene and guide the liquid in the taste direction she wants it to go. This has attuned Sarah to the specific requirements of cask flavour impacts on the product, and how development of different types of yeasts in cask and can pinpoint the unique nuances between them.
Through élevage, Sarah is able to draw flavours from drams that would not be possible otherwise, creating remarkable recipes using wood, water, barley, and yeast. This process, which is more commonly used in wine and cognac production, is essential to the DNA of The Lakes and allows the distillery to create some of the most unique whiskies on the market.
In terms of further experimentation, Sarah and her team are also interested in adding chopped wood into the liquid to impart subtle flavours throughout the maturation process. Not many other distilleries in England are doing this which makes Sarah especially keen to explore the potential here. So, what could these experimentations look like? Sarah talks us through a future plan of hers using her favourite pombe yeast.
“You know the smell at a traditional fruit shop when you open up a big box of green apples out of a cardboard box? That’s the smell that you get from pombe yeast when it’s being used inside the distillery. Then, using élevage and American seasoned oak, you’d be able to get some real toffee apple flavours. You add a bit of chopped Calvados in there through that journey to create a sticky apple flavouring.”
The Lakes Single Malt Signature
Introducing The Lakes Signature Malt, a whisky that encapsulates over a decade of flavour exploration and craftsmanship. The first permanent style of sherry-led single malt from The Lakes brand, this is a must for any whisky collection. The malt was matured in a selection of European and American oak Oloroso and PX sherry casks, resulting in a complex and rich liquid, bottled at 47% ABV.
On the nose, expect rich polished oak and soft leather with sumptuous dried fruits, layered with pecan nuts, dark chocolate, and a subtle touch of orange zest. The palate brings layers of sweet sultanas, raisins, and figs fold into stewed orchard fruits, lifted by bright citrus. While the finish leaves you with lingering raisin and fig notes carried on a breath of warm nutmeg and dark treacle.
The Lakes Distillery
One of the most exciting new English distilleries: The Lakes have an artistic ethos, situated in the heart of The Lake District National Park. It claims that “the nature of their art is whisky, the inspiration of their art is nature” and, while they respect the traditional whisky-making process, their philosophy looks at not only what whisky is, but what whisky can be.
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