Everything you need to know about Lakes Distellery Distillery

A brief History

The Lakes Distillery, England. Founded in 2014.

The Lakes Distillery is proof that English whisky isn’t a novelty anymore. Set beside Bassenthwaite Lake in the Lake District National Park, the distillery opened in 2014 with a clear goal: make expressive single malt that stands on its own terms, not as a Scottish imitation.

The setting does a lot of the talking. Cold water from the fells. Damp air. Big seasonal swings. All of that feeds into maturation. But the real identity comes from an intense focus on cask-driven flavour. The Lakes has leaned heavily into sherry-seasoned oak from the beginning, building richness early and unapologetically.

This is not light, grassy English whisky. It’s bold, structured, and designed to show depth quickly. The distillery has changed hands and creative direction over time, but the core idea remains the same: flavour first.

Explore all English Whisky

Taste Profile


Rich / Chocolately	Fruity	Oaky / Woody

The Lakes single malts are built around weight and texture. Sherry casks bring dried fruit, cocoa, and dark sweetness early, while oak adds structure and spice.

You’ll often find a dense mouthfeel, rich mid-palate, and a long, warming finish. There’s no peat focus here. The emphasis is sweetness, fruit depth, and oak integration.

These whiskies feel deliberate and confident rather than delicate.

Top 4 Flavour Profile Ingredients

	Dried Fruits
	Dark Chocolate / Cocoa
	Oak / Wood Spice
	Vanilla

The Distillery

The Distiller: The Lakes Distillery
Address: Bassenthwaite Lake, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 9SJ, England

Open in maps

www.lakesdistillery.com

+44 (0)17687 88850

Visitor Centre & Opening Times

Yes — the distillery has a large visitor centre with tours, tastings, shop, and café.

Typical opening hours

Daily
Around 10:00 – 17:00
(Seasonal variations apply)

It’s one of the most visitor-friendly distilleries in England.

Ownership History

Founder

Paul Currie (2014)

Current Owner

Nyetimber Group (acquired 2022)

The acquisition brought further investment while keeping the focus on premium spirits.

Distillery Facts

Overview & History

The Lakes Distillery is located within the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Founded in 2011, it was one of the first modern English whisky distilleries and played a central role in the revival of English single malt.

The distillery was established by Paul Currie and later came under the ownership of The Lakes Distillery Company. In 2022, the business was acquired by Nyetimber Group, signalling long-term investment and premium positioning.

From the outset, The Lakes Distillery focused on flavour-driven whisky, heavily influenced by sherry cask maturation rather than traditional Scotch regional models.

Production

Spirit Type: English single malt whisky
Stills: Copper pot stills designed to produce a weighty, oily spirit
Fermentation: Controlled to prioritise richness over high ester fruit
Cask Policy: Strong emphasis on sherry-seasoned oak (Oloroso, PX), with bourbon casks used more selectively
Climate: Cool, damp Lake District environment supporting steady maturation

The distillery operates a “sherry-led maturation programme”, often bottling without age statements to prioritise flavour balance over time-based benchmarks.

Whisky Style

The Lakes house style is:

Rich and full-bodied
Dark fruit (fig, raisin, date)
Chocolate and treacle
Sweet spice and oak tannin
Long, drying finish

Compared to many English and Scotch malts, Lakes whisky leans heavily into oxidative, wine-cask-driven complexity.

Key Expressions

The Lakes Whiskymaker’s Reserve – Flagship series showcasing sherry-led blending
The One – Blended whisky incorporating Lakes single malt
The Lakes Single Malt (annual releases) – Vintage-led, non-age-stated bottlings
Limited sherry cask and cask-strength editions

Releases are often presented as “chapters” rather than fixed age statements.

Significance

The Lakes Distillery is one of the most influential producers in modern English whisky. It challenged the assumption that English single malt must mirror Scotch styles, instead prioritising cask management and blending philosophy.

Its success helped legitimise England as a serious whisky-producing nation and positioned The Lakes as a reference point for sherry-forward single malt outside Scotland.