Lakes Distillery set to make history with latest whisky auction

A bottle of three-year-old single malt whisky is set to break the record for the most expensive English whisky sold at auction.

This could be an historic moment, set to confirm the country’s young industry as an authentic new world challenger to the established distilleries North of the border.

The Lakes Distillery is to auction 99 of its first bottles of single malt whisky, with bottle number one expected to go for several thousand pounds.

The Lakes Single Malt whisky, called Genesis, is being sold at cask strength in a bespoke rosewood presentation box, each individually numbered and hand signed by Dhavall Gandhi, the Whiskymaker.

Genesis comes from the Greek word meaning origin. The name pays homage to the distillery’s beginning, and gives a tantalising glimpse into its future.

Nigel Mills CBE, chief executive officer of The Lakes Distillery, said: “We have gathered an exceptional team of experts here at the distillery, all with their own specialities, who have all been working towards this important milestone in our history.

“Our whiskymaker has worked tirelessly to ensure that The Lakes Genesis single malt whisky is world class.”

The distillery was founded with money from a group of North of England based investors. A further 2,435 investors supported the Distillery in a round of crowd funding on Crowdcube six months ago, raising £1.62m.

In addition, 2,975 whisky lovers joined an exclusive Founders Club, giving them the opportunity to enjoy a 70cl bottle of The Lakes spirit every year for 10 years.

Operations director and Whiskymaker, Dhavall Gandhi, explained the key components of creating Genesis: “The whisky was first matured in Oloroso hogsheads giving it a vibrant character full of dried ginger and wood-spice.

“After the initial period of maturation, the whisky was finished in casks made-up of American and European oak to add a layer of dried fruit and vanilla.

“Finally, these two components were married together in Orange wine casks from the Andalucía region of Spain, giving it a spicy and chocolate-orange character.

“We don’t just bottle our whisky because it is three years old; instead, I look at each cask to assess them individually until I find the right flavour profile. We have reached a peak for some casks and that is why we are releasing a limited number now.”

The auction starts on Saturday June 29, and will run until 12pm on Tuesday July 10.

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →