Steel Bonnets: Blended Malt Whisky

Info: From The Lakes Distillery comes the first ever blend, so the press release says, of English and Scottish malt whiskies, Steel Bonnets. The blend is a combination of The Lakes Single Malt from England and some of the most respected malts from north of the Border. Awarded a gold medal in Spirits Business’ Luxury Masters Awards. 46.6% abv, non chillfiltered, non coloured.
Colour: Golden with a hint of autumn rust.
Nose: An interesting nose that is vibrant and flavourful. There’s some instant sweetness to the nose, possibly showing distillery character from younger (Lakes?) spirit. There is a dollop of sweetened cream with green and red fruits on the nose with smokey hints as a backdrop.
Palate: Fairly oily, and reasonably easy on the palate, although spices and heat do build after a while. There’s a grassy sweetness along with hints of autumn fruits and a background of smoke. The palate has a grippy richness which feels slightly like the notes you get from a spirit that’s been cooled in worm tubs rather than condensers.
Finish: You think it’ll be short, but then flavour spreads all over your chest and it goes on for a long while, highlighting some older (Scottish) spirit. Hints of eucalyptus and smoke.
Thoughts: This is an “ultra-premium” blended whisky where you don’t get to know what the makeup is and how your money is being spent, you just have to trust it’s good. And good it is, this is a blended whisky full of flavour which packs a strong but gentle punch.
Extra Thoughts: The blended malt whisky category is fairly crowded… at this price point there’s plenty of competition on the market from trusted big names. Good luck to The Lakes in fitting in here, the look of the bottle and the box certainly helps to compete!
Available: Master of Malt – £64.95

Thanks to The Lakes Distillery for the sample.