The Whiskymaker's Editions are where Dhavall Gandhi gets to play. Released in small batches alongside the Lakes Distillery's core range, each edition explores a particular cask combination or thematic idea, and Mosaic — as the name suggests — is built around the patient assembly of many small parts into one coherent picture.
The cask recipe leans heavily on sherry and red wine casks, with each component chosen to add a specific colour to the final blend. The result is layered without being busy, perfumed without being precious. Bottled at 52%, non-chill-filtered, with no added colour.
The nose is immediately inviting — candied orange and redcurrant jam up front, then a deeper register of pipe tobacco and polished cedarwood emerging with time in the glass. There's an almost incense-like quality if you give it long enough, the kind of thing that rewards a proper Glencairn and patience.
The palate is lush and rolling: stewed plum, dark honey, baked fig and milk chocolate, all carried on a sweep of warm spice that never tips into heat. The wine casks contribute a tangy red-fruit edge that keeps the whole thing dynamic rather than syrupy.
The finish is long and gracefully fading, dried apricot and toasted almond drifting into clove and old leather. This is one of the more accomplished limited releases the Lakes have put out — a fine showcase for Gandhi's blending instincts.
