The Whiskymaker's Editions are The Lakes Distillery's showcase series — small-batch single malts in which whiskymaker Dhavall Gandhi (and now his successors) explore the outer edges of sherry-cask maturation. Each release in the series carries an evocative French name, and Galantes follows the convention with characteristic flair.
Drawn from a careful selection of oloroso, Pedro Ximenez and red wine casks, Galantes is bottled at cask-driven strength — typically in the low fifties — without chill filtration or added colour. The Lakes' approach is closer to that of a fine wine producer than a traditional whisky distillery: cuvees of carefully chosen casks, married to deliver layered, considered flavour profiles.
This is a single malt of unmistakable richness. The European oak dominates without smothering, lending the whisky a perfumed, almost confectionery quality alongside the deeper notes of cocoa, dried fruit and old leather. There is sweetness here, certainly, but it is structured rather than syrupy — held together by that higher ABV and the firm tannin of well-chosen sherry wood.
For lovers of sherried whisky who want something distinctly English in accent rather than Highland or Speyside, Galantes is a flagbearer. A dram for slow evenings and good company.
