THEDAILYWHISKY

English whisky does not often get to stand on the top step at an international competition. The Lakes Chocolatier just did. The Lakes Distillery has launched Chocolatier English single malt whisky in the UK, and it arrives with a Gold medal from the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition already in hand. The distillery says it was the only English whisky to take Gold there. The Whiskey Wash

Chocolatier lands at 51% ABV, priced at £95 for a 70cl bottle. It is sold as a UK retail exclusive through Amathus, in store and online, as well as on The Lakes Distillery website.

The key facts up front

This is a sherry-led single malt bottled at natural colour and without chill filtration. Maturation runs across European oak sherry, American oak sherry and a small percentage of American oak ex-bourbon, finished in ex-sherry casks. It is a limited edition, and the UK launch is the first time it has been available in its home market.

Why this release is worth a second look

Two things lift Chocolatier above the usual sherry bomb.

The first is the award, and what it signals. English whisky is still a young category proving it can compete with Scotch and the wider world. A Gold at the IWSC, with the distillery’s claim of being the sole English whisky to earn one this year, is a genuine data point in that argument rather than marketing gloss.

The second is who made it. According to the distillery and the retailers carrying the bottle, Chocolatier is the final Lakes edition created by Sarah Burgess, the former Macallan lead whiskymaker who shaped much of the distillery’s recent direction. A departing maker’s last release tends to reward attention, and it gives this bottle a collectability angle beyond the liquid.

There is an ownership thread here too. The Lakes Distillery was acquired by Nyetimber in the summer of 2024, bringing an English sparkling wine house together with an English single malt producer. Seen in that light, the distillery’s wine-influenced approach makes sense. Like all single malts from The Lakes, Chocolatier was developed through élevage, a technique borrowed from the wine and cognac world where whisky is moved between casks during maturation to build layers of flavour rather than left in a single cask to rest. The Whiskey WashThe Whiskey Wash

A slightly unusual route to the shelf

Chocolatier did not debut at home. It first launched in April 2026 in Australia, exclusively with The Whisky Club, before reaching the UK now. English whisky finding an audience abroad before its own market is a small but telling sign of how far the category’s reputation has travelled.

Who is The Lakes Distillery?

The Lakes Distillery was founded in 2011 by Paul Currie, a co-founder of the Isle of Arran Distillery in Scotland. It sits on a restored Victorian model farm in Cumbria, in the north-west of England. It is the only distillery located in both a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The house style is sherry-led, and the distillery has built its name on the élevage-driven Whiskymaker’s Editions and Reserve series rather than age statements. If you know Scotch but not English single malt, think of The Lakes as sitting closest to a rich, sherried Speyside profile, delivered through active cask management rather than long ageing alone.

The Lakes Chocolatier tasting notes

These are the distillery’s official notes. We have not tasted this release yet, so treat them as the maker’s account rather than a TDW verdict. We will add our own assessment if we get a pour.

Nose: Indulgent sherry building into chocolate and ginger biscuit — cocoa, white peach, brandy snap, milk chocolate, butterscotch
Palate: Decadent dried fruits, spiced hot chocolate, rich vanilla — dark chocolate and stone fruit developing
Finish: Long, with lingering cocoa
ABV: 51% | Cask type: European & American oak sherry, small ex-bourbon component, ex-sherry finish | Price: £95 (70cl) | Presentation: Natural colour, non-chill filtered

Price and availability

Chocolatier is £95 for a 70cl bottle at 51% ABV. In the UK it is a retail exclusive to Amathus, available nationwide in store and online, and on The Lakes Distillery website. It is a limited edition, so the run is finite. Given how sharply some previous Lakes limited editions have moved on the secondary market, anyone who wants it to drink rather than trade would be wise not to wait.

Is it worth £95?

At £95 for a 51% single malt bottled at natural colour and without chill filtration, this is priced in line with The Lakes’ other limited editions rather than above them. If you already enjoy the distillery’s sherry-led style, or you collect final releases from notable whiskymakers, the case makes itself. If you are new to English whisky and want to understand why the category is starting to win international medals, this is a defensible, if not cheap, place to start. We will hold a firm verdict until we taste it.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Lakes Chocolatier?
The Lakes Chocolatier is a limited-edition English single malt from The Lakes Distillery in Cumbria. It is a sherry-led whisky bottled at 51% ABV, inspired by the craft of the master chocolatier. It won Gold at the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition and launched in the UK in July 2026.

What does The Lakes Chocolatier taste like?
According to the distillery, the nose offers chocolate, cocoa, ginger biscuit, white peach and brandy snaps. The palate delivers dried fruits, spiced hot chocolate, rich vanilla, dark chocolate and stone fruit, finishing on lingering cocoa. It is a rich, sweet, sherry-driven profile rather than a light or delicate one.

How much does The Lakes Chocolatier cost and where can I buy it?
It costs £95 for a 70cl bottle. In the UK it is a retail exclusive to Amathus, sold in store, online and via The Lakes Distillery website. It is a limited edition, and a small number of bottles previously launched in Australia through The Whisky Club in April 2026.

What casks is The Lakes Chocolatier matured in?
It is matured across European oak sherry casks, American oak sherry casks and a small percentage of American oak ex-bourbon, then finished in ex-sherry casks. The whisky is built using élevage, the distillery’s practice of moving spirit between casks during maturation to layer flavour, a technique drawn from the wine world.

Is The Lakes Chocolatier a limited edition?
Yes. Chocolatier is a limited-edition release, so availability is finite. It is bottled at 51% ABV with natural colour and no chill filtration. Retailers and the distillery report it as the final Lakes edition created by former Macallan whiskymaker Sarah Burgess, which adds to its appeal for collectors.

What is The Lakes Distillery known for?
The Lakes Distillery, founded in 2011 in England’s Lake District, is known for its sherry-led house style and its élevage approach to maturation, inspired by wine and cognac. It is the only distillery in both a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was acquired by English wine house Nyetimber in 2024.