The Lakes names new whisky maker
English distillery The Lakes has announced the appointment of whisky and spirits consultant Brendan McCarron as its new whisky maker.
McCarron will take over the role on 1 September from Sarah Burgess, overseeing the creation of the distillery’s permanent and limited edition releases.
He will be the third whisky maker at The Lakes Distillery in four years, following Burgess, who was appointed in January 2023, and Dhavall Gandhi, who left the company in May 2022.
McCarron will work closely with The Lakes’ assistant whisky maker, Grace Frith, and Bruce Smith, head of distilling and whisky operations.
Commenting on his new role, McCarron said: “I am delighted to be stepping into this new role at what is an incredibly exciting time for The Lakes. Following the launch of Signature single malt whisky – a significant flag in the sand for The Lakes – I look forward to working with this brilliant team to develop what comes next.”
McCarron’s appointment follows Nyetimber’s acquisition of the distillery in June 2024.
With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, McCarron has previously worked with the Diageo and LVMH portfolios before launching his own whisky and spirits consultancy in 2023.
His responsibilities as a whiskymaker will include implementing The Lakes élevage – ‘an art embraced by the distillery to develop flavours’ and a practice more familiarly used in wine and Cognac. In whisky, élevage involves the whiskymaker intentionally making changes during the spirit’s maturation to enhance desired characteristics and create ‘new, intriguing’ flavours.
McCarron added: “Élevage provides endless opportunities for flavour development, and I feel privileged to be able to work with such an innovative, future-facing distillery.”
Eric Heerema, owner and CEO of The Nyetimber Group, said: “It is very exciting for us to be announcing the appointment of Brendan McCarron as the new whisky maker at The Lakes. Brendan has long been renowned in the whisky industry for having worked with some outstanding distilleries and brands, and for having a vast skillset and range of experience.
“Our key focus at The Lakes is to embrace and explore the possibilities of using élevage to create innovative and intriguing flavours for our premium single malt whiskies. Having Brendan at the forefront of this will be a fantastic asset for The Lakes whisky making moving forward.”
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