The ONE British Isles Blended Whisky 5cl Miniature (40% ABV)

I’m fairly new to the world of Whiskey really, so I’m not really well suited to describing the finer details. We stumbled across The One while on holiday in the Lake District, and did a tour of the distillery.Friends who know more about whiskey than I do all seem to like the flavour. It goes down smoothly, and contrary to the drinking notes, I prefer to drink it neat with no ice or stones, but with a small drop of tap water to bring out the flavour.Probably worth noting that Amazon is actually cheaper than the distillery itself once you factor in shipping, so it makes sense to buy it from here.From my point of view, if you’re just starting out in the world of whiskey, this bottle won’t break the bank, and it has a lovely flavour.

Granted, I didn't exactly drink this. This was used in a whisky butterscotch recipe but it tasted delicious!Our resident whisky fan said it was a very good whisky. I only bought it due to the size as I only needed a smaller amount but I think I would buy this again.

Excellent value in a nice big bottle. Arrives in it own box.

Bought for my father who said it was great. He drank it neat with no mixer, said it was smooth enough to not need one.

Tasty brew. Good pure whisky with very little hangover.

drinking -- adrop of good stuff

Unexpectedly smooth

England doesn't - as far as I am aware - have a long heritage of whisky production, but you'd be a fool to say that Scotland is the only valid place it can be produced. Ireland, Japan and the USA all have great whisky (or is that whiskey if it's from the USA?) producers spanning low to high prices, so why shouldn't a UK producer fit into that mix somehow?I'm not an expert, I've just been drinking whisky for about 30 years and know what I like - which generally speaking is a single malt Scotch, maybe a peaty variety. But I'm not averse to experimenting with other varieties - it is after all the spice of life. And I'm not averse to the odd blended whisky, a Johnnie Walker or Chivas Regal have something to offer.So... The One. It comes in a blue box proudly displaying the Union Jack. The weighty bottle (it has a thick glass base to keep it stable as you drink your way through the contents) is sealed and has a cork stopper which lends it a feeling of quality before you even touch the contents.The Lakes Distillery blurb says "the first ever British Isles blended whisky, produced for The Lakes Distillery. A whisky of intriguing complexity and character with all the smoothness of a beautiful blended spirit from across the British Isles". So what it isn't is a whiskey made entirely in the Lake District National Park - I guess that is to come as the distillery that they have built there has the time necessary to produce its own.So, most importantly, what is it like to drink? It's a smooth drink, not harsh. It doesn't hurt when you drink it. It is described as having a slightly smoky taste but I struggle to taste this. Maybe my palate has been destroyed by the harsh Islay single malts? The smoothness in The One means you can sip it happily, and to my mind is much more pleasant than some other spirits like brandy which feels quite toxic to me.At this price point there is so much competition. But this would make a nice gift, and you don't have to make any excuses for it being an English not a Scottish whisky.