We are delighted to announce the appointment of Brendan McCarron as The Lakes new Whiskymaker.
Brendan brings with him almost two decades of whisky experience, having worked in multiple capacities for various brands within the Diageo and LVMH portfolios, before launching his own whisky and spirits consultancy in 2023. In his new role at The Lakes, he will oversee the creation of its permanent and limited-edition styles, with a key focus on élevage – an art embraced by The Lakes in pursuit of flavour development.
Since its inception, The Lakes has quickly become a key player in the new world of whisky due to our unique and modern approach to whisky flavour creation. Although traditionally associated with fine wines and cognacs, élevage in whisky sees the Whiskymaker make intentional changes throughout the spirit’s maturation to nurture desired characteristics and create new and intriguing flavours.
Brendan will work closely with Grace Frith, Assistant Whiskymaker and Bruce Smith, Head of Distilling & Whisky Operations. He takes over from Sarah Burgess who departs to pursue an opportunity closer to her home in Scotland. Earlier this year Sarah spearheaded the creation of The Lakes’s latest release, Signature. The launch of Signature was a pivotal moment for The Lakes, as it marked the introduction of our first globally available, permanent style of single malt whisky.
Eric Heerema, owner and CEO of The Nyetimber Group (who acquired The Lakes in 2024) said, ‘It is very exciting for us to be announcing the appointment of Brendan McCarron as the new Whiskymaker 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 whiskymaking moving forward.’
Brendan McCarron, Whiskymaker at The Lakes 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. Élevage provides endless opportunities for flavour development, and I feel privileged to be able to work with such an innovative, future-facing distillery.’
Brendan will commence his new role as Whiskymaker from the 1st September.
