Type | Distilled beverage |
---|---|
Country of origin | England |
Introduced | First introduced/ Reintroduced 1800s / 2003 |
Discontinued | 1900s |
Alcohol by volume | 40% [1] - 67.9% [2] (46% avg alc vol %) |
Colour | • Caramel • Yellow |
Flavour | • sweet • savoury • spicy • smoky [3] |
Ingredients | Malt, Cereal Grains, Water |
Variants | Single Malt, Triple Malt, Blended Whisky, Single Cask, Small Batch |
Related products | |
Website | English Whisky Guild [4] |
English whisky is a liquor made from cereal grains, malt and water. [5] There are currently two types of English whiskies produced malt whisky and grain whisky. [6] [7]
Although England is not well known for whisky production, distillers operated in London, Liverpool and Bristol until the late 19th century, after which production of English single malt whisky ceased until 2003. [8] Since then, English whisky has experienced a resurgence in production. [9]
England, like Scotland, has a history of producing single malt whisky. However, the production of English single malt whisky ceased around 1905 with the closure of Lea Valley Distillery, in Stratford, London, by the Distillers Company Limited, one of the forerunners of Diageo. [10]
In the 1887 book The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom by Alfred Barnard, the following English distilleries were listed: [11]
In 2005, The English Whisky Co. Ltd got permission to build the first registered whisky distillery in England for over a century; it first release of single malt occurred in 2009; which became the only English Whisky to have been bottled and released for over 100 years. In 2013 The London Distillery Company began production of the first single malt whisky in London since Lea Valley Distillery closed in 1903. Three other English distilleries, also producing whisky by 2014, were The Cotswolds Distillery, Ludlow Distillery and The Lakes Distillery. [12]
There is currently no specific definition of English Whisky, however there is process being made on creating a statutory definition. English whisky producers currently follow EU Regulation (2019/787)) that define whisky alongside the British Standards institutes whisky guidelines. [13] [lower-alpha 1]
On 12 September 2023 the British Standards Institute published its first guidelines on how English, Scotch Welsh and Irish whisky should be produced and packaged. These guidelines state that whisky must:
On 14 February 2022, the English Whisky Guild applied for a Geographical Indication (GI) in order to establish a legal definition for English Whisky, [14] with suggestions being submitted for what should be included in the GI, such as specifying that:
There are currently 49 English distilleries across 9 regions in England, [17] 26 independent distilleries and 24 distilleries that are members of the English Whisky Guild. [18]
The English whisky distilleries are all at various stages of development with the oldest St George’s Distillery brewing whisky for nearly 20 years [19] and The Cotswolds distillery is the largest producer of whisky in England. [20]
No | Brands | No of whiskies released | Most popular whisky | Special releases | Citations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Oxford Rye Whisky | 12 [21] | Red Red Rye Heritage Grains | Anniversary Edition 1. Oxford Rye Purple Grain Whisky 2017 [22] 2. The Oxford Artisan Distillery Oxford Rye Whisky [23] | [24] |
2. | The Lakes Whiskymakers | 79 [25] | Infinity Single Malt Whisky | Reflections Single Malt Whisky Anniversary Release [26] | |
3. | Bimber | 251 [27] | Apogee Pure Malt Whisky | Bimber The Coronation of King Charles III Edition Single Malt Whisky [28] | |
4. | East London Liquor Company | 12 [29] | London Rye Whisky | ||
5. | The English Co | 463 [30] | Single Cask Release Malt Amathus Selection | 1. The English Lest We Forget Single Malt Whisky 2019 [31] 2. The English Lest We Forget Single Malt Whisky 2022 [32] The Fine Drop Single Malt Whisky 2023 [33] | |
6. | Cotswolds | 120 [34] | Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky | Cotswolds 2017 Highgrove Coronation 1. Ex Red Wine STR Single Malt Whisky [35] 2. Ex Red Wine STR & Bourbon Single Malt Whisky [36] | |
7. | Sacred Spirits | 2 [37] | Sacred Peated English Whisky | ||
8. | Bankhall | 4 [38] | Rebellion Corn, Rye & Malt Artisanal Whisky | [39] | |
9. | Dartmoor | 16 [40] | Dartmoor Single Malt Whisky | ||
10. | Filey Bay | 7 [41] | Filey Bay Single Malt Whisky | ||
11. | White Peak | 40 [42] | White Peak Cask Aged Rum | ||
12. | Adnams | 26 [43] | Adnams Single Malt Whisky | [44] | |
13. | Anno | 7 [45] | Anno Blended Whisky | ||
14. | Forest Whisky | 92 [46] | Forest Single Malt Whisky | ||
15. | Gulliver’s | Gulliver’s 47 Single Malt Whisky | |||
16. | Norfolk Nog | Norfolk Nog Single Grain Whisky |
No | Name of Whisky | Distillery (England) | Bottler | AVB | Citations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Cadenhead’s English Whisky Co 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky [47] | St George’s Distillery | Cadenhead’s (Scotland) | 46% | [48] |
2. | That Boutique-y Whisky Co English Whisky Co 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky [49] | St George’s Distillery | That Boutique-y Whisky Co (England) | 50.1% | |
3. | North Star - English Whisky Co 11 Year Old Single Malt Whisky [50] | St George’s Distillery | North Star (Scotland) | 49.8% | |
4. | Watt Whisky - English Whisky Co 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky [51] | St George’s Distillery | Watt Whisky (Scotland) | 57.1% | |
5. | That Boutique-y Whisky Company - Cotswolds 3 Year Old Single Malt Whisky [52] | Cotswolds Distillery | That Boutique-y Whisky Company (England) | 50.4% | |
6. | Berry Bros & Rudd - The Oxford Artisan Distillery English Rye Whisky 2019 [53] | Oxford Artisan Dustillery | Berry Bros & Rudd (England) | 54.5% | |
7. | The Heart Cut - East London Liquor Co. Rye Whisky [54] | East London Liquor Co | The Heart Cut (England) | 49.9% | |
8. | East London Liquor Co, The Whisky Show 2023 [55] | East London Whisky Co | The Whisky Show 2023 (England) | 62.1% | |
9. | That Boutique-y Whisky Company Adnams 8 Year Old [56] | Adnams Distillery | That Boutique-y Whisky Company (England) | 50.5% | |
10. | Thompson Bros Bimber 2017 3 Year Old [57] | Bimber | Thompson Bros (Scotland) | 57.9% |
England has 49 distilleries in total across 9 different regions. [58]
Region | Number |
---|---|
North East | 3 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 5 |
East Midlands | 2 |
East of England | 2 |
London | 4 |
South East | 9 |
South West | 11 |
West Midlands | 6 |
North West | 7 |
In March to April 2023 the EWG conducted a survey of English distilleries. The survey found there are currently 38,000 casks of English Whisky maturing in distillery warehouses with an estimated 50,000 casks expected to be laid down by distilleries by the end of 2024. The total value of the maturing stock estimated to exceed 1bn during this period. [59]
English Whisky distilleries have created 443 jobs across England and is sold internationally in 32 countries around the world including: Japan, France, Belgium, Netherland, [lower-alpha 2] Germany, Canada, Singapore and the USA. [59] [60]
Whisky Types
Malt whisky
Malt whisky is produced using malt barley, distilled in copper pots twice and matured in wooden casks of at least 700 litres for a minimum of three years. [63]
Rye whisky
Rye whisky is produced using rye grain and is known to be peppery and spicy.
Whisky styles
Single malt whisky
Single malt whisky is produced using 100% single malt barley within a single distillery.
Blended whisky
Blended whisky is a combination of malt and grain whisky within a single whisky, these are often smoother and cheaper than single malt whisky.
Other styles
Single cask
Single cask whisky is bottled from a single cask or barrel without blending the whisky.
Cask strength
Cask strength whisky is bottled from the barrel without any additional water.
Peated
Peated whisky is produced using malt barley that has been dried over a fire, this gives the whisky a smokey flavour [64]
English Whisky has 4 different flavour variations:
On 12 July 2018 the Lakes distillery auctioned and sold the first bottling of its Single Malt Whisky Genesis for £7,900 making it the most expensive bottle of English whisky sold at auction. [66]
On 8 September 2022 the White Peaks distillery auctioned its Wire Works Single Malt Whisky for £9,900 (US$11,377) setting a new record. [67]
On 30 November 2023 the English Whisky Co released their 16 year old port cask whisky, the oldest whisky in England. [68]
On 6 November 2023 the Cooper King Distillery released a whisky distilled using only net zero energy. [69]
On 22 June 2018 the Lakes Distillery created an English - Scottish blended whisky. [70] [71]
On 22 March 2024 the English Whisky Co sherry cask single malt whisky was named the best single malt in the world both by the Whisky Magazine at the Merchant Taylors Hall and as part of the World Whiskies Awards. [72] [73]
On November 18, 2023 Birmingham hosted its second English Whisky Festival with 32 distilleries participating in the event. The event consisted of two whisky master classes, one by the Cooper King Distillery and one by The English Whisky Co as well as whisky tasting and other activities. [74]
On November 28, 2023 16 whisky produces attended the English whisky showcase at the U.K Parliament in Westminster Hall to promote and bring awareness to the growing English whisky sector in England. [75]
Name of Book | Author | ISBN | Cite |
---|---|---|---|
Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2020/2021 | Jim Murray | (2020) ISBN 9781838320713 , 1838320717 (2021) ISBN 9781838320706 , 1838320709 | [76] [77] |
The Whisky Dictionary | Ian Wisniewski | ISBN 9781784726393 , 1784726397 | [78] |
The Science and Commerce of Whisky | Ian Buxton, Paul S Hughes | ISBN 1788017102 , 9781788017107 | [79] |
The New Single Malt Whiskey | Carlo DeVito | ISBN 9781604336474 , 1604336471 | [80] |
Whisky
English Whisky Geographical Indication (GI)
Scotch whisky is malt whisky or grain whisky, made in Scotland.
Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from fermented grain mash. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, which are typically made of charred white oak. Uncharred white oak casks previously used for the aging of port, rum or sherry are also sometimes used.
Single malt Scotch refers to single malt whisky made in Scotland. To qualify for this category, a whisky must have been distilled at a single distillery using a pot still distillation process and made from a mash of malted barley. Therefore, a single malt means that the whisky has not been blended elsewhere with whisky from other distilleries. As with any Scotch whisky, a single malt Scotch must be distilled in Scotland and matured in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years, although most single malts are matured longer.
Single malt whisky is malt whisky from a single distillery.
Royal Brackla distillery is a Highland Scotch whisky distillery on the Cawdor Estate, near Nairn in Scotland. The distillery is operated by John Dewar & Sons Ltd for Bacardi.
Glenmorangie distillery is a distillery in Tain, Ross-shire, Scotland, that produces single malt Scotch whisky.
Grant's is a blended Scotch whisky, produced by the company William Grant & Sons in Scotland.
Chivas Regal is a blended Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard in Scotland.
A blended malt, formerly called a vatted malt, or pure malt, is a blend of different single malt whiskies from different distilleries. These terms are most commonly used in reference to Scotch whisky, or whisky in that style, such as Japanese whisky.
Kilchoman distillery is a distillery that produces single malt Scotch whisky on Islay, an island of the Inner Hebrides. Kilchoman Distillery is in the northwest of the island, close to Machir Bay. Kilchoman was founded by Anthony Wills and remains an independent, family run distillery. It is the smallest on the island but since obtaining Rockside Farm in 2015, is in the process of expanding.
Welsh whisky is liquor made from malt, grain and water that is produced in Wales. There are currently two types of Welsh whisky Malt Whisky and Grain Whisky
Malt whisky is whisky made from a fermented mash consisting of malted barley. If the product is made exclusively at a single distillery, it is typically called a single malt whisky. Although malt whisky can be made using other malted grains besides barley, those types are not called malt whisky without specifying the grain, such as rye malt whisky or buckwheat malt whisky.
Glencadam distillery is a distillery in Brechin, Angus, Scotland that produces single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery is owned by Angus Dundee plc and produces one malt whisky, with the remainder of production sold to blenders or used within Angus Dundee plc for use in blended whisky brands.
Amrut is a brand of Indian single malt whisky, manufactured by Amrut Distilleries. It is the first single malt whisky to be made in India. Amrut (अमृत) or amrit is a Sanskrit word which can be translated as "nectar of the gods", "nectar of life", or "drink of the gods". The company translates it as "Elixir of Life". The brand became famous after whisky connoisseur Jim Murray gave it a rating of 82 out of 100 in 2005 and 2010. In 2010 Murray named Amrut Fusion single malt whisky as the third best in the world. John Hansell, editor of American magazine Whisky Advocate, wrote that "India's Amrut distillery changed the way many think of Indian whisky – that it was, in the past, just cheap Scotch whisky blended with who knows what and sold as Indian whisky. Amrut is making whisky, and it's very good".
Girvan distillery is a grain whisky distillery located in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Australian Whisky is whisky produced in Australia. As of December 2021, there were 333 registered distilleries in operation within Australia, of which approximately 50 have a whisky on the market. The industry has shown steady growth since the early 90s especially in the boutique craft distilling scene.
The Cotswolds Distillery was established in 2014, and is one of the few distilleries producing both English whisky and gin.
Isle of Raasay distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the Inner Hebridean Isle of Raasay in Northwest Scotland. The distillery is owned by R&B Distillers and was the first legal distillery on the Isle of Raasay when it opened in 2017.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to whisky:
Castle, Ian (16 May 2014). "". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
Rowley, Tom (9 February 2014). "English distillers race to profit from the £4bn whisky boom". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 March 2014.