Type | Distilled beverage |
---|---|
Country of origin | England |
Introduced | Est./ Re-est. 1636 [a] 2003 [2] |
Discontinued | 1905 |
Alcohol by volume | 40% [3] – 67.9% [4] |
Related products | Scotch, Irish whiskey, Welsh whisky |
Website | EWG [5] |
English whisky (whiskey [b] ) is a liquor made from cereal grains, malt and water that is produced in England. [7] [8] This includes malt whisky and grain whisky. [9] [10]
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. [2] By 2016, it had resurged. [11]
There are currently 20 brands of English whisky including the English Co, Bimber, The Lakes and Cotswolds. [12]
In 1636 the Worshipful Company of Distillers were granted a charter to produce spirits, including whisky, in of the City of London. [13]
In 1825, the Chancellor of the Exchequer reduced the duty on alcohol and permitted distillers to sell directly to the public. The government believed this would encourage distillers to produce higher quality spirits, eliminating the dangerous rectification process. These changes were expected to bolster distillers prosperity and generate revenue for the treasury. The reduction in alcohol duty led to a near doubling of English spirit consumption and solidified England's reputation for distilling excellence. Coupled with the introduction of cask-aged English whisky, this boosted demand for English spirits, which accounted for one-sixth of England's revenue by 1885. [14]
In the 1887 book The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom by Alfred Barnard, the following English distilleries were listed: [15]
In 1903 Lea Valley Distillery, in Stratford owned by The Distillers Company Limited closed and moved their production to Scotland due to the expanding popularity of gin and the taking off of Scotch whisky. [16]
In 2005, The English Whisky Co. Ltd. received permission to construct the first registered whisky distillery in England in over a century. [17] Its initial release of single malt whisky arrived in 2009, marking the first bottling and release of English whisky in 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. [18]
A process is underway to create a statutory definition for English whisky. Currently, English whisky producers adhere to EU Regulation (2019/787), which defines whisky, as well as the guidelines of the British Standards Institute. [19] [c]
On 12 September 2023, the British Standards Institute published its first guidelines for the production and packaging of English, Scotch, Welsh, and Irish whisky. These guidelines outline the following requirements:
On 14 February 2022, the English Whisky Guild applied for a geographical indication in order to establish a legal definition for English whisky. [20] Suggested criteria include:
The English whisky GI is due to become active this year. [24]
Types | |
---|---|
Malt whisky | 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. [25] |
Grain whisky | Produced at least partly from grains other than barley, such as maize, wheat and rye. [26] |
Rye whisky | Produced using rye grain and known to be peppery and spicy. |
Cornish whisky | Produced using local produce and is distilled, matured and bottled in Cornwall. [27] There are currently 2 distilleries that produce Cornish whisky Pocketful of Stones Distiller and Hicks and Healeys [28] [29] |
Styles | |
Single Malt | Produced using 100% single malt barley within a single distillery. |
Triple Malt | Aged in three types of casks, but not blended. |
Blended whisky | A combination of malt and grain whisky within a single whisky. These are often smoother and cheaper than single malt whisky. |
Single Cask | Bottled from a single cask or barrel without blending the whisky. |
Small Batch | Produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of premium selected barrels. [30] |
Peated | Produced using malt barley that has been dried over a fire; this gives the whisky a smokey flavour. [31] |
Cask strength | Bottled from the barrel without any additional water. |
English whisky has four flavours:
English whisky has a variety of different colours including caramel and yellow. [34]
There are 55 distilleries in England as of 2024, [35] 26 of these distilleries are part of the English Whisky Guild. [36] [37]
The English whisky distilleries are all at various stages of development with the oldest, St George's Distillery, brewing whisky for nearly 20 years. [38] The Cotswolds distillery is the largest producer of whisky in England. [39]
The English whisky distilleries are spread across 9 regions: North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West, West Midlands and the North West. [40]
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 |
There are six whisky distilleries in the South East of England: The Oxford Artisan Distillery, Black Bottle Distillery, Isle of Wight distillery, Copper Rivet Distillers, Anno Distillers and Canterbury Brewers & Distillers. [41]
There are 18 independent whisky bottlers in England, [42] including Cadenhead, That Boutique-y, North Star, Watt Whisky, Berry Bros & Rudd, The Heart Cut, The Whisky Show and Thompson Bros. [43]
No | Distributor | Distillery (ies) | Start date | Area Served | Cite |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sip and Savour | The Oxford Artisan Distillery | 20 October 2020 | UK | [44] |
2. | BBC Spirits | Gullivers Whisky | 1 March 2021 | Europe | [45] |
3. | Mangrove | The English Whisky Co | 18 March 2021 | UK | [46] [47] |
East London Liquor Company | 1 November 2022 | ||||
4. | Monarq Group | The Lakes Distillery | 15 May 2023 | Caribbean, Latin America, US | [48] |
5. | Illva Saronno | Cotswolds Distillery | 11 December 2023 | UK, Benelux [e] [49] | [49] |
6. | ImpEx Beverages | Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery | 6 April 2022 | US | [50] |
From March to April 2023 the English Whisky Guild conducted a survey of English distilleries. The survey found that there are currently 38,000 casks of English whisky maturing in distillery warehouses, and 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. [51]
On 4 June 2024, the English Whisky Guild published its first annual report. The report found that sales of English whisky last year equated to 50,000 (9L) casks with 40% of English whisky being sold internationally as well as 250,000 people visiting English whisky distillery last year. [52] The total value of English whisky sold domestically and internationally is £1bn [53]
English whisky distilleries have created 443 jobs across England, and the product is sold internationally in 32 countries around the world, including: Japan, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Singapore and the United States. [51] [54]
On June 25, 2011, US authorities informed The English Whisky Co that it would not be able to sell English single malt whisky in the US market as it is produced using recycled oak barrels and US law requires that new oak barrels be used. [55] The English Whisky Co accused the US of double standards, as whisky from other nations including Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France uses recycled barrels to produce whisky. [56]
On January 3, 2013, after a five-year dispute, and lobbying the Foreign Office, UK trade bodies and the US embassy, The English Whisky Co was granted permission to sell English whisky in the US market. [57]
On 8 September 2022, the White Peaks Distillery auctioned its Wire Works Single Malt Whisky which sold for a total of £9,900 ($11,337). [58]
On 6 November 2023 the Cooper King Distillery released a whisky distilled using only Net zero emissions energy. [59]
On 1 December 2021 Gullivers & Co signed a partnership agreements with England Rugby to produce rugby themed whisky which would become the official whisky of the English Rugby Union. [60]
As of 2023 the partnership agreement between Gullivers and England Ruby is still active with England's No. 6 Single Malt Whisky becoming the latest English rugby themed whisky to be produced [61]
On 30 April 2024, the Circumstance Distillery Single Grain Estate Whisky earned a gold medal at the international spirits challenge. [62]
On 18 November 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. [63]
On 28 November 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. [64]
On 28 August 2018, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association launched an English - Welsh Whisky Trail. [65]
English distilleries that are on the trail include:
Scotch whisky, often simply called whisky or Scotch, 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.
Royal Brackla distillery is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery on the Cawdor Estate, near Nairn in Scotland.
The Glenlivet distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland, that produces single malt Scotch whisky. It is the oldest legal distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. It was founded in 1824 and has operated almost continuously since.
Talisker distillery is an island single malt Scotch whisky distillery based in Carbost, Scotland on the Minginish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye.
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.
William Grant & Sons Ltd is an independent, family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is run by Grant's descendants as of 2018. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky distillers remaining in family ownership.
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
As of 2006 most distilled spirits labelled as "whisky" in India were a form of Indian-made foreign liquor, commonly blends based on neutral spirits that are distilled from fermented molasses with only a small portion consisting of traditional malt whisky, usually about 10 to 12 percent. Outside India, such a drink would more likely be labelled a rum. According to the Scotch Whisky Association's 2013 annual report, unlike in the European Union (EU), "there is no compulsory definition of whisky in India, and the Indian voluntary standard does not require whisky to be distilled from cereals or to be matured. Very little Indian 'whisky' qualifies as whisky in the EU owing to the use of molasses or neutral alcohol, limited maturation and the use of flavourings. Such spirits are, of course, considerably cheaper to produce than genuine whisky." Such molasses-based blends made up 90 percent of the spirits consumed as "whisky" in India in 2004, although whisky wholly distilled from malt and other grains, was also manufactured and sold. By 2004 shortages of wheat had been overcome and India was one of the largest producers. Amrut, the first single malt whisky produced in India, was launched in Glasgow, Scotland in 2004. After expanding in Europe it was launched in India in 2010.
St George's Distillery is a distillery based in Roudham, Norfolk. It is owned by the English Whisky Company who are a producer of single malt whisky and other malt-based alcoholic spirits. It is notable for being the first dedicated English distillery for single malt whisky in 100 years at the time of the building's completion in 2006. Their first mature batch went on sale in 2009.
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:
Nc'nean distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery in Drimnin on the Morvern peninsula of the Highlands, Scotland. The distillery is beside the Sound of Mull, opposite the Isle of Mull. The distillery name Nc'nean, comes from "Neachneohain", a Gaelic legend which translates as the Queen of Spirits.
The English Whisky Guild (EWG) is a membership organisation that promotes and protects English whisky.
Organisations