English whisky explained

Type:	Distilled beverage
Origin:	England
English whisky
Abv:	40%^[1] – 67.9%^[2]
Related:	Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, Welsh whisky
Introduced:	Est./ Re-est. 18th century / 2003
Discontinued:	19th century
Website:	EWG^[3]

English whisky (whiskey) is a liquor made from cereal grains, malt and water.^{[4] [5]} This includes 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] By 2016, it had resurged.^[9]

History

Origins and discontinuation

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.^[10]

In the 1887 book The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom by Alfred Barnard, the following English distilleries were listed:^[11]

• Lea Valley Distillery, Stratford, Essex (founded in the late 19th century) — produced both grain and malt whisky.
• Bank Hall Distillery (Liverpool) — produced grain and malt whisky.
• Bristol Distillery (founded in the 17th century) — produced grain whisky which was "sent to Scotland and Ireland to make a Blended Scotch and Irish whisky, for whisky purpose it is specially adapted, and stands in high favour".
• Vauxhall Distillery in Liverpool (founded in 1781) — produced grain whisky.

In 1903 Lea Valley Distillery, in Stratford, London 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.^[12]

Re-establishment

In 2005, The English Whisky Co. Ltd. received permission to construct the first registered whisky distillery in England in over a century. 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.^[13]

Definition

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.^[14]

Guidance

See also: List of British Standards. 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:

• Color: Caramel
• Maturation: Minimum of three years in wooden casks
• Sweeteners/Additives: None permitted
• Alcohol by Volume (ABV): Minimum of 40%
• Distillation: Less than 94.8% volume^[15]

Legal changes

On 14 February 2022, the English Whisky Guild applied for a geographical indication in order to establish a legal definition for English whisky.^[16] Suggested criteria include:

• All grain used in the production of English whisky must originate from the United Kingdom.
• The entire distillation process must be conducted within England.
• Maturation of the whisky must take place exclusively in casks within England.^{[17] [18]}

Distributors

!No!Distributor!Distillery (ies)!Start date!Area Served!Cite

1.	Sip and Savour	The Oxford Artisan Distillery	20 October 2020	UK	^[19]
2.	BBC Spirits	Gullivers Whisky	1 March 2021	Europe	^[20]
3.	Mangrove	The English Whisky Co	18 March 2021	UK	^[21] ^[22]
		East London Liquor Company	1 November 2022
4.	Monarq Group	The Lakes Distillery	15 May 2023	Caribbean, Latin America, US	^[23]
5.	Illva Saronno	Cotswolds Distillery	11 December 2023	UK, Benelux ^[24]
6.	ImpEx Beverages	Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery	6 April 2022	US	^[25]

Regions

England has 55 distilleries across 9 regions.^[26]

Numbers of distilleries by region!Region!!Number

North East	3
Yorkshire and the Humber	5
	2
East of England	2
London	4
South East	9
South West	11
West Midlands	6
North West	7

South East

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.^[27]

Economic valuation

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.^[28]

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.^[29] The total value of English whisky sold domestically and internationally is £1bn^[30]

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.^[31]

Types, styles and characteristics

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.^[32]
Grain whisky	Produced at least partly from grains other than barley, such as maize, wheat and rye.^[33]
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.^[34] There are currently 2 distilleries that produce Cornish whisky Pocketful of Stones Distiller and Hicks and Healeys^[35] ^[36]
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.^[37]
Peated	Produced using malt barley that has been dried over a fire; this gives the whisky a smokey flavour.^[38]
Cask strength	Bottled from the barrel without any additional water.

Characteristics

Flavours

English whisky has four flavours:

• sweet (vanilla, oats, raisins, peach, apricot)
• savoury (rye bread, herbs)
• spicy (cooking spices, pepper, gingerbread, citrus peel)
• smoky (oak, peat, leather)^{[39] [40]}

Colour

English whisky has a variety of different colours including caramel and yellow.^[41]

International disputes

United States

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.^[42] 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.^[43]

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.^[44]

Achievements

Auctions

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).^[45]

Net zero whisky distillation

On 6 November 2023 the Cooper King Distillery released a whisky distilled using only Net zero emissions energy.^[46]

Partnership agreements

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.^[47]

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^[48]

Stores

Gauntleys Whiskies

On 4 April 2020, Gauntleys Whiskies began selling English whiskies from a range of distilleries including from the English Whisky Co, Filey Bay and Henstone Distillery.^[49]

Digital Distiller

On 23 November 2023, Digital Distiller launched a specialist online English whisky and gin subscription service. The service list over 50 different English whiskies bottles as well as selection of English Whisky casks which are obtained through direct partnerships with distilleries.^{[50] [51]}

International awards

On 30 April 2024, the Circumstance Distillery Single Grain Estate Whisky earned a gold medal at the international spirits challenge.^[52]

Events

Birmingham

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.^[53]

London

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.^[54]

Whisky Trails

On 28 August 2018, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association launched an English - Welsh Whisky Trail.^[55]

English distilleries that are on the trail include:

1. Adnams Cooper House Distillery
2. Bimber Distillery
3. Chase Distillery
4. Copper King Distillery
5. Copper Rivet Distillery
6. Cotswolds Distillery
7. Dartmoor Distillery
8. Durhams Distillery
9. East London Liquor Company
10. The English Whisky Co
11. Hicks and Healey Distillery
12. Isle of Wight Distillery
13. The Lakes Distillery
14. The London Distillery Co (Closed)^[56]

Bibliography

Name of Book	Author	Year	ISBNs	Cite
Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2020/2021	Jim Murray	20202021		^[57] ^[58]
The Whisky Dictionary	Ian Wisniewski	2019		^[59]
The Science and Commerce of Whisky	Ian Buxton Paul S Hughes	2020		^[60]
The New Single Malt Whiskey	Carlo DeVito	2016		^[61]
English WhiskyThe Journey from Grain to Glass	Ted Bruning Rupert Wheeler	2024		^[62]
Whisky Opus	Gavin D. Smith Dominic Roskrow Davin De Kergommeaux	2012		^[63]

See also

Economic

• Food and drink industry in England

Whisky

• New world whisky
• List of independent English Whisky bottlers
• List of whisky brands in England
• List of whisky distilleries in England

External links

• English Whisky Geographical Indication (GI)

Organisations

• Exploring English Whisky
• British Distillers Alliance
• Briggs of Burton

References and footnotes

Footnotes

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Lakes 01-year-old . Whisky Base.
2. Web site: Bimber 2016 Spirit. Whisky Base. 7 June 2020.
3. Web site: Jeewood . Aaron . 24 April 2023 . English Whisky Guild appoints CEO as industry forecast to possess over £1bn in maturing stock . Worshipful Company of Distillers.
4. Web site: 27 September 2023 . Exploring English Whisky: The Taste of Innovation . 11 December 2023 . Whisky 300 . en.
5. Web site: 12 May 2024 . Everything you need to know about English whisky . 12 May 2024 . Travel . en.
6. Web site: 22 July 2020 . Introduction to English Whisky . 11 December 2023 . The Dram Team . en-US.
7. Web site: English whisky's Indie heroes . 26 February 2024 . Barley . en-GB.
8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/2992925.stm Cornish take on Scotch
9. Web site: English whisky – beating the Scots at their own game?. Billy. Abbott. The Whisky Exchange. 28 July 2017. 4 May 2020.
10. Web site: Editorial . CALIBRE . 13 March 2019 . The English (Whisky) Renaissance . 7 June 2024 . CALIBRE . en-GB.
11. Book: Barnard, Alfred . The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom . 1969 . David & Charles . 9780715344712 . Google Books.
12. Web site: Jaume . Chris . 8 May 2017 . Where English Whisky is Headed in the Next 5 Years . 8 June 2024 . The Yorkshire Gent . en-GB.
13. Web site: 18 May 2020 . The English Whisky Map . 18 March 2024 . Inside the Cask . en-GB.
14. Web site: 6 September 2019 . What is English whisky? . Exploring English Whisky.
15. Web site: Feilden . Eloise . 12 September 2023 . First UK standards on whisky production published . The Drinks Business.
16. Web site: Malczewski . Kate . 25 February 2022 . Producers seek legal definition for English whisky . The Spirits Business.
17. Web site: Whisky . Bulk . 9 May 2022 . English Whisky producers fight for a GI . Bulk Wine & Spirits.
18. Web site: Dwyer . Phil . 11 May 2024 . What Is Happening To English Whisky? . 14 May 2024 . The Whiskey Wash . en-US.
19. Web site: 20 October 2020 . The Oxford Artisan Distillery partners exclusively with Sip and Savour to scale up UK distribution Grocery Trader . 2 May 2024 . en-US.
20. Web site: BBC Spirits imports several leading British brands - Drinks International - The global choice for drinks buyers . 2 May 2024 . m.drinksint.com . en-US.
21. Web site: Mangrove UK to distribute English Whisky Co. spirits . 2 May 2024 . TheDrinksReport.com . en.
22. Web site: East London Liquor Co joins Mangrove Global portfolio - Drinks International - The global choice for drinks buyers . 2 May 2024 . m.drinksint.com . en-US.
23. Web site: Raizada . Ameesha . 15 May 2023 . The Lakes Distillery partners with Monarq Group to expand global presence . 2 May 2024 . Moodie Davitt Report . en-US.
24. Web site: The Cotswolds Distillery signs with Illva Saronno - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News . 2 May 2024 . harpers.co.uk . en.
25. Web site: England's Filey Bay whiskies coming to US . 2024-08-07 . TheDrinksReport.com . en.
26. Web site: The English Whisky Map . 5 May 2024 . www.cooperkingdistillery.co.uk.
27. Web site: How many whisky distilleries are in the South East of England? . 2 June 2024 . thebusinessmagazine.co.uk . en-GB.
28. Web site: Carruthers . Nicola . 25 April 2023 . English Whisky Guild hires CEO . The Spirits Business.
29. Web site: English Whisky Guild's first annual report praises category's . 7 June 2024 . www.whiskymag.com.
30. Web site: English whisky market soars to £1 billion - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News . 26 June 2024 . harpers.co.uk . en.
31. Web site: 12 December 2012 . English Whisky to roll out the barrel in USA . Business Weekly.
32. Web site: Jeffreys . Henry . 6 October 2022 . How do you define English whisky? . Master of Malt.
33. Web site: Mourby . Adrian . 6 October 2021 . English Whisky . 10 December 2023 . British Travel Journal . en-GB.
34. News: 1 May 2003 . Cornish take on Scotch . 13 June 2024 . en-GB.
35. Web site: Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm . 13 June 2024 . Whiskybase.com . en.
36. Web site: Pocketful of Stones Distillers Ltd . 13 June 2024 . Whiskybase.com . en.
37. Web site: English Whisky . 10 December 2023 . Gauntleys of Nottingham.
38. Web site: Robillard . Hunter . Guide to English Whisky: 10 Best Distillers & Bottles, Styles . 25 March 2024 . Vinovest . en.
39. Web site: 2023 . The Definitive English Whisky Map . Exploring English Whisky.
40. Web site: Woodard . Richard . 8 July 2022 . A return to English whisky . Decanter.
41. Web site: Learn about what makes English Whisky different... . 2024-08-14 . Digital Distiller . en.
42. Web site: English Whisky Struggles With Us Rules British Glass . 2024-08-04 . www.britglass.org.uk.
43. News: Newsroom . The . June 24, 2011 . US bias' holds English whisky over a barrel . The Scotsman.
44. Web site: Millar . Rupert . 2013-01-03 . English whisky breaks into US market . 2024-08-04 . The Drinks Business . en-GB.
45. Web site: Brooker . Alice . 8 September 2022 . White Peak breaks record at auction . The Spirits Business.
46. Web site: Greenwood . Darren . 6 December 2023 . Coopers King Distillery releases 'net zero' whisky . 10 December 2023 . . en.
47. Web site: Malczewski . Kate . 1 December 2021 . Samuel Gulliver named official English Rugby whisky . 17 May 2024 . The Spirits Business . en-US.
48. Web site: Collins . Georgie . 11 September 2023 . Samuel Gulliver's celebrates England rugby . 17 May 2024 . The Spirits Business . en-US.
49. Web site: 4 April 2024 . By George! – English Whisky at Gauntleys . 3 May 2024 . www.theexchange.uk.net.
50. Web site: 10 June 2024 . English Cask Whisky - Adnams and Digital Distiller . 10 June 2024 . www.adnams.co.uk.
51. Web site: 23 November 2023 . Digital Distiller launches specialist English Whisky and Gin Subscription Services . 10 June 2024 . ResponseSource Press Release Wire.
52. Web site: Booth . Martin . 30 April 2024 . International Accolade for Bristol Whisky . Bristol-24/7.
53. Web site: Case . Charlie . 26 September 2023 . An All English Whisky Festival Will Return To Birmingham This November . Secret Birmingham.
54. Web site: White . Barrie . 2 December 2023 . Shropshire: Henstone Distillery promotes whisky at Parliament . Border Counties Advertiser.
55. Web site: Bellwood . Owen . 28 August 2018 . WSTA launches English and Welsh whisky trail . 6 May 2024 . The Spirits Business . en-US.
56. Web site: English and Welsh Whisky Trail . Wine and Spirit Trade Association.
57. Book: Murray, Jim . Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2020 . Dram Good Books Ltd . 2020 . 9781838320713 . 305–317.
58. Book: Murray, Jim . Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2021 . Dram Good Books Ltd . 26 November 2020 . 9781838320706 . 297–330 .
59. Book: Wisniewski, Ian . The Whisky Dictionary . Octopus . 2019 . 9781784726393 . 25–30.
60. Book: Buxton . Ian . The science and commerce of whisky . Hughes . Paul S. . 2021 . Royal Society of Chemistry . 978-1-78801-710-7 . 2nd . London . 307.
61. Book: The New Single Malt Whiskey: More Than 325 Bottles, From 197 Distilleries, in More Than 25 Countries . 25 October 2016 . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-60433-647-4 . 191, 193–196, 199, 201 (citations throughout the book) . en.
62. Book: Bruning . Ted . English Whisky: The Journey from Grain to Glass . Wheeler . Rupert . 21 November 2024 . HarperCollins Publishers . 978-0-00-862155-1 . en.
63. Book: DK . Whisky Opus: The Definitive 21st-Century Reference to the World's Greatest Distilleries and their Whiskies . 2012-09-03 . Dorling Kindersley Limited . 978-1-4093-7580-7 . en.