It’s time to raise your glass to the newest whisky nation in town – England. English whisky has come a long way since the turn of the millennium. There are at least 55 distilleries from the northeast to the southwest that have laid down spirit (ie, begun the process of ageing grain spirit in casks), with the first bottlings already picking up awards. English whiskies from The English Distillery and The Lakes Distillery have been named the “World’s Best Single Malt” in two of the past three years, while whiskies from England have also picked up awards in the World Whisky Masters, hosted by The Spirits Business magazine.
Whisky has been made in England since at least 1636, when the Worshipful Company of Distillers was granted a charter for producing the spirit. By the 1800s, there were distilleries in Liverpool, Bristol, London and elsewhere. But gradually the craft died out. The last English whisky distillery, in the Lea Valley, near Stratford, switched to making gin in 1905.
In 2003, English whisky was reborn at Hicks & Healey in Cornwall. Dozens of distilleries raced to join the liquid gold rush over the years that followed. One of the things that makes English whisky so interesting is the relative freedom distillers have to innovate. There are, for example, fewer rules than with making Scotch single malt, which is proudly tied to longstanding traditions. English whisky, on the other hand, is just getting started. The English Whisky Guild, which recently published its first annual review, has applied to the government for geographical indication (GI).
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If and when it is granted, each of the four home nations will have GI recognition for its home-grown whisky industry. For English whisky, it will set a bar for quality and standards, with English whisky made from British grain and produced and matured in England. The world has already acquired a taste for it – 40% of English whisky is exported outside Britain. “There’s a lot of excitement around English whisky at the moment,” says Simon Aron, founder and CEO of whisky cask retailer Cask Trade.
“Enthusiasts and collectors worldwide have rapidly established a strong market for it.” With around 50,000 casks produced a year, the market is poised to breach the £1 billion mark.
Naturally, that is still a drop in the ocean compared with Scotch, but the numbers are rising fast. The English Whisky Guild estimates production will expand by a factor of five in the “medium to long term” from the 2.1 million litres of pure alcohol currently produced in a year. “We think the optimism surrounding English whisky is well-founded,” says Aron. “It’s established a reputation for innovation, with distilleries such as Cotswold and White Peak experimenting with different cask types and maturation techniques, producing some exceptional and award-winning expressions known for their exceptional quality and taste.” Collectors will want to get in before the real party starts.
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