England and Wales Flashcards
What is the proposal for the GI for English Whisky? and the SWA objection to it?
-Made in England from UK cereal grain and English water
-distilled in England to less than 94.8% ABV
-matured in England, in wooden casks no more than 700L
-for a minimum of 3 years
-bottled at no less than 40% ABV
-also outlines two subcategories:
Malt English Whisky and Grain English Whisky
-alongside two prefixes = “Single” and “Blended”
-the SWA is objecting that “only requires distillation at a single distillery and not creation of the spirit from malted barley on a single site” (which allows them to use wort fermented at breweries)
What is the first mention of worts being distilled in England?
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
How many distilleries are there in England?
As of the writing of Dave Broom’s book there were 45
The Lakes Distillery
-Started in 2014 in Bassenthwaite
-Harold Currie was Master Distiller at Chivas Brothers & founder or Arran
-First whisky maker, Dhavall Gandhi
-complex flavor-creation process by approaching oak as a range of flavors and textures
-in 2023 Sarah Burgess (former Macallan whisky maker took over
-Long ferments, but existing mix of yeasts has increased
-Two stills have copper shell and tube condensers, but using a stainless-steel condenser on the wash still for “old” style
-Complex maturation regime
7 different types of sherry cask (each with it’s own part to play)
Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery
-Founded in 2011 by Tom Mellor and David Thompson
-Consultant Jim Swann
-First distillation “Filey Bay” in 2016 (released in 2019)
-Rye is now part of cereal mix (51% Rye/49% barley
-Barley is grown on Tom Mellow farm
Copper King Distillery
-Founded by Chris Jaume and Abbie Neilson
-trained at Redlands distillery in Tasmania with Dean Jackson
-Distillery is in Yorkshire
-Crownfunding campaign
-First release in 2023 - 5 pounds from each bottle goes to fund internship program
Distilleries in the North of England
-The Lakes Distillery
-Spirit of Yorkshire
-Copper King Distillery
Distilleries in the Midlands of England
White Peak Distillery
Oxford Artisan
Cotswolds
English Whiskey Company
White Peak Distillery
-Founded in Derbyshire’s Peak District by Max and Clair Vaugh in 2011
-First whiskey “Wire Works” arrived in 2022
-Barley is from Worminster Maltings and is unpeated & from Crisp Maltings which is peated
-Yeast from local Thornbridge Brewery (estery fruits)
-Six day ferments
-Spirits still has elongated neck and an upward facing lyne arm
-Cuts depending on what style is being made
-ex Bourbon, STR, some rum and PX for a whiskey called “Necessary Evil”
Oxford Artisan Distillery (renamed Fielden)
-Founded by Archaeobotanist John Letts
-combined genebanks to reintroduce landrace populations of wheat, rye, barley and corn adapted to low-input methods
-Mashbills for some of the whiskies are field blends (30-100 varieties grown together)
Cotswolds Distillery
-Founded in 2014, doubled capacity in 2022
-Largest distillery in England after expansion
-Barley supply comes from 15 minutes away
-Floor maltings at nearby Warminster Maltings
-Dr Jim Swann involved early
-Ferments are 4 days long
-Casks - ex-Bourbon, ex-Islay, ex-Sherry and “pressure seasoned wine casks from Alter Oak.”
English Whisky Company
-Norfolk
-Remains owned by the Nelstrop family (farming land since the 1300s)
-developed an old farm house into a whisky renovations
-Single Malt uses three yeasts including a Belgian Sasion Dupont & Abbaye yeast
-Rye (55% malted rye, 45% malted barley)
Bimber Distillery
-Last distillery was catered the upscale college students
-all barley comes from Fordham and Acker
-Floor-malted in Warminster
Penderyn
-Wales first new single malt producer
-Dr Jim Swann involved early
-Owned by Dafydd Gittins and Mal Morgan, founded in 1975
-Original Breacon site was in a national park a national park and couldn’t be expanded
-2nd Distillery built in Llandudno
-3rd site Copperworks in Swansea
-Welsh Whisky was granted UKGI in 2023
Da Mhile
-founded in 2012 by John Savage - Onstwedder
-he was a barley producer for Springbank
-Produce single malt and single grain
-Two styles are distilled in a hybrid Kothe still with six plates
-Single Malt is matured only in fortified wine casks
-Single Grain (barley, wheat, rye mashbill) is aged in ex-Bourbon
Aber Falls
-Part of Halewood Distillers
-pair of stills with many bells and whistles
-Spirits still has a cooling ring similar to the one at Fettercairn
Welsch Distilleries
-Penderyn
-Da Mhile
-Aber Falls
-Cardigan
-Anglesey Mon
-Coles
