Guide to English Whisky: 10 Best Distillers & Bottles, Styles

English whisky has experienced a remarkable resurgence since 2006, with a surge in both production and global recognition.

These artisanal gems have a distinctive character molded by the terroir. This sets them apart from their famous Scottish counterparts.

Let’s explore 10 prominent English whisky distilleries and their exceptional bottles and popular English whisky styles.

We’ll also introduce you to a reliable way to invest in rare whisky casks (through Vinovest!)

English Whisky Styles

Flexible production rules allow English distillers to make whisky in several different styles, including:

• Malt Whisky: Batch distilled from malted barley and distilled in copper pot stills at least two times.
• Single Malt Whisky: Made from 100% malted barley at a single distillery.
• Blended Whisky: A blend of single malts and grain whiskies. Blended whiskies are typically smoother and more affordable than single malts.
• Rye Whisky: Made from rye grain and known for its spicy and peppery flavors.

• Other styles: You’ll find a number of other styles of English whisky, including:

  • Single Cask: Bottled from a single cask or barrels without blending.
  • Cask Strength: Bottled directly from the barrel, without any addition of water.
  • Peated: Made with malted barley that has been dried over peat fires, resulting in a smoky flavor.

10 Best English Whisky Distilleries (+ Best Bottles to Buy)

Looking for a taste of England in a bottle? Look no further than these 10 top English distillers and their best bottles.

• Adnams Cellar & Kitchen
• St. George's Distillery
• The White Peak Distillery
• Samuel Gulliver & Co.
• The Oxford Artisan Distillery
• The East London Liquor Company
• The Cotswolds Distillery
• The Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery
• The Lakes Distillery
• The Bimber Distillery

1. Adnams Cellar & Kitchen

Nestled in the idyllic town of Southwold, Suffolk, Adnams is a sustainable and innovative distillery that produces a range of spirits, including whisky, gin, vodka, and liqueurs. 

They prioritize local ingredients and offer distillery tours for an immersive experience.

Best Bottle to Try Now:

Adnams Triple Malt Whisky ($75)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: The whisky opens with a delightful nose of coconut and fruit. The palate is dry with flavors of vanilla, citrus fruits, and hints of spices. Whisky drinkers will enjoy the charred oak tasting note in a long and satisfying finish.
• Age: 5-year-old
• Cask Wood: New American oak
• Alcohol Content: 47%

2. St. George's Distillery

St Georges Distillery in Roudham, Norfolk, is owned by the English Whisky Company and produces single malt whisky and other malt-based alcoholic spirits. 

It is the first English distillery to produce whisky in over a century, following the closure of Lea Valley Distillery in 1903. St. George's began production in 2006. 

The distillery specializes in both unpeated and peated whisky. Some of their most popular whisky include The English Smokey (peated) and The English Original (unpeated).

Best Bottle to Try Now:

2012 The English Whisky Co. St George's Distillery 'Gently Smoked' Sherry Cask Matured Single Malt Whisky ($76)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: Opening with fruity and spicy aromas, this English single malt whisky has notes of dried fruits, cherries, toasted oak, and nuances of aromatic peat smoke.
• Age: 9-year-old
• Cask Wood: Sherry Hogshead 
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV

3. White Peak Distillery

White Peak Distillery is a craft distillery located amidst the beautiful woodlands in the Derwent Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site in Derbyshire. 

Founded in 2016 by Max and Claire Vaughan, the distillery specializes in small-batch spirits, including English whisky, rum, and gin.

Best Bottle to Try Now:

White Peak Distillery 'Wire Works First Release' Single Malt English Whisky ($200)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: The Single Malt Whisky has a lightly peated, complex, and fruit-forward flavor profile with aromas of ginger and caramel.
• Age: N/A          
• Cask Wood: American and French oak
• Alcohol Content: 50.3% ABV

4. Samuel Gulliver & Co.

Samuel Gulliver Co is a historic distillery based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. Established in 1747, the company produces a range of fine beverages, including English whisky, wines, spirits, liqueurs, cordials, and aerated waters.

Interestingly, the distillery’s founder, Samuel Gulliver, served as an inspiration for Jonathan Swift, the author of "Gulliver's Travels.”

Best Bottle to Try Now:

Gulliver's No.6 Single Malt English Whisky ($80)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: The Single Malt whisky offers caramel and red fruits on the nose. The palate has sweet vanilla notes with a hint of spices.
• Age: 6-years-old
• Cask Wood: Ex-rum oak casks
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV

5. The Oxford Artisan Distillery

The Oxford Artisan Distillery, formerly known as The Spirit of TOAD, is located at the former Cheney Farm in Headington, Oxford, England.

It’s the first legal distillery in Oxford and the first certified organic "grain-to-glass" distillery in the United Kingdom.

Best Bottle to Try Now:

2017 The Oxford Artisan Distillery 'Oxford Rye' Heritage Grains Whisky ($111)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: This aromatic Rye whisky has a nose of marzipan with a subtle smokiness. The palate has prominent fruity and spicy notes.
• Age: N/A
• Cask Wood: ​​Virgin American Oak, ex-Port casks, Moscatel de Setubal, and more
• Alcohol Content: 46-48%

6. The East London Liquor Company

The East London Liquor Company is a distillery located in the heart of London's East End, near Victoria Park.

Besides Rye and Single Malt, they also produce a special whisky blend in collaboration with Sonoma Distilling Company.

Best Bottle to Try Now:

2022 East London Liquor Company Single Malt Whisky ($100)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: This Single Malt will entice you with aromas of apple, pepper, and fresh malt. You’ll enjoy delicious notes of oat cookies and pineapple on the palate. 
• Age: At least 3 years
• Cask Wood: Regenerated oak, new American oak, Kentucky Bourbon casks
• Alcohol Content: 47% ABV

7. The Cotswolds Distillery

The Cotswolds Distillery is spread over a 5-acre site near the village of Stourton, on the Warwickshire – Oxfordshire border in England.

This English whisky distillery was initially developed with the assistance of Master Distiller Harry Cockburn and cask maturation expert Dr. Jim Swan.

Best Bottle to Try Now:

Cotswolds Distillery Sauternes Cask Single Malt Whisky ($341)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: This Cotswolds single malt whisky presents enticing aromas of red fruits and ginger. The flavour profile on the palate combines sweet, fruity, and honeyed notes.
• Age: At least 3 years 
• Cask Wood: French oak Sauternes wine barriques
• Alcohol Content: 55.2% ABV

8. The Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery

The Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery in Hunmanby, North Yorkshire, was cofounded by farmer Tom Mellor and marketing expert David Thompson.

The distillery uses 100% homegrown barley in its whisky, sourced from Mellor’s farm on the Yorkshire coast, just a few miles from the distillery.

Best Bottle to Try Now:

Filey Bay First Release Yorkshire Single Malt Whisky ($662)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: The whisky has a light, citrus, and fruity flavor profile, with notes of lemon tart, caramel, cloves, and vanilla.
• Age: 3-year-old
• Cask Wood: First fill bourbon, ex-sherry
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV

9. The Lakes Distillery

Housed in a renovated Victorian model farm, the Lakes Distillery is situated on the north shore of Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria.

The distillery creates its spirits using local ingredients, including water from the River Derwent and malted barley from the nearby Warminster Maltings.

Best Bottle to Try Now:

2019 The Lakes Distillery The Whiskymaker's Reserve No.1 Single Malt Whisky ($1,667)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: The whisky has a spicy flavour profile with notes of oak, cinnamon, and dried fruits on the nose and palate.
• Age: N/A
• Cask Wood: American, Spanish, and French oak (Pedro Ximénez and red wine casks)
• Alcohol Content: 60.6% ABV

10. The Bimber Distillery

Founded in 2015, the Bimber Distillery is located in Acton, West London, UK.

The distillery uses traditional production methods, including direct-fired (instead of steam-heated) copper pot stills and ages its whisky in a variety of casks, including ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and virgin oak.

Best Bottle to Try Now:

2016 Bimber Distillery The 1st Release Single Malt London Whisky ($2,038)

• Flavor and Aroma Profile: The ex-bourbon cask delivers sweet fruity aromas and flavors, with distinctive notes of orange and cinnamon.
• Age: 3-year-old
• Cask Wood: Ex-bourbon American oak casks
• Alcohol Content: 51.6% ABV

Surprisingly, the now thriving English whisky production was dormant for over a century.

A Brief History of English Whisky

English whisky has a long and storied past — dating back to the 17th century. 

By the early 1800s, there were dozens of distilleries operating in and around London, Liverpool, and Bristol.

However, the English whisky industry started declining in the late 18th century — primarily due to the rising popularity of Scotch whisky. Lea Valley Distillery was the last distillery to shut down its stills around 1905.

English Whisky made a comeback in 2006 when the father-son duo of James Nelstrop and Andrew Nelstrop founded the St. George's Distillery in Norfolk.

Today, there are over 40 active distilleries in England — producing a wide variety of whiskies, from single malts to blended whiskies.

This growth has led to the formation of the English Whisky Guild (EWG) in 2022 — a collaborative association of 15 English whisky distillers. The EWG aims to showcase and protect the quality and diversity of English whisky.

How Is English Whisky Produced?

English whisky makers use a variety of cereal grains sourced from the UK, including malted and unmalted barley, rye, oats, and wheat. 

The whisky production process begins by mixing crushed malt (and crushed grain if it’s not a pure malt whisky) and hot water in a mash tun. 

The wort (the liquid extracted from the mash tun) is then cooled and fermented, which turns it into the ‘wash.’ The wash goes through a two-stage distilling process in copper stills. The whisky producer then leaves the distillate to age in wooden casks, such as oak.

According to Tagore Ramoutar, the director of the English Whisky Guild, the distillation process must meet specific requirements for a spirit to qualify as English whisky.

This involves distilling the spirit in England from wort created in England. The spirit must be matured in England for a minimum of 3 years.

How is English Whisky Different From Scotch?

English whiskies differ from Scotch whiskies in terms of cask regulations and the scope for innovation.

Scottish single malt whisky must comply with strict regulations set by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). For instance, Scottish distillers are legally bound to use oak casks for maturation. 

In contrast, English whisky producers have more flexibility and can explore a wider range of cask options, allowing for experimentation with different woods and flavors.

The flavor profile can also vary considerably. This is due to factors like the type of grain used, the distillation process, the water source, the aging process, and the type of barrels used for maturation. 

English whiskies are considered to be lighter and fruitier compared to Scotch, which can range from smooth and floral to rich and smoky.

Investing in English Whisky

As a long-term investment, English whisky may not be as popular as its Scottish and Japanese counterparts.

But, there are some fantastic expressions and limited releases coming out every year. 

So, if you are a whisky collector, these English whiskies must be on your radar! 

But, how do you invest in the finest English whisky? 

The best way is to invest in whiskey casks because they improve with age, are more liquid than bottles, and deliver bulk value.

And, how do you invest in whiskey casks?

Look no further than a trusted and reputed investment platform likeVinovest.

Invest in the Finest Whisky Casks Through Vinovest

Vinovest – one of the most well-established wine investment platforms, is rolling out a full-stack whiskey investment platform.

What are the benefits of investing in a cask through Vinovest?

• Your whisky cask is fully insured, stored, and managed by an expert team.
• You’ll receive a sample bottle from your cask each year.
• You can choose to sell your cask or have it bottled.
• You can set up an in-person visit to view your whiskey.

Visit the Vinovest website to explore how you can invest in exceptional whiskey casks from around the globe.