‘A new way of looking at whisky’: The rise of English distilleries

From Durham in the northeast to Cornwall in the southwest, there are now more than 40 distilleries producing English whisky, writes Mick O’Hare

The first modern English whisky distillery opened in 2003 (Cotswolds Distillery)

Have the English scotched the Scots? Will drinkers around the world soon be demanding an English and soda? There’ll be a few people, particularly north of the border, already turning their noses up at the very thought.

When I think of whisky I think of Speyside, Islay and the Highlands (despite it also having a natural home in Ireland, whiskey with an “e”). From the soft, honeyed flavours of Dalwhinnie to the smoky, phenolic peat of Lagavulin, to the fruity richness of Glenlivet. Think of oak casks that once contained bourbon, sherry or port, now filled with gently ageing spirit, resting silently in a dunnage atop an Atlantic-ravaged cliff or beside an idyllic loch.

However, a young pretender has recently arrived on the scene. And its home is more likely to be in the fens, downs or dales rather than astride a burn. English whisky is starting to make a name for itself.