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Spirit of Manchester launches Founders’ Club

UK-based Spirit of Manchester Distillery has unveiled a Founders’ Club to give consumers the chance to ‘follow the journey’ of the brand’s inaugural whisky release, called One Point Six.

Spirit of Manchester Distillery
The state-of-the-art 5,300 sq ft distillery occupies six railway arches under the city’s former train station

The Founders’ Club, which has launched through a new website, offers three tiers of membership ranging from ‘Concrete’ to the premium ‘Granite’ package.

The tiers span a range of price points, giving exclusive access to enthusiasts of all budgets and providing members a rare insight into what it takes to produce a premium English whisky.

The move into production of Manchester’s ‘first’ single malt whisky comes after an accelerated period of growth for the distillery.

One Point Six English Whisky is named after the celebrated golden ratio, which is said to be the secret behind many of the world’s most satisfying artistic and architectural compositions.

Co-founder and master distiller at The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, Seb Heeley-Wiggins, said: “The launch of the Founders’ Club is a key milestone in the One Point Six story. The club gives a unique opportunity for the public to sample One Point Six as it evolves from crystal clear new make spirit, into an exquisite English whisky.

“We’ve imagined the flavours we want to achieve for One Point Six and created them using a complex blend of English distillers’ and brewers’ malts; a combination of yeasts not typically found in distilling, a longer-than-average fermentation process and a choice selection of casks, which will result in a complex, fruity flavour profile which will continue to develop as One Point Six matures.”

Packages start from £40 (US$45.32) and include lifetime membership to the club and discounts; special access to releases before they go on general sale; and the member’s name in the One Point Six Hall of Fame.

The higher tiers also feature tasting sets and bottles of the new make, and one and two-year aged spirits which are available exclusively through the Founders’ Club and Cask Programme, and are not on general sale, giving members the unique chance to immerse in the progress of the whisky as it matures.

The higher tiers also give members a guaranteed bottle of highly-collectable first release, shipping late 2025.

Entry to the One Point Six Founders’ Club is open now, with the first batch of membership packs due to be shipped in November 2022.

Cask programme

In addition to the launch of the Founders’ Club, the distillery has also released its first cask release programme, in which founding members have the opportunity to acquire their own barrel of One Point Six Single Malt Whisky.

The 2022 Founders’ Cask Programme offers the distillery’s signature single malt recipe in two different finishes: First Fill Bourbon, and Heavily Peat Smoked, each available in 50-litre or 200-litre casks.

Cask purchase prices start at £1,800 (US$2,037), with additional fees to be paid upon bottling.

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