The English unveils ‘once-in-a-generation’ whisky
To mark its 18th year of distilling, England’s oldest licensed whisky distillery, The English, has unveiled a limited number of bottlings of its inaugural cask, 001.
At a private tasting hosted at its Norfolk-based distillery yesterday (10 July), The English revealed the long-awaited release of Cask 001 – a whisky that was distilled in 2006, a year before the distillery was officially opened by the former Prince of Wales, King Charles III.
The single malt whisky boasts ‘rare provenance’ and ‘deep historical significance’, having been crafted by master distiller Iain Henderson and hand-filled at The English Distillery in Norfolk, which at the time was an untested venture driven by the singular vision of the distillery’s founder, the late James Nelstrop.
For 18 years, the cask has rested low in the cool stone walls of the distillery’s Bond 1 warehouse.
At the private tasting, hosted in the distillery’s Whisky Academy, Andrew Nelstrop, chairman of The English Distillery and second-generation owner, alongside sales director Mike Fisher, explained that Cask 001 is an ex-Jim Beam Bourbon cask, however the liquid from it did not spend its whole life ageing within. Rather, it spent approximately 12 to 18 months ageing in a combined PX and oloroso Sherry cask, before being returned to its original cask for the remainder of its life to date.
Unpeated and bottled at natural cask strength of 54.1% ABV, The Spirits Business picked up notes of poached pears and canned peaches, with hints of treacle, vanilla and a mild salinity.
Nelstrop said: “There’s whisky, and then there’s Cask 001. This isn’t just a remarkable spirit, it’s a historical artefact. My father built this distillery from a dream, and this cask is where it all began.
“Cask 001 is the whisky that lit the spark,” he added. “It slept through the years as we built our range, earned the respect of the whisky world, and finally brought the title of World’s Best home to Norfolk.”
Norfolk provenance
To honour the unique provenance of Cask 001, The English Distillery has partnered with Langham Glass – master glassblowers from Norfolk – to craft hand-blown decanters that reflect the craftsmanship and purity of the spirit they hold, with each designed to be a collector’s piece.
Jonathan Miller, founder and managing director of Langham Glass, said of the partnership: “It’s not every day you get the chance to work with a brand that shares your roots and your values – two Norfolk companies coming together to craft something truly unique.
“There’s a real pride in celebrating local craftsmanship, and this partnership is a testament to what can happen when passion and heritage meet. The bottle is something really special. Each one is unique and has been hand blown with incredible care and attention to detail, a true labour of love.
“Only 60 have been made, making it not just a celebration of the English distillery’s journey, but a rare piece of Norfolk craftsmanship. From the bespoke design to the materials we’ve used, everything about it reflects the quality and character of what’s inside. It’s not just a bottle, it’s a collector’s item, a tribute to tradition and the one-of-a-kind way to mark such a significant milestone.”
Each 700ml decanter weighs approximately 4kg, and will retail for £3,000 (US$4,070).
It is scheduled to be released on 25 September, with only 60 available.
Private Cellar 18YO release
In addition to the ultra-rare Cask 001, the private tasting also revealed the upcoming launch of the Founders’ Private Cellar 18 Year Old, which marks a continuation of the distillery’s 18th anniversary celebrations.
This is the oldest and rarest addition to date of the brand’s Private Cellar range, which features the oldest and rarest whiskies in the distillery’s stocks.
Each year the family selects a handful of unique and interesting casks to be placed into their private collection. When ready for drinking, these casks are returned to the distillery for bottling under the Private Cellar range.
“As with Cask 001, this is also a deeply personal release for our family as we celebrate 18 years of whisky making,” added Nelstrop. “Founders’ Private Cellar 18 Year Old is composed of the oldest and most characterful casks in our collection, and offers a full-bodied, contemplative single malt that is perfect for sharing, remembering, and raising a glass to my father, the man who made it all possible.”
At the tasting, Fisher noted that until now, the Private Cellar releases have always been presented in a blue box. “We’ve decided anything from now on that’s in excess of 18-years-old is going to go into a new white box. So this is the first age-stated 18 year old whisky that we’ve ever released, and obviously it’s the first 18 year old whisky from England as well.”
He explained that it is a single cask whisky that spent six to eight years in a rum cask, the provenance of which is unknown.
It was then moved to a rum cask sourced with full transparency by the distillery, and while its origins have not been fully disclosed, Fisher shared that it previously held a blend of four rums from Jamaica, one of which presented high esters.
The whisky presents notes of cinnamon and clove, accompanied by flavours reminiscent of orange bundt cake.
It will be available globally from 11 September for £395 (US$536) per bottle.
Fisher said: “We don’t do a lot of age statement stuff, because it’s about flavour at the end of the day. But, when you’re hitting something like 18 years, and are the first to have an 18 year old – not just from a distillery, but from an entire sector – I think it’s really, really important [to celebrate it], and I think it’s the perfect whisky to do that.”
The English Distillery kicked off its 18th anniversary celebrations in June with the reprisal of its Chapter series.
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