english single malt - BourbonSphere

Review | Filey Bay IPA Finish Batch #2

Filey Bay IPA Finish Batch #2 is a small batch limited edition English single malt whisky from the Spirit of Yorkshire distillery. It has seen initial maturation in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in ex-beer barrels. These have previously help Scarborough Fair IPA from the Yorkshire brewery of Wold Top, which is has the same ownership as the distillery. In reverse, a special edition of the beer has been matured in the same casks once the whisky has been emptied.

The Spirit of Yorkshire distillery is the brainchild of Tom Mellor and David Thompson. It is in the village of Hunmanby, between the towns of Bridlington and Filey. It was the first single malt distillery to ever be registered in the county of Yorkshire and gives a true 'field to bottle' offering.

Production began in Spring 2016 and current production sits at just over 100,000 litres per year. All barley is grown on Mellor's nearby farm and then malted locally. The milling, mashing and fermentation take place at the Wold Top brewery, which is located a couple of miles from the distillery.

Filey Bay IPA Finish Batch #2 is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It is available at the distillery shop. online via www.spiritofyorkshire.com and from selected specialist retailers in the UK. A bottle will cost £65.

Our Tasting Notes

The colour is pale gold and the nose is fresh, vibrant and fruity. Aromas of crisp green apple and candied lemon peel rise from the glass initially, which are followed by further aromas of runny honey, vanilla sugar and a hint of nougat. Underneath sits a distinct grassiness, some icing sugar and a pinch of cinnamon.

On the palate this whisky feels uplifting and zesty. Tangy candied lemon peel and bitter lime notes mingle with a lovely underlying malty characteristic - this remains stable throughout and gives a good foundation for other notes to sit on. After the initial citrus hit comes some sugary sweetness - this is most reminiscent of icing sugar, marshmallow and a hint of cream soda.

Some honey and vanilla essence also sit in the background. The fresh and fruity vibe continues with an evolving note of green apple - this is crisp, juicy and tart. There are also hints of white chocolate and cinnamon, plus late suggestions of freshly sawn oak and white pepper.

The finish is of decent length. The fruity and citrus notes fade a little fast, but the sweetness lasts longer. The oak, malt and cinnamon spice outlive everything to give a pleasant dryness and warmth.

What's The Verdict?

This is a lovely whisky from Spirit of Yorkshire. Most that we have sampled from them have been impressive, and this is no different. The youthful nature of the spirit has been lifted by the maturation time in ex-IPA barrels - this shows itself in the wonderful zingy, zesty and citrusy nature of the whisky. Our sample was sent with a bottle of the Scarborough Fair IPA and the link is even clearer when tasting the two side by side.

Review / Cotswolds ‘Hearts & Crafts’ Banyuls Cask

This whisky is the fourth edition in the limited edition Hearts & Crafts series from the English distillery of Cotswolds. The Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Banyuls Cask has experienced a full maturation in a small batch of French oak casks that were previously filled with Banyuls, a regional sweet dessert wine from the south west of France. The series is inspired by the Art & Crafts movement championed by famous former Cotswolds resident William Morris. Morris-inspired designs are featured on a special packaging tube and neck tag. The Banyuls Cask follows three previous releases - the Sauternes Cask, Pineau des Charentes Cask and Rum Cask.

The Cotswolds distillery is located in the village of Stourton and was founded in 2014 by Daniel Szor. The company ethos is to only use barley grown on Cotswold farms and filtered water from the village supply. This barley is then malted on a traditional malt floor at the local maltsters in nearby Warminster.

Whisky and gin are produced, along with a range of liqueurs. The distillery run tours daily and also have a shop, cafe and tasting room on site. Berry Brothers & Rudd, London's oldest wine and spirits merchants, have recently purchased a share in the English distillery.

The Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Banyuls Cask is bottled at 55.1% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. There are just 1,510 bottles and these will be available exclusively from www.cotswoldsdistillery.com. A bottle will cost £95.

Our tasting notes

The whisky is bright gold in colour and the nose is packed with sweet and fruity aromas. Green apple and juicy sultana rise first and are joined by aromas of golden syrup and moscovado sugar. Further aromas of candied citrus (think of orange and lime especially), plus hints of milk chocolate and vanilla give depth. A pinch of cinnamon spice rounds things off.

On the palate the whisky feels rich and viscous. It is again packed with fruity and sweet characteristics, but also has a spicy punch due to the high ABV. Once this peppery quality dies down a little (or once water is added) the fruitiness really begins to pop. Juicy sultanas and candied lime are to the fore with plenty of crisp green apple and a hint of white peach joining too.

The sweetness is again very golden syrup and moscovado sugar-like, and compliments the tangy fruitiness well. Vanilla and toasted oak come next, alongside milk chocolate and a hint of cocoa powder. The toasted oak note evolves into woody spice - think of cinnamon and a scratch of nutmeg. Underneath is a hint of hazelnut praline and some soft nougat.

The finish is of decent length and warming. The oak and spicy elements drive this and take control as the sweet and fruity notes begin to fade. With water the pepper is taken away but there is still plenty of toasted oak, cinnamon and hints of nutmeg and ginger root.

What's the verdict?

This is another fine offering from Cotswolds, although it needs a splash of water in our opinion to soften that initial peppery kick. The complex mix of fruit, sweetness and spice shows well and makes us wonder why ex-Banyuls casks are not used more often. From memory, we had never had one before. We have also enjoyed the other bottlings in the Hearts & Crafts series and this one sits well against the others. It will be intriguing to see which cask type comes next.

Review / Gulliver’s 47 PX Sherry Casks

This whisky is the latest limited edition bottling from the English single malt brand of Gulliver’s. The Gulliver’s 47 PX Sherry Casks is a whisky that was distilled for the brand at the St. George’s distillery in Norfolk. It has had its full maturatio…

This whisky is the latest limited edition bottling from the English single malt brand of Gulliver's. The Gulliver's 47 PX Sherry Casks is a whisky that was distilled for the brand at the St. George's distillery in Norfolk. It has had its full maturation in ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. The brand aims to showcase the skills of artisan producers and is named after the adventures of Samuel Gulliver in 1747. He was an explorer who travelled the globe discovering new wines, spirits and liqueurs to bring back to the UK. His business was located in the town of Banbury. As a result, the brand carries the tagline of 'An Adventurous Spirit'. It is also the official whisky of the England Rugby Union team.

Gulliver's 47 was created by Stuart Gulliver, an eighth generation descendant of Samuel Gulliver. The Gulliver's 47 PX Sherry Casks is a small batch release bottled at 47% ABV and six years of age. It is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour, and will be available in selected specialist UK whisky retailers and the Gullivers website. A bottle will cost £79.

Our tasting notes

The colour is deep amber and the nose is rich, sweet and fruity. Initial aromas of caramel and butterscotch are quickly joined by chocolate coated raisins and plenty of warming woody spices (think of cinnamon especially). There are also hints of treacle tart, prunes and orange oil that add further complexity.

On the palate this whisky feels bold, sweet and spicy. Rich and juicy dark dried fruits, such as prune and raisin, mingle with caramel and milk chocolate notes. Maybe some fig too. Or is it fig roll biscuits? There is a suggestion of rum 'n raisin ice cream also. Dark treacle and Terry's chocolate orange sit in the background and add depth to the sweetness and richness.

However, it is difficult to ignore the heavy wood and baking spices. The combination gives a spiky and slightly hot edge to the whisky. There is plenty of toasted oak and this is complimented by an evolving nutty quality - think of hazelnut and walnut in particular. The baking spices come in the form of cinnamon and all-spice with hints of clove and liquorice. A peppery hit rounds things off.

The finish is hot and of decent length. The sweet, rich and fruity notes fade slightly earlier than expected, which is disappointing. This leaves the oak, baking spices and spiky pepper characteristics to fight it out to a drying conclusion.

What's the verdict?

This is only the second Gulliver's 47 whisky that we have sampled but we have been impressed by both. For this bottling the rich and sumptuous notes of the ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks have added body and depth superbly.

However, the youthfulness of the spirit shines through in the end and this slightly detracts from the positives. The hotness on the end of the palate and finish are borderline aggressive. But that said, we see lots of promise for the brand and plan to keep a keen eye on future releases.

Review / Wire Works Small Batch 2.0

The Wire Works Small Batch 2.0 is one of the latest single malt whisky releases from the English distillery of White Peak. This follows the first Small Batch release back in the Summer. The lightly peated spirit has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and STR (shaved, toasted and recharred) casks. There will be just 4,251 bottles available - these can be purchased via the distillery shop, the White Peak website and several UK retailers. It will also be available in selected retailers in Germany and Italy for the first time ever. The Wire Works Small Batch 2.0 is bottled at 47.7% ABV and costs £60/ €75.

The White Peak distillery was founded in 2017 by Max and Claire Vaughn. It is located in the village of Ambergate near Matlock, Derbyshire in the Peak District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The distillery is housed within the former Johnson & Nephew copper wire factory on the banks of the River Derwent. This was the inspiration behinf the name of Wire Works for the brand. They also produce rum and gin, as well as supporting the local community in eco-friendly and sustainability projects. It was Derbyshire's first ever craft distillery.

Our tasting notes

The colour is deep gold and the nose is rich and malty. There is an initial whiff of soft and sweet peat smoke, and this has a gentle edge. Underneath the smoke and malt is a distinct aroma of milk chocolate. This is followed by fudge, toffee and vanilla with a hint of burnt orange peel.

On the palate this whisky has a robust feel with the soft peat smoke immediately more prominent than on the nose. This smoke has a sweet and almost floral edge (think of heather, fern and damp earth) with a pleasant gentleness. The expressive maltiness is also present and adds to the earthiness. The malt also has a biscuit-like quality.

Further sweetness and richness sits underneath these initial notes. Vanilla sugar, fudge and toffee lead the way before the delicious chocolate-like charcateristic from the nose comes through well. There is also a hint of orchard and stone fruit - think of peach or apricot sitting alongside green apple and crisp pear. Underneath are hints of something more savoury. This is most reminiscent of dried tobacco leaf and old cigar box.

The finish is of decent length and sees the sweeter elements fade away slowly. The fruity and malty notes also fade and this leaves an emerging oakiness and the peat smoke to fight it out. The result makes the whisky become much drier and hotter than expected. Charcoal ash and white pepper are the final notes.

What's the verdict?

This is another decent and expressive single malt from White Peak. The expressions that we have sampled so far show great promise and it seems incredible that they only released their first whisky earlier this year. This again shows maturity beyond its years with only the late peppery heat giving its youthfulness away. The second Small Batch is delicious and full of character. Such an interesting whisky and distillery.