English and Welsh whisky explained
Whisky is made all over Britain now, not only in Scotland. Wales and England both lost their whisky industries and both revived them in the last few decades. Here is how that happened, what the rules allow and what to expect in the glass.
Two industries that disappeared
Wales and England both made whisky in the nineteenth century. Both industries faded and for most of the twentieth century neither country had a working whisky distillery. Scotland and Ireland dominated British and Irish whisky completely.
The revival began around the turn of the millennium. In Wales, the Penderyn distillery opened in 2000 and released its first whisky a few years later. In England, new malt distilleries began producing in the 2000s and many more have opened since, from Cornwall to the Lake District.
The rules they follow
English and Welsh whisky follow the general UK rules for whisky rather than the stricter Scotch Whisky Regulations. The core requirements are familiar:
- distilled from a mash of cereals, saccharified by the malt's own enzymes, with or without other natural enzymes
- distilled to less than 94.8% ABV
- matured for at least three years in wooden casks of no more than 700 litres
- bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV
What they do not have are the Scotch rules on still type, the protected regions or the requirement that single malt be distilled in pot stills.
Freedom to experiment
That gap in the rules is where English and Welsh whisky find their character. Some distilleries use column stills or hybrid stills for malt. Some use rye, oats, wheat or heritage barley varieties. Others use unusual cask types or local peat.
Penderyn is a good example of a different approach. It developed a still design quite unlike a traditional Scottish pot still pair, producing a light, clean spirit in a single run. Our guide to pot still shape and reflux explains why still design changes flavour so much.
Barley grown nearby
England grows a lot of high quality malting barley, much of it in the east and south. Many English distilleries make a point of using barley from their own farms or from local growers. Some list the farm or the variety on the label.
That focus on local grain gives English whisky a story Scotch rarely tells, since most Scotch distilleries buy malt from large commercial maltings. Whether you can taste the farm is a fair debate. You can certainly taste the difference between barley varieties if the distiller keeps them separate.
What English whisky tastes like
Because most English distilleries are young and small, many of their whiskies are bottled at younger ages and often at higher strengths. Common notes include:
- fresh cereal, biscuit and green fruit from young malt
- vanilla and honey from ex-bourbon casks
- red fruit and spice from wine or fortified wine casks
- light smoke where peated malt is used
Expect a wide range. One distillery's rye whisky and another's peated single malt have little in common beyond the country of origin.
What Welsh whisky tastes like
Welsh whisky has fewer producers but a clear house style from its best known distillery: light, fruity and clean, often finished in wine casks such as Madeira. Newer Welsh distilleries are adding their own styles, from heavier pot still spirit to peated releases.
Our guide to how whisky is made covers the basic steps, which English and Welsh producers adapt in their own ways.
English and Welsh whiskies often give more detail on the label than mainstream Scotch: barley variety, farm, cask type, bottling strength and whether the whisky is chill filtered. Use that information. Two bottles labelled English single malt can be very different products.
Age statements, where given, follow the usual rule: the number is the youngest whisky in the bottle.
Young distilleries, short histories
Most English and Welsh distilleries are only a decade or two old. That shapes their whisky in two ways. First, their stocks are young, so many releases are close to the three year minimum. Second, they have no old house style to protect. A distillery can change its yeast, its barley or its casks and nobody accuses it of breaking with tradition.
Young stock also means the cask choice shows strongly. A three year old malt from an active ex-bourbon barrel or a fresh wine cask can taste bold and oak led. Distillers often use smaller casks or very active casks to build flavour quickly, then let later releases grow older and gentler as stock matures.
How to taste it
Pour 20 ml of an English or Welsh single malt and 20 ml of a Scotch single malt. Nose both and look at what changes. The younger English or Welsh whisky may be fresher and more cereal led. Taste neat, then with water. Keep water close, pace yourself and never drive after tasting.
Your first step: next time you see an English or Welsh whisky, read the back label for the barley and the cask. Taste it with those two facts in mind.
Common questions
Is English whisky the same as Scotch?
No. Scotch must be made in Scotland under the Scotch Whisky Regulations. English and Welsh whisky follow the general UK whisky rules, which are less strict.
How long must English and Welsh whisky age?
At least three years in wooden casks of no more than 700 litres, the same minimum as Scotch.
When did Welsh whisky return?
Commercial Welsh whisky returned with the Penderyn distillery, which opened in 2000.
