Where once Scotland dominated the world of whisky, that’s no longer the case. England is just one of many countries now challenging Scotland’s historic lead.
Until recently, England has been quiet as far as whisky production goes. Gin has been widely produced here for several centuries, especially after the accession of William of Orange and Mary in 1688, but whisky was hardly produced at all, and then at the turn of the millennium everything changed.
More and more distilleries here in England, both large commercial ones and micro-distilleries, are exploring new and exciting flavours, playing around with different grains, shapes of stills and flavour profiles. Many of these distilleries are now becoming serious world-class operations, a far cry from the small craft distilleries of even 20 years ago.
This new book tells the exciting story of English whisky as it becomes established as a serious player on the world stage. Covering topics such as how the industry was kickstarted as recently as 20 years ago by the English Whisky Company, how rye is competing with barley as a grain of preference, the importance of sustainability, the use of peat and oak, and the huge increase in high-end tourism, with vast numbers of visitors enjoying learning about English whisky at distilleries up and down the country, from Cornwall to Cumbria. The book includes profiles of nearly 40 distilleries, with descriptions and tasting notes of key whiskies released so far.