The English whisky industry has marked a milestone with the release of the country’s first-ever 18-year-old single malts.
The English Distillery, based not far from Thetford, Norfolk, has unveiled two new expressions that now stand as the oldest English whiskies ever bottled.
The highlight is Cask 001, drawn from the very first barrel filled when the distillery opened its doors in 2006. Matured for 18 years in the stone-walled Bond 1 warehouse, only 60 bottles exist, each presented in hand-blown Norfolk glass and priced at £3,000.
Alongside it comes the Founders’ Private Cellar 18 Year Old, a rum cask release limited to 174 bottles at £395 each. Both are being positioned as tributes to the late James Nelstrop, the Lincolnshire-born farmer who founded the distillery after asking why all of England’s barley had to travel north to Scotland.
His son Andrew, who now runs the business, described the releases as “a toast to the man who made it all possible” and “a fitting tribute to the revival of English whisky. They are history, legacy, and the
story of English whisky’s rebirth.”
When Nelstrop set up The English Distillery in 2006, it became the first registered whisky distillery in England in more than a century. At the time, not many believed the venture could succeed, but in less than two decades, English whisky has not only found its footing but earned international acclaim.
Last year, the distillery’s Sherry Cask expression beat both Scotch and Japanese rivals to be named World’s Best Single Malt
at the World Whiskies Awards – a result that underscored just how far the category has come.
What’s in the glass?
The distillery describes Cask 001 (54.2% ABV) as showing notes of vanilla, red fruit and sandalwood on the nose, shifting towards crème brûlée and fresh strawberries with time. On the palate, it delivers caramel, oak and stewed apples, with a long, full-bodied finish.
The Founders’ Private Cellar 18 Year Old (55.4% ABV) offers warming cinnamon and clove layered with vanilla, raisins, chocolate and tropical fruit.
A Collector’s Prize
The Founders’ Private Cellar 18 Year Old will reach the market first, arriving on 11 September with 174 bottles available worldwide at £395 each. Later in the month, on 25 September, the long-awaited Cask 001 will follow. With only 60 bottles priced at £3,000 apiece, demand is expected to be fierce.
For collectors, both whiskies are likely to prove irresistible. The scarcity, provenance and historic significance place them firmly in the realm of investment-grade spirits, though their character has been crafted for drinking rather than display.
