English whisky · GI · London Distillery Company
Raise a glass to English whisky’s new GI
Glasses were clinking up and down the land over the weekend – and for good reason. Last Friday, the English Whisky Guild announced that after six years of work, English whisky had finally been granted its Geographical Indication, or GI, status.
A GI might sound like a boring technicality, but it’s actually really significant. Firstly, it puts English whisky on an even legal footing with Scotch whisky, Welsh whisky, and Irish whiskey. But it also gives it protections here and overseas too. In the same way a Cornish pasty, Stilton cheese and the famous Melton Mowbray Pork Pie have to be made in a specific place to exacting standards, so now does English whisky. Copycats elsewhere can’t fake it. And it’s a quality guarantee, too.
So what are the shiny new and approved specifications? “English whisky” (or indeed “English whiskey”, the GI covers both) has to be made from UK cereal grains and English water. It must be distilled from wort made in England (we’ll come back to this, it’s important). It must be distilled in England, only up to 94.8% ABV. And it must be aged in England in wooden casks no bigger than 700 litres for at least three years. The minimum bottling strength is 40% ABV, and the only thing that can be added is caramel (E150a) for colouring.
It differs from the well-known Scotch requirements in a few key ways. UK grains, freedom for modern still designs, and non-oak wooden casks all create space for difference. Plus, subject to controls, English whisky can be shipped in bulk to be bottled in destination markets, something seen as a win for sustainability.
- UK cereal grains and English water
- Distilled from wort made in England
- Distilled in England, only up to 94.8% ABV
- Aged in England in wooden casks no bigger than 700 litres for at least three years
- Minimum bottling strength is 40% ABV
- The only thing that can be added is caramel (E150a) for colouring
- UK grains
- Freedom for modern still designs
- Non-oak wooden casks
- Shipped in bulk to be bottled in destination markets
The most interesting one, for me at least, is that the rules allow distilleries to partner with local brewers for mashing and fermentation. The English Whisky Guild notes that it’s a practice “a practice rooted in the category’s modern history”, citing Hicks and Healey’s wort from St Austell, when it laid down England’s “first modern whisky” in 2003.
“Securing GI status is a landmark achievement for English whisky and recognition of the quality and innovation across our growing industry,” said Morag Garden, chief executive of the English Whisky Guild. “ This milestone will support future growth and international recognition for English whisky.”
Wind is truly in English whisky’s sails. It’s one of the fastest growing spirits made in the UK – today over 70 distilleries in England have laid down maturing spirit compared to 46 at the end of 2023. And those with fully matured whisky are now exporting to at least 32 countries. English whisky is bold, distinct and exciting. And we’ve got the perfect toast: two new bottles from London Distillery Company are now in stock.
London Distillery Company Golden Union English Blended Malt 50%
An exciting blended malt drawn from both hogsheads and barrels, celebrating malt whiskies made across England. Part of an ongoing series, it’s a fantastic way to taste the vibrant, expressive character emerging from across the country. It’s got buttery corn and meringue on the nose, ahead of tropical fruits and milk chocolate on the palate – creamy, dreamy and delicious.
London Distillery Company Yesteryear 6 Year Old London Single Rye 52.3%
Yesteryear celebrates the 2011 founding of London Distillery Company in 2011, which saw it become London’s first new whisky-maker when it released LV-1767. This bottling marks a revival of that style, a rye expression aged initially in English oak before finishing in both a first-fill oloroso octaves and a refill sherry quarter cask. It’s bold and energetic, yet still luxurious with all manner of red fruit, almond and even herbal notes.