The English Distillery in Roudham, near Thetford, wins Best Single Malt category at the World Whiskies Awards
The owner of a whisky distillery, near Thetford, has achieved his father’s dream after scooping a global award.
The English Distillery in Roudham, Norfolk, won the Best Single Malt category at the World Whiskies Awards for its English Sherry Cask.
It marked the culmination of a long-held ambition for owner Andrew Nelstrop, whose father, James, dreamt of creating England’s finest single malt whisky when he began building the distillery in 2005.
“We are stunned,” said Andrew. “While any whisky maker hopes to win an award, winning the big one is the realisation of my father’s sole goal of creating world-class single malt whiskies in England, and sharing them around the world.
“I know my father would have been hugely proud of this achievement, as are we.”
James died in 2014 at the age of 69, prompting Andrew to take sole charge of the distillery, working alongside his wife, Katy, to build upon his father’s legacy.
The pair achieved their ultimate ambition when the firm’s English Sherry Cask came out on top in front of the whisky industry’s finest at a ceremony at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London last Wednesday.
“This is a super way to celebrate our 18th year of whisky distilling,” Andrew told the Diss Express. “It’s a testament to our distillers’ work.
“As the English whisky category continues to grow, this award is another milestone for whisky making in England, particularly when it’s judged against some of the finest single malt whiskies from around the world, including Scotland.”
Officially opened by King Charles III, who was then the Prince of Wales, in 2007, the distillery uses fresh water from a borehole in the Breckland aquifer beneath the site, as well as grain from Great Ryburgh and Fakenham in Norfolk and from Muntons in Stowmarket.
The English Sherry Cask is an unpeated single malt whisky, which has been matured from start to finish in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.
Its taste is described as a combination of ‘fruit cake, digestive biscuits, honey and figs with a hint of chocolate’.
