It is 5 years since we released our original English Distilleries Edition, and English whisky has been absolutely storming from strength to strength in that time. Here we capture the vibrancy of the English distilling landscape with six top-quality drams from all four corners of our green and pleasant land, from the Lake District to Yorkshire and from London to our very own Somerset home, with Norfolk and the Cotswolds thrown in for very good measure.
Cheers!
English Distilleries Edition, February 2026 Box
Fielden - Hazybower
A fair few of the distilleries in the emerging English whisky scene focus heavily on the local provenance of their spirit. This Hazybower release is from Fielden's Fieldnotes collection and celebrates the herbs and wildflowers that grow amongst their locally-sourced grains. As such, it is fresh and floral, with delicate blossom notes.
Tasting notes:
Nose: Fresh citrus and blossom with custard and freshly baked scones. Herbaceous notes with hints of green banana and pineapple.
Palate: Lemon tart, cream and nuts with hints of honey and sorrel.
Finish: Fresh peppercorn and ginger with a refreshing spiced finish.
Cotswolds - Amber Meadow
Cotswolds Distillery was one of the pioneers of provenance-focused English whisky distilling. Their Cotswolds Harvest Series highlights their notable delicate and fruity flavour profile and celebrates their idyllic Cotswolds countryside through beautiful bespoke packaging artwork. Amber Meadow was matured with use of ex-Moscatel casks and has a subtle hint of peat.
Tasting notes:
Nose: Elderflower, meadow hay and apricot jam
Palate: Scorched orange peel, marzipan and toasted coconut.
Finish: Soft red fruits with a touch of honey.
The English - Chapter 18
The trailblazing OGs of English whisky, The English Distillery recently turned 18 and marked the occasion by resurrecting their original "Chapter" series. Designed to showcase nearly two decades of expertise, this limited release scored 96 points at the International Wine & Spirits Competition.
Tasting notes:
Nose: Unctuous caramel, spicy cinnamon, sweet red berries, apples and soft whip vanilla ice cream.
Palate: Stewed orchard fruits, Rhubarb & Custard boiled sweets, a hint of oak, burnt toffee, peppery spice, brown sugar and more spicy cinnamon.
Finish: A long, spicy finish with lingering notes of brown sugar and cinnamon.
Bimber - Harmony of Eight
Another milestone whisky, marking 8 years of production at Bimber with their first ever age statement and marrying the best of two distinctive cask types: the vivid fruit-forward, charred oak character of ex-bourbon barrels with the rich and fruity depths of Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.
Tasting notes:
Nose: Fresh, ripe strawberries and raspberries with meringue. Mango and pineapple join gingerbread and gummy sweets.
Palate: Fresh, ripe strawberries and raspberries with meringue. Mango and pineapple join gingerbread and gummy sweets.
Finish: Lingering fruit sweetness married with enduring oak and fading spices.
Retribution Distilling - PX Cask 3 Year Old
Retribution, uniquely, is a one-man distillery, designed, bootstrapped, owned and operated by Richard Lock. Richard has kindly provided a pre-release cask sample of this stunning PX matured bottling, which embodies his flavour-focused hand-distilling approach, with every cut made based on his personal judgement. He tells us this drinks best at circa 50% ABV, so feel free to get frisky with the water dropper here.
Tasting notes:
Nose: Dried fruit - figs, dates and a hint of cinnamon with a sweet caramel note.
Palate: Dark dried fruits with a syrup sweetness.
Finish: Spice and warmth with a lingering sweetness and fig.
The Lakes Galaxia
We’ve saved the best for last, and the last for last too - Galaxia marks the final release in the Lakes’ highly regarded Whiskymaker’s Reserve series. Appropriately, it was conceived as a “sparkling constellation” uniting all the most admired bottlings that came before it. A sherried delight.
Tasting notes:
Nose: Rich, indulgent and seductively perfumed. Dark fruit cake laced with ginger, hints of walnuts, cocoa nibs and apple crumble.
Palate: Complex and creamy with a wood spice balanced by a backdrop of manuka honey, candied pecans and Christmas cake.
Finish: Bold and lingering with dark fruits and chocolate.
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