History of English Whisky.

We have been distilling grains as far back as 800bc. It was the Celts, it is rumored, who started the process, spurred on by their neighbours in the Med who long before had been making wine from the grapes that their climate allowed to flourish.

As the Celts found it impossible to grow vines in our cooler climes they experimented with other crops and found that they could produce a quaffable drink from malt. The Celts called it "uisge beatha" meaning "the water of life".

Between 1500 and 1600 the early European settlers in America had introduced the distillation process to America but it was not until the end of 17th century that true Whiskey production started. Whiskey in America started to be called Bourbon by the end of the 18th century. By the 19th century whisky production was on the increase and spreading. Distilleries were being built in Wales, England, India and even Australia. Sadly though, the end of the 19th century saw the end of whisky production in England.

The English Whisky Co. is very proud to be putting England back on the whisky map in the 21st century with the development of St.George's Distillery.

WHISKY TERMS

Whisky - The name comes from the ancient name for spirits "water of life" - whisky in Scottish and Irish Gaelic is "uisge beatha" and sounded to the English ear like "uishgi" hence whisky.
Malt Whisky - This means that only barley malt has been used as the raw material then fermented with yeast and distilled in a pot still. This produces a far superior whisky to the common grain whisky found in blends.
Malt - Malt is essentially barley which has been allowed to germinate by soaking in water then has been dried by the application of heat. The malting process converts stored starch into soluble compounds such as sugar maltose. This process makes fermentation possible. Drying the malt over a furnace stops the germinating process and lacing the furnace with peat imparts a peaty aroma to the malt.
Single Malt - This means that the whisky was made in only one distillery and has not been blended with any other product. It may however contain whisky from several production batches over a period of up to a couple of years.
Blended whisky - this contains a variable proportion of malt and grain whiskies, commonly about 40% malt:60%grain.