English and soda? Norfolk single malt voted best

WHISPER it quietly north of the border, but an English whisky has been named the best single malt in the world.

Turning tradition on its head, the news will come as a blow to our neighbours – a nation with a famed whisky heritage.

The sherry Cask Matured single Malt, made by The English Distillery in Norfolk, beat global competition, including from scotland, in the World Whisky Awards.

Bottled by hand in Breckland, it is an unpeated single malt that has been matured in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. The whisky is available from the distillery’s online shop at £59 a bottle and can also be bought from specialist retailers such as the House of Malt and Bottle Apostle.

Judges praised its ‘aromas of rich dark fruits’ from the casks, adding it delivers a ‘wonderfully balanced and rich whisky’.

The English Distillery was founded by farmer James Nelstrop 17 years ago. The whisky, pictured, made from barley grown on the Nelstrop family farms and nearby, has been available for six months.

The team behind the success is led by Andrew Nelstrop, who took on the distillery after his father’s death in 2014.

The father of two, whose wife Katy works alongside him, said: ‘ We’re stunned. Whilst any whisky maker hopes to win an award, winning the big one is the realisation of my father’s goal of creating world class single malt whiskies in England, and sharing them with whisky lovers around the world.’ Whisky Magazine’s editor- at- large Christopher Coates claimed this demonstrates the ‘incredible quality being produced by English distilleries’.

But a spokesman for the scotch Whisky Association said: ‘Choosing a favourite whisky is a very personal choice, and scotch Whisky consistently wins awards around the world.

‘We are proud it is the world’s number one internationally traded spirit.’