LIQUID NEWS

Production of Kent’s first single malt whisky is now underway at The Copper Rivet Distillery, Chatham Maritime.

The team at the Victorian Pump House

No.5, who say it will rival the finest of Scottish spirits, started barrelling the first of their Masthouse Whisky and decanting the first five barrels of their English grain spirit, Son of a Gun, last week. The consignments are on top of the current range which includes Dockyard Gin and Vela Vodka, and will go on sale later this month.

Copper Rivet is the only spirit maker in the county with the process of brewing and distilling spirits from “grain to glass” on site.

The whisky is being made following strict traditions and regulations laid down for Scotch whisky, which requires the spirit to be brewed and distilled on the same site to qualify as a single malt.

It will exclusively feature Kentish spring barley grown for the company. Each crop will be malted to master distiller Abhishek Banik’s specification, before being milled, mashed and fermented on site. The wash will then be distilled twice before being matured in Bourbon oak casks imported from the United States.

Further down the line, the team plan to create a single grain whisky, and further expressions of their single malt including an e xceptional sherry cask finished whisky.

The first batch of Son of A Gun is expected to be on sale in late April. The initial release for Masthouse Whisky is in 2020.

The men behind the venture are Bob Russell and his sons Matthew and Stephen.