The English Whisky - English Original

A smooth and approachable English single malt whisky made in Norfolk, and the signature expression from The English Whisky Company.

Produced in Norfolk by English Whisky →

English Original is distilled at St George's Distillery in Norfolk, using locally grown Norfolk barley. Designed to showcase the character of the distillery's unpeated single malt, it combines fruit and malt with vanilla, honey, citrus, light oak and gentle spice.

The nose opens with soft vanilla, fresh orchard fruit and malt sweetness. On the palate you'll find honey, citrus and creamy vanilla alongside light oak and a subtle peppery warmth, leading to a smooth and rounded finish.

If you've never tried English single malt before, English Original is a very good place to begin.

What does English Original taste like?

English Original has a smooth, fruit-led and gently malty character.

Nose: Soft vanilla, fresh orchard fruits and gentle malt sweetness.

Palate: Honey, citrus and creamy vanilla with light oak and subtle peppery warmth.

Finish: Smooth, clean and gently rounded.

There's enough character here for an experienced whisky drinker to explore, while remaining accessible for someone taking their first steps into single malt.

What is English Original?

English Original is the signature unpeated single malt whisky from The English Whisky Company.

Rather than being a special cask finish or limited Small Batch release, this is one of the core expressions from St George's Distillery and provides a useful introduction to the distillery's house style.

If you're wondering where to start with The English Whisky Company, this is the obvious bottle to consider first.

Where is English Original whisky made?

English Original is made at St George's Distillery in Norfolk, home of The English Whisky Company.

The distillery uses locally grown Norfolk barley to produce its single malt whisky, giving English Original a strong connection to the county in which it's distilled and matured.

So if you're looking for a whisky genuinely produced in Norfolk, rather than simply bottled or branded here, English Original fits the bill.

What is English single malt whisky?

Single malt whisky is whisky produced at one distillery using malted barley.

English single malt follows the same broad principle, but – as the name suggests – is produced in England.

English Original is produced at a single distillery, St George's Distillery in Norfolk, from malted barley.

Is English whisky the same as Scotch whisky?

No.

Although both can be single malt whiskies and share many traditional production methods, Scotch whisky must be produced in Scotland.

English whisky is produced in England.

English Original is therefore an English single malt whisky, produced and matured at St George's Distillery in Norfolk.

The distinction is geographical rather than an attempt to imitate Scotch: English whisky is developing an identity and distilling tradition of its own.

Is English Original a smoky whisky?

No. English Original is the distillery's unpeated expression, so it isn't designed around the smoky character found in peated whiskies.

Instead, the emphasis is on fruit, malt, vanilla, honey, citrus, light oak and gentle spice.

If you prefer smoke, look towards English Smokey or one of The English Whisky Company's smoked Small Batch releases.

Is English Original a good whisky for beginners?

It can be a particularly accessible introduction to single malt whisky because the flavour profile isn't dominated by heavy smoke or an especially powerful cask finish.

The combination of vanilla, honey, orchard fruit, citrus and gentle oak gives you plenty to explore without making the whisky unnecessarily challenging.

It's also a logical starting point if you want to discover The English Whisky Company before moving into its sherry-cask, smoked or limited Small Batch expressions.

How should you drink English Original?

However you enjoy it.

We'd suggest trying it neat first, particularly if it's your first bottle, as that gives you a chance to understand its fruit, malt, vanilla and oak characteristics.

You could then add a few drops of water or serve it over a large cube of ice.

Its lighter, approachable style also lends itself to a simple Highball or Whisky Sour if you prefer a longer drink.

There's no need to create rules around good whisky. Start neat, see what you think, and take it from there.

What food goes with English Original?

Its combination of fruit, honey, vanilla and gentle oak makes English Original relatively versatile with food.

Try it with:

• Mature Cheddar
• Nutty hard cheeses
• Apple or pear desserts
• Fruit cake
• Almond-based desserts
• Dark or milk chocolate

For a particularly Norfolk combination, we'd be tempted to put it alongside one of the county's mature cheeses and see what happens.

Why we like it

If you want to understand what The English Whisky Company does, start here.

Before the different cask finishes, age statements, heavily smoked releases and limited Small Batches, there's the whisky itself.

English Original gives you that foundation: Norfolk barley, whisky distilled at St George's Distillery and a flavour profile built around malt, fruit, vanilla, honey and gentle oak rather than smoke.

It's also the bottle we'd point towards when somebody comes into the deli and says:

"I've never tried English whisky. Where should I start?"

This one.

Producer: The English Whisky Company
Distillery: St George's Distillery
Origin: Norfolk, England
Style: English Single Malt Whisky
Peated: No
Barley: Locally grown Norfolk barley
Character: Fruity, malty, smooth and gently spiced