The English Whisky - English Smokey

A peated English single malt whisky made in Norfolk, combining campfire smoke and toasted oak with vanilla, sweet malt, citrus and gentle spice.

Produced in Norfolk by English Whisky →

English Smokey is produced by The English Whisky Company at St George's Distillery in Norfolk, using locally grown barley and water drawn from the Breckland aquifer.

This is the distillery's smoky expression for those who enjoy peat as a recognisable part of their whisky. The smoke is clearly present, but it sits alongside the underlying malt, vanilla, oak and citrus rather than masking them.

On the nose, you'll find soft campfire smoke, toasted oak, vanilla and sweet malt. The palate introduces gentle peat warmth followed by cereal, subtle spice and a lift of citrus, leading into a smooth, lingering smoky finish.

It's a useful reminder that peated whisky doesn't have to come from Scotland – English whisky can be smoky too.

What does English Smokey taste like?

English Smokey combines peat smoke, malt, oak, vanilla, citrus and gentle spice.

Nose: Soft campfire smoke and toasted oak with vanilla and sweet malt.

Palate: Peat warmth followed by rich cereal notes, subtle spice and citrus.

Finish: Smooth and lingering, with the smoky character continuing through the finish.

The peat is an important part of the whisky, but there's still plenty happening underneath the smoke.

What is a peated whisky?

Peated whisky gets its characteristic smoky aromas and flavours through the use of peat during the production of the malted barley.

Traditionally, peat could be burned as a fuel when drying malted barley. The smoke contains aromatic compounds that are absorbed by the malt and can remain detectable after fermentation, distillation and maturation.

Depending upon how the malt is produced and how much peat influence is present, the finished whisky can range from gently smoky to intensely peated.

Is English Smokey a smoky whisky?

Yes. English Smokey is a peated single malt, so smoke is deliberately part of its flavour profile.

Here it expresses itself as soft campfire smoke and peat warmth, sitting alongside toasted oak, vanilla, malt, spice and citrus.

If you've previously assumed that smoky single malt means Scotch whisky, English Smokey offers a chance to explore the style from an English – and specifically Norfolk – distillery.

Is English Smokey a good introduction to peated whisky?

It could be, particularly if you're curious about peat but don't necessarily want smoke to overwhelm everything else in the glass.

English Smokey retains recognisable vanilla, malt, cereal, citrus and spice characteristics alongside its smoke.

If you're completely new to peated whisky, try it neat first and give it a little time in the glass. You can then add a few drops of water and see how the aromas and flavours change.

Where is English Smokey made?

English Smokey is produced by The English Whisky Company at St George's Distillery in Norfolk.

The distillery uses locally grown barley together with water drawn from the Breckland aquifer to produce its English single malt whisky.

That makes English Smokey a genuinely Norfolk-produced peated single malt.

What's the difference between English Smokey, Gently Smoked and Heavily Smoked?

The English Whisky Company produces several whiskies in which smoke plays a part, but they're not interchangeable.

English Smokey is the distillery's peated single malt expression, combining campfire smoke and peat warmth with malt, vanilla, oak and citrus.

Gently Smoked Double Cask is a limited Small Batch release combining American Bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks, with the smoke deliberately sitting more gently alongside vanilla, fruit and spice.

Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion is another limited Small Batch expression in which smoke is much more prominent, combined with dark fruit, molasses, vanilla and wood.

If you're choosing between them, think about whether you want peat as part of the whisky's character, a gentler background smoke, or something in which the smoke plays a much bigger role.

How should you drink English Smokey?

Start with it neat.

Take a little time with the glass before adding a few drops of water. This lets you explore the balance between peat, malt, oak and citrus before seeing how dilution changes it.

If you prefer whisky over ice, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that either.

And if you enjoy smoky whisky in mixed drinks, it can also bring a peated dimension to a classic Old Fashioned or a simple whisky and ginger.

What food goes with a peated whisky?

Smoky whisky can be particularly interesting alongside food with enough flavour to stand up to it.

Try English Smokey with:

• Smoked or cured meats
• Mature Cheddar
• Blue cheese
• Dark chocolate
• Smoked fish

And given the amount of cheese we have available, pairing smoky Norfolk whisky with a good British cheese is something we're very happy to encourage.

Why we like it

There was a time when saying peated single malt would almost automatically have made you think of Scotland.

Not necessarily anymore.

English Smokey is distilled here in Norfolk, using locally grown barley and Breckland water, yet delivers that immediately recognisable combination of peat and campfire smoke associated with smoky whisky.

What we particularly like is that the smoke doesn't leave everything else behind. There's malt, vanilla, toasted oak, citrus and spice to find as well.

It's Norfolk whisky showing that English single malt doesn't have to conform to one particular style.

Producer: The English Whisky Company
Distillery: St George's Distillery
Origin: Norfolk, England
Style: Peated English Single Malt Whisky
Character: Smoky, malty, oaky and gently spiced
Barley: Locally grown
Water: Breckland aquifer