St. George's Distillery

The English Distillery is a pioneer in English whisky. The distillery was founded by a father and son, the Nelstrop family, and in 2006 it became England's first registered and operational whisky distillery in more than 100 years. The distillery is located in Norfolk and was officially opened in the summer of 2007 by King Charles III (then prince). Since then, The English has established itself as a family-owned business without investors and has built a portfolio of award-winning whiskies. They have among other things won the World’s Best Single Malt Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards 2024 for The English Sherry Cask and have received several other international accolades. The mindset and aim is to build a lasting legacy through craftsmanship and continued development of English whiskies.

Production / Manufacturing

The distillery sits directly above a source of sweet, mineral-rich water and uses water from the Breckland aquifer as a central ingredient. Barley is locally sourced and malted by Crisp’s Maltings of Fakenham. By-products from the distillation are reused in farming: spent grains are sold as animal feed to the neighboring farm, and spent lees are certified as fertilizer for the crops. The production process operates in a closed cycle, and the cooling water is drawn from the aquifer at around 10°C and returned to the soil, which, according to the company, reduces groundwater use by about 94%. On-site solar panels generate about 48% of the energy and have been delivering energy since 2009. The site is connected to 10 acres, where cricket bat willows are grown for carbon sequestration and biodiversity. The family prioritizes slow, traditional processes and runs the distillery as an independent business without investors.

Products / Whisky Series

• Core Range: The English Original, The English Smokey, The English Sherry Cask (World’s Best Single Malt Whisky 2024), as well as The English Original Bauble.

• Age Statement: The English 11 Year Old.

• Single Cask: The English Single Cask Oloroso Sherry Cask Matured 15 Year Old and The English Single Cask Heavily Smoked Virgin Oak.

• Small Batch: The English Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion, The English Gently Smoked Sherry Hogshead, The English Gently Smoked Double Cask, The English Wine Cask Matured.

• The Norfolk Collection: The Norfolk Bramble, The Norfolk Bramble Bauble, The Norfolk Damson, The Norfolk Farmers, The Norfolk Farmers Single Cask, The Norfolk Nog, The Norfolk Popcorn, The Norfolk PX, and The Norfolk PX Ginger.

• Founders Private Cellar: 13 Year Old English Brandy Cask.

• The English Whisky Beer as well as The English Wine Cask Matured.

• The English Original, The English Sherry Cask and The English Virgin Oak, as well as newer small-batch and single-cask releases.

Several products are also described as not whisky-related in the The Norfolk selection (for example The Norfolk Nog, The Norfolk PX Ginger, etc.), and there are gift and club ranges such as The English Whisky Club and personal labels. The products are described with tasting notes and details about casks, ABV, and non-chill filtration.

Visits / Experiences

• Distillery Tours: Seven different tours including The Original Tour & Tasting (60 minutes), English Whisky Through The Ages Experience (75 minutes), Ultimate Tasting Tour (120 minutes), Single Cask Collection Experience (150 minutes), and Create Your Own Whisky Experience (120 minutes). Prices vary, and some tours include tastings of older whiskies as well as a voucher to use in the shop.

• River Walks: Public access to the distillery grounds and the Thet River walks during opening hours.

• Meetings & Events: Whisky Academy and opportunities for private meetings and conferences, as well as private tours and tasting events.

• Opening hours and practical information are available on-site, including accessibility for disabilities if needed (alternative virtual tours available for those with stair challenges).

Philosophy / Values

The English Whisky Co describes itself as a pioneer in English whisky and as a family-owned business without investors. They place emphasis on doing things the right way through tradition, quality, and progress. They highlight that they were the world's best single malt whisky producers in 2024 and have gained international recognition. The move toward sustainability is central: water sources are protected, waste is used as animal feed and fertilizer, and waste streams are minimized through recycling and testing of micronutrient levels. Energy consumption is reduced through a solar installation, and they work with closed water cycles and local agriculture to minimize environmental footprint. They emphasize their approach as a long-term legacy rather than an exit strategy.

Awards

• World’s Best Single Malt Whisky 2024 for The English Sherry Cask (World Whiskies Awards).

• Three stars in The Great Taste Awards 2025 and Gold at IWSC 2025 (for example for The Norfolk PX / other products).