Adnams has released images and tasting notes for its first-ever whisky which has been produced at its Copper House distillery in Suffolk.
After ageing for about three years, two whiskies are due to be released on December 5, with a third release due in 2014.
The first whisky is Single Malt No 1, matured exclusively in new French oak barrels. Adnams distiller John McCarthy describes it as smooth and rich with notes of runny honey, vanilla and apricot.
The second is Triple Grain No 2, made from East Anglian barley, wheat and oats and matured in new American oak barrels. John describes it as a bold, dark chocolate-scented whisky with notes of toasted oak, pepper and orange peel.
He said: “We have tasted both spirits as they have matured in the oak barrels and have been extremely pleased with the flavours as they have developed. We are now looking forward to bottling them in just a few weeks’ time and hearing what people think.”
Within weeks of the Copper House distillery starting operations, Adnams laid down 20 barrels of spirit in new French and American oak. To be classified as a whisky, spirits must develop in a barrel for at least three years and a day.
Adnams chairman Jonathan Adnams said: “We are incredibly excited about the launch of our whiskies. With just 20 barrels in this first release, we are expecting high levels of interest from whisky enthusiasts and Adnams fans alike.”
The striking bottle design was created by Lee Cook from CookChick Design in Brighton. Lee said: “Designing Adnams’ whisky labels has been an opportunity for us to establish a new direction for hand-crafted English whisky. We were keen not to design another ‘me too’ label emulating the traditional designs from Scotland and Ireland.
“Our aim was to create a radically different design with optimistic, bright, vibrant coastal colours which allows a glimpse of the whisky inside. This bold design reflects the contemporary approach that Jonathan Adnams and John McCarthy have to making spirits.
“It was important for us to create a visually arresting design that included bold copper bands that reflect both the warmth of the product and Adnams copper pot stills.”
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