Fielden creates four-part whisky series
English whisky producer Fielden has launched Hedgerow, the first edition in a new four-part series of whiskies called Fieldnotes.
The annual series was inspired by the flavour profile of the distillery’s signature expression, Fielden Rye Whisky, and celebrates the terroir of the English countryside where Fielden farms its rye, wheat and barley. The four chapters of Fieldnotes make up the brand's ‘spirit style’, with each bottling showcasing one of the four distinct flavour profiles in Fielden Rye Whisky: fruity and creamy, fresh and delicate, pastry and nutty, and earthy and spicy. “With each edition of this series, we want to truly discover our core expression – Fielden Rye Whisky – and explore its flavour nuances and the different elemental factors of the fields in which the grain grows,” explained master distiller Francisco 'Chico' Rosa. Fielden Whisky uses genetically diverse ‘field blends’ of heritage grains – revived from historical sources and grown sustainably on more than 2,200 acres in the UK. Hedgerow is the first edition in the Fieldnotes quartet, and represents the fruity and creamy character of Fielden Rye Whisky. It has also been created to pay homage to the diverse flora in the borders surrounding Fielden’s heritage grain fields. Rosa added: “Hedgerow expresses the rich and verdant boundaries between our fields where hazels and elders flourish among apple trees and a variety of dark fruits like damsons, sloes and blackberries. It is full of fresh blossom notes, baked apples paired with jammed berries and custard. The fruity and creamy palate plays with the herbal and spicy character of the rye, with notes of hazelnut and vanilla.” Four cask types were selected for Hedgerow. Two American oak barrels were chosen to provide the spirit with fruitiness alongside a soft creamy character, while a Sauternes barrique was chosen for its offering of stone fruit notes that aid the whisky’s ‘punchy’ rye spice, bringing harmony to the blend. Finally, a vintage Port barrique, previously used for Champagne, was chosen for its jammy notes alongside fresh red berries, while mirroring the flavours of the darker sloes and damsons growing in the field’s hedgerows. Hedgerow has been created with a limited run of 1,000 bottles, each of which is individually numbered, making this Fielden’s most exclusive whisky since its launch in April 2024. The launch was the first following The Oxford Artisan Distillery's rebrand to Fielden Whisky of England, and its move from Oxford to Yorkshire. Bottled at 46.1% ABV, it is priced at an RRP of £100 (US$132) per 700ml, and can be purchased via fielden.com, Berry Bros & Rudd, and specialist retailers from 9 October.
