Woven creates first all-English blended whisky

The latest Woven whisky is thought to be the ‘world's first 100% English blend’ and is made with liquid from six distilleries.

Experience N.22 Pastures New features liquids from the Cotswolds Distillery, White Peak, Cooper King Distillery, Copper Rivet, Fielden and Adnams Distilleries. Woven's co-founder and whisky maker Peter Allison said: “Every whisky we create depends on distillers entrusting us with their liquid. “English whisky makers have built a reputation for high-quality liquids, so creating something that lived up to the ‘Made in England’ label was crucial, and drove me to obsess over many iterations of the blend before finally arriving at a final combination. I’m delighted with the results.” The whisky's palate offers ‘ripe hedgerow fruits, herbal notes, malty cereal, chocolate, leather, and honey’, while Fielden’s Rye Whisky gives it a kick of spice. The brand said the process started when Allison blended samples at Woven’s London studio on Hoxton Street. The idea of an all-English blend ‘gained momentum’ after community tastings. Woven added that creating an all-English bend was a challenge because there is no tradition of supplying liquids for blending as in Scotland. Allison added: “For me, England’s appeal as a whisky-making country lies in its rich craft traditions and a relatively young, free approach to whisky. “This tension is what makes for such an exciting story – and delicious whisky. When there’s no tradition to follow, the English know how to set the bar high.” Experience N22 Pastures New is available for £55 (US$71) from the Woven website and can also be picked up at Gladwin Brothers restaurants across the south of England. It's an exciting time for the category, with the application to register English whisky as a geographical indication recently entering the consultation stage. Based in Leith, Woven explores whisky-making from around the world and focuses on flavour rather than the traditional ideas of provenance. The producer recently looked at the Nordics for a previous blend.