The Full English: Three Whiskies Show the Range of English Distilling

Three English whiskies at one table

The London Distillery Company was established in 2011 as London's first new whisky distillery for over a century. Now it is putting the work of others on show: The Full English is a new range of independent bottlings devoted to English whisky.

The first three whiskies come from three distilleries: The Full English Table 1: London Calling from Bimber in London, The Full English Table 2: Portobello Belle from Adnams in Southwold, Suffolk, and The Full English Table 3: Ashes to Ashes from The English Distillery in Roudham, Norfolk. Each was chosen for its own character, and there is deliberately no shared house style.

Why a breakfast gave the range its name

The name comes from the full English breakfast. The breakfast idea is there for fun, and the releases are numbered Table 1, Table 2 and Table 3. Each one also takes its name from a song by an English artist and draws on the character of that music. Music fans will know the three titles from The Clash, Dire Straits and David Bowie.

The range is meant to grow. The London Distillery Company plans to return to distilleries in future releases and to include whiskies from less familiar parts of England.

The three whiskies at a glance

According to their labels, all three are English single malts, non chill filtered and of natural colour, in 70cl bottles.

Table 1: London Calling

This whisky was distilled at Bimber in May 2020 and matured in virgin American oak. It is bottled at 58% ABV and limited to 254 bottles. The nose brings toffee, vanilla and desiccated coconut with stone and tropical fruits and digestive biscuits. The palate is intense and fruit forward, with apricot, orange peel, mango and lime, then milk chocolate, nutmeg and a hint of aniseed. The recommended price is around €108 (£90).

Table 2: Portobello Belle

This whisky was distilled at Adnams in February 2015 and matured entirely in Portwood, meaning casks that previously held port. It is bottled at 58.7% ABV and limited to 272 bottles. The nose combines dusty wine cellars and leafy port with gingernut biscuits, toasted oak and freshly baked banana bread. The palate is rich and full bodied, with Demerara sugar, butterscotch and toffee balanced by hedgerow berries, fig jam, white pepper and earthy coffee notes. The recommended price is around €60 (£50).

Table 3: Ashes to Ashes

This peated whisky was distilled at The English Distillery in October 2015 and matured in a Moscatel Sherry barrique. It is bottled at 54.6% ABV and limited to 141 bottles. The nose opens with smoky leaves and distant forest fires, with subtle minerality, smoked redcurrants, raspberries, ripe peach and a hint of marzipan. The palate balances peat and fruit, with syrupy berries, grapes and stone fruits, lemon honey, wood smoke and damp moss, and the finish is bright and floral with fresh strawberries and honeysuckle. The recommended price is around €84 (£70).

Which whisky suits whom

If you enjoy fruit forward whisky from new oak, start with Table 1. Its palate is described as intense and fruit forward, with apricot, mango and lime.

Table 2 rewards a close look at the numbers. It is the earliest distilled of the three, has the highest strength at 58.7% ABV and is still the lowest priced at around €60 (£50). In flavour it heads in a dark, sweet direction of fig, toffee and coffee.

Table 3 is the only one whose notes mention peat and smoke, and at 141 bottles it is the smallest release. It is the one for readers who like smoke paired with bright fruit.

No house style, on purpose

Matt McKay, Managing Director and Whisky Maker at the London Distillery Company, explains the idea behind the range: "The Full English is about recognising that there isn't one way to make English whisky, nor should there be." Distilleries across the country, he says, work with different grains, fermentation regimes, stills and casks.

So the selection does not follow a set template. "For us, the starting point is always the whisky itself," McKay says. "We want to find interesting whiskies with something interesting to say and give them a platform."

When and where

All three whiskies are available from Friday 20 November from the London Distillery Company. You can find The Full English Table 1: London Calling, The Full English Table 2: Portobello Belle and The Full English Table 3: Ashes to Ashes on Spiritory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Full English?

A range of independent bottlings from the London Distillery Company that presents English whisky from different distilleries. The name comes from the full English breakfast.

Which whiskies are in the first release?

Table 1: London Calling from Bimber, Table 2: Portobello Belle from Adnams and Table 3: Ashes to Ashes from The English Distillery.

Which casks were the whiskies matured in?

Table 1 in virgin American oak, Table 2 entirely in Portwood and Table 3 in a Moscatel Sherry barrique.

How many bottles are there?

There are 254 bottles of Table 1, 272 of Table 2 and 141 of Table 3.

When are they available and what do they cost?

They are available from Friday 20 November. The recommended prices are around €108 (£90) for Table 1, around €60 (£50) for Table 2 and around €84 (£70) for Table 3.