Elsham Wold releases final whisky in its WWII-tribute series
The North Lincolnshire distillery has launched the third and final bottling in its Flarepath Series – a Port cask-finished English single malt honouring the Halifax crews of WWII.
The Elsham Wold Distillery has released the concluding bottling in its three-part Flarepath Series, a project paying tribute to the aircraft and airmen of the Second World War, following sell-out releases of the first two editions.
The third release, launched last week on 18 November, is a Port cask-finished English single malt priced at £85, with just 250 bottles available to purchase in selected Amathus stores and online at www.elshamwolddistillery.co.uk.
Crafted in North Lincolnshire, on the border of Yorkshire, using Yorkshire barley, the whisky began life in miniature ex-bourbon casks before spending its final year in a pair of hand-selected Port casks that had previously held Tawny Port for more than a decade.
Ben Mordue, master blender at The Elsham Wold Distillery, explained to db: “Our oldest Bourbon of five years makes up a big percentage of the release. It spent 12 months across the two casks before being blended and rested in a bourbon cask for four weeks to allow the rich fruity sweet flavours of the port to come out. The result is then bottled at 47.9% abv which gives the spirit its full character.”
Yorkshire based Ben Bowers, known to his Youtube fans as The Spirit Specialist, previously praised the whisky, saying of the second release: “A phenomenal achievement. I think it’s absolutely fantastic, it belies its age — blind you’d think 10 years, possibly even 15 year old, loads of complexity, loads of flavour going on!”
The first public tasting took place last weekend (22 November) at The English Whisky Festival, run by Exploring English Whisky.
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As with the two previous sell-out releases, the whisky carries a wartime dedication, reflecting the distillery’s location on the former officers’ mess of RAF Elsham Wold. While the debut PX Sherry release honoured the Lancaster, and the rum-cask second bottling paid tribute to the Wellington, this final edition commemorates the Halifax and the airmen who flew them from RAF Elsham Wold and across the UK.
A family-driven distillery with growing London presence
Elsham Wold’s whisky programme is the latest chapter for a business rooted in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire farming. The distillery is the sister company of AKP Group, founded in 1999 by third-generation potato farmers Richard Arundel and Bruce Kerr, now one of the UK’s largest potato supply chain specialists.
The distillery’s team includes figures with deep agricultural ties. Mordue, who has worked with Arundel for more than 20 years, first pursued the idea of producing local spirits in 2013. Siblings Matthew and Emma Hamilton, both founders of the distillery, bring scientific expertise and London trade experience respectively.
Alongside its whisky programme, the distillery has always had a strong foothold in the premium on- and off-trade. Edwards 1902 English Potato Vodka is listed at L’Enclume, Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill and a number of other Michelin-starred restaurants, and is also served on British Airways and at Dukes London through a long-running collaboration with Alessandro Palazzi. The brand has been backed from the outset by Yorkshire chef Andrew Pern at The Star Inn restaurants.
In retail, its summer RTD vodka spritz cans (made in partnership with SHS’s bottlegreen and blending Edwards 1902 vodka with bottlegreen’s signature flavours) rolled out in Waitrose, extending the brand’s reach into the ready-to-drink category.
The distillery’s London presence continues to grow, with 30 bottles of the final Flarepath release allocated to select stores in the capital. Edwards 1902 vodka, elderflower liqueur and rhubarb expressions are listed nationally across Amathus stores, with NXUS Drinks responsible for securing and expanding the brand’s London distribution.
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