East London Distillery To Make Rye-Malt Whisky

By Richard Thomas

East London Liquor Company, an English micro-distillery that opened near Victoria Park in London last year, has announced plans to distill a rye-malt whisky hybrid.

The distillery currently makes vodka and gin, so the rye-malt hybrid project will be their first reported foray into whisky-making. The mashbill is 58% malted barley and 42% rye, and will be aged in a mix of ex-bourbon made from both American and European oak. The distillery may also release a small quantity of single malt whisky on a limited basis.

The timing of the planned 2018 release is meant to mark the 110th anniversary of the closure of Lea Valley Distillery, the last distillery to operate in London.