Doghouse Distillery is to debut what it claims is the first ‘bourbon-style’ whisky to be distilled in the UK.
Debt Collector (rsp: £49.95/70cl) is made from a mash of 75% corn, with malted barley and rye, before being aged for a minimum of three years in virgin, charred American oak casks, in accordance with authentic bourbon production methods.
The resulting tipple offered “rich notes of vanilla, caramel, and warming spice,” said Doghouse Distillery. Initially, it has launched via DTC and in limited quantities.
Every step of the production process, from milling, mashing and fermentation to copper pot distillation and maturation takes place at the distiller’s production site in Battersea, south-west London. This differs from another English ‘bourbon style’ whisky, Never Say Die, which is distilled in the US but transported to the UK to be aged.
By going against the grain of scotch single malt whisky distillation – which requires a mash bill of 100% barley and is typically aged in used barrels – Debt Collector would “challenge traditional British whisky-making conventions”, Doghouse Distillery said.
It would give “whisky enthusiasts a rare opportunity to experience a truly unique and innovative expression in the rapidly growing world whisky arena”, it added.
Confirming to the strict rules governing the production of scotch and Irish whiskey did not appeal to Doghouse Distillery as these drinks had “their own style and they’ve been doing it for centuries”, said founder and managing director Braden Saunders.
“If we were in Europe, making a scotch-style whisky would entice me, but in London I don’t have that same feeling,” he said. “I think making something multi-grain, taking inspiration from America, is much more interesting.”
The high corn content in the mash bill for Debt Collector resulted in a whisky that was “much more approachable and inclusive and fun”, Saunders claimed. This made it a better fit for many classic cocktails, he added.
The launch of Debt Collector comes amid uncertainty over the future of a free-trade arrangement covering the import of bourbon into the UK. In June 2022, the UK and EU lifted 25% tariffs on US bourbon imports, after the US removed levies oof its own on steel and aluminium imports.
However, with president Donald Trump threatening to impose tariffs on imported goods including scotch following his re-election, there are fears the agreement could be rolled back.
Alongside Debt Collector, Doghouse Distillery’s portfolio also includes its Doppelganger British Aperitvo, added in 2022, Renegade Gin and Baller Chilli Bacon Vodka.
No comments yet