Lush Guide To Filey Bay Whisky

It’s hard to be the first at anything today, but Filey Bay Whisky has done just that. Their Filey Bay Flagship Whisky has become the Yorkshire’s first single malt! That’s not the only first they have achieved!

Not only is it the single malt in Yorkshire, but the aptly named Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery in Hunmanbay, North Yorkshire also has the honor to be Yorkshire’s first single malt whisky distillery. In 2016, owners Tom Mellor and David Thompson began distilling with Whisky Director Joe Clark by their side.

Given that the distillery sits adjacent to Tom’s working family farm on the Yorkshire coast, it’s not hard to understand that their approach to whisky production would be similar to their approach to farming – sustainable and literally from field to bottle.

How is Filey Bay Whisky made

They begin the process with their homegrown barley and pure water coming from chalk aquifers below the farm. They have two of the largest pot stills outside of Scotland, as well as a four-plate copper column still. Adding into that combination, hundreds of cask types on-site, they are able to add their own personal take on how an English whisky company can produce its own signature whisky.

As of now, these are all the expressions in their range:

Filey Bay Flagship Whisky First & Second Run: Yes, they have had a first and second release of their signature whisky, matured in ex bourbon casks!
Filey Bay STR Finish: If you don’t know already, STR is short for “shaved, toasted, and re-charred.” This liquid is first matured in ex-bourbon casks and then a secondary maturation in STR former red wine casks.
Filey Bay Moscatel Finish: This single malt was initially matured in ex-bourbon casks and then transferred to Spanish casks that held Moscatel sherry for up to 10 years.
Filey Bay IPA Finish: As you can probably guess, this whisky is finished in ex-IPA casks. These IPA casks herald from their sister company, Wold Top Brewery.
Filey Bay Sherry Cask Finish: This liquid has been matured only in Pedro Ximenez Oloroso Sherry casks!
Filey Bay Peated Finish Batch #2: They take their signature whisky and finish them in peated casks which, of course, add a note of peat smoke.

How does Filey Bay Whisky taste

With more than five expressions, there are marked differences between them. I received the Filey Bay Tasting Experience which includes three 5cl bottles of Filey Bay Whisky: the Flagship, the STR Finish and the Moscatel Finish, so I can only report back on those.

The Tasting Experience comes with not just the whisky, but tasting notes and a great step-by-step guide to tasting whisky if it’s your first time or 100th time. It’s a great introduction to the Filey Bay range!

They are meant to be sipped, so sit back and enjoy exploring them yourself!

Filey Bay Flagship Whisky
- Color: Light honey yellow
- Nose: Slight caramel and vanilla
- Taste: Light and creamy. Hints of vanilla and caramel flavours, like maple syrup in a glass.
- Finish: A combination of honey and oaky spiciness.
- Alcohol: 46%

Filey Bay Moscatel Finish
- Color: Honey yellow and slight darker than the Flagship
- Nose: Definitely a bit more fruit on the nose – think caramel apple!
- Taste: A much more fruity whisky in the mouth but warming and luscious with honeycomb and dried apricots!
- Finish: Cocoa and spice!
- Alcohol: 46%

Filey Bay STR Finish
- Color: Slight darker yellow with red tones from the red wine barriques!
- Nose: A more complex whisky with subtle floral notes
- Taste: All the summer berries of the season can be found in this lovely smoky whisky. The tasting notes say vanilla ice cream, but I think it would taste great being poured over vanilla ice cream.
- Finish: Definitely the orange chocolate – forget Terry’s, just sip this!
- Alcohol: 46%

Filey Bay Peated Finish Batch #2
- Color: Light copper
- Nose: You can smell the smoke, but it’s not overpowering
- Taste: Think about baked apples that got caught in the oven a little too long and you get this fabulous flavor.
- Finish: Smoky, but still got the sweetness
- Alcohol: 46%

Why Lush Life loves it

I loved the Filey Bay Tasting Experience. There is much love and thought put into it. There is a reason that they have won loads of awards, the whisky is approachable and so drinkable!

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