Yorkshire's first malt whisky distillery launches a second Maturing Malt

The team at Yorkshire's first malt whisky distillery has launched the second of its Distillery Projects ahead of the first bottling of its premium single malt whisky in 2019.

Sprit of Yorkshire's Distillery Projects 002 is a limited edition Maturing Malt and offers a taste of the maturing casks at the Hunmanby, North Yorkshire, distillery. The second of a series of four collectible spirits, DP002 is described as being ‘light, fresh and fruity, with notes of honeycomb, hot cross buns, barley sugar, gingerbread, orange sponge cake, black pepper, pear drops and white chocolate.'

Of the launch, Spirit of Yorkshire Whisky Director, Joe Clark said:"The Distillery Projects series evolved from positive feedback to samples of the maturing malt that visitors enjoyed when touring the distillery.

"With DP002 we wanted to showcase the lighter of our two spirit styles and create a more fruit and distillate driven expression. In contrast to our first release, where the focus was on our richer, heavier spirit style and more wood driven flavours, this new release really sings in your glass, and, like the first, is sensational easy drinking.

"Unlike conventional malts, DP002 is distilled in a combination of column and pot stills for an appealingly light texture. It's then aged in a mix of bourbon, sherry and red wine casks to add depth to the flavour. And, as always, every ingredient is sourced from the land around us."

Spirit of Yorkshire was launched in 2016 and is a collaboration between farmer and brewer, Tom Mellor from Wold Top Brewery and business partner, David Thompson. The pair have invested significantly to follow their dream of creating a Yorkshire whisky that doesn't simply replicate Scotch. The distillery is a true field to bottle setup and boasts some of the most impressive distilling equipment in the country, includingtwo of the largest Forsyth pot stills operating in the UK outside of Scotland.

Tom Mellor added: "We're obsessed with distilling, from grain to glass. Our instinctive approach is all about taking the best of tradition and applying new thinking. We didn't set out to just replicate Scotch, but to create a whisky that is filled with our own unique spirit and that of our local area.

"We're committed to making every drop of our whisky from first principles. We only use locally and sustainably produced ingredients - all the barley and spring water that we use is grown and sourced from our family farm, just a few miles away from the distillery."

Distillery Project 002, 46% ABV, is limited to 2000 individually numbered 70cl bottles. The release is priced at £39.95 and is only available to buy through the website (www.spiritofyorkshire.com) and from the distillery shop that is open seven days a week. Distillery Project 001 sold out within four weeks of its launch in December andDistillery Project 002 is expected to sell out even more quickly as the maturing malt becomes ever closer to the date that it can be called Yorkshire's first malt whisky.

In addition to distilling whisky and conducting guided tours, Spirit of Yorkshire is home to the Pot Still Coffee Shop that serves a variety of home cooked food and hosts regular events including weekly Jazz and Blues nights and special events. Forthcoming events include Distillery Sessions with Robert Schmuck on 30^thMarch and 27^thApril and a ‘Pot Still Pop Up'whisky-inspired three course mealfrom Birds on the Loose on 19th April.

Ends

Photograph captions:

1. Spirit of Yorkshire's Maturing Malt - Distillery Projects 002 Distillery Projects 002

2. The Spirit of Yorkshire team tasting the new spirit - L - R Joe Clark, Tom Mellor and David Thompson The Spirit of Yorkshire distillery directors

For more information or to arrange an interview with Joe Clark, Tom Mellor or David Thompson, please contact Tracey Baty at three60 marketing on;

Direct line:01430 871360

Mobile:07971 961574

E mail:traceybaty@three60marketing.co.uk

Web:www.three60marketing.co.uk

Notes to editors

1. For more information about Spirit of Yorkshire, please visit https://www.spiritofyorkshire.com/
2. The Distillery and Pot Still Coffee Shop are open 7 days a week; 9.30am-5pm, Monday-Saturday and 10am-3pm on a Sunday. Tours run daily all year round at the following times...Monday-Saturday; 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. Sunday; 12pm and 2pm. Booking is advisable by calling 01723 891758.
3. For more information about the weekly Jazz and Blues, please visit https://www.spiritofyorkshire.com/events/view_event/5/
4. For more information about the Pot Still Pop Up Event, please visit http://www.yorkshirefoodfinder.org/kitchen-social/pot-still-pop-up
5. In February 2018, Spirit of Yorkshire won VisitEngland Welcome Award in the Attractions Accolades in appreciation of the outstanding experiences they have provided since they opened their visitor attraction in April 2017. They also won the Best Tourism & Hospitality Business at the Bridlington and Yorkshire Coast Chamber Awards in October 2017.
6. Spirit of Yorkshire will also be the Toast Sponsor for the Business Desk's Business Masters 2018 Yorkshire Awards on 26th April.
7. The Spirit of Yorkshire's logo depicts a gannet. The team at Spirit of Yorkshire identifies with the fearless, graceful and purposeful birds that have prospered at nearby Bempton Cliffs for many years. In the same way that the gannets have a homing instinct, wherever the team roam to explore new ideas, they will always return to where Yorkshire's first whisky was born.