English Whisky founder Nelstrop dies

The founder and chairman of the English Whisky Company, James Nelstrop, has died aged 69.

James Nelstrop with England’s first St.George’s PX Solera

Based at the St George’s Distillery in Norfolk, it became the first registered whisky distilling company in England for more than a century when it opened in 2006, as reported by the Eastern Daily Press.

Mr Nelstrop died on 6 September at home after a short fight with cancer.

The family said in a statement that it had been his dream to own a whisky distillery, one which came true in 2006 when work to build the St George’s Distillery, home of The English Whisky Co., was completed.

The family added: “What pleased him even more was the opening of several other English whisky distilleries, which gave him a sense of achievement in being the founder of an entire national industry.”

The distillery opened to the public in August 2007 and now exports English whisky around the world.

It produces single malt whisky with its first three-year-old expression released in 2009 and remains one of just three distilleries in England currently producing whisky.

Last year the English Whisky Co. celebrated its entry into the US market following a five-year battle over what constitutes a single malt.