Bold, unconventional and unmistakably artisan, Retribution Single Malt English Whisky is the distillery's highly anticipated sixth release, produced in a tiny batch of just 170 bottles. From floor-malted English barley and unusually long fermentation to direct-fire distillation and experimental chestnut maturation, virtually every stage has been designed to create character rather than conformity.
 
Distilled in July 2023, the whisky began with Maris Otter barley, floor malted at Warminster Maltings. Fermentation using M1 Distilling and S-04 English ale yeasts extended from seven to fourteen days, encouraging a particularly expressive base spirit before distillation in a direct-fired copper pot still.
 
Its maturation journey is particularly fascinating. The spirit was initially filled at 60% ABV into three tiny new chestnut octaves – Casks W021, W027 and W028. After 13 months, the influence of the fresh chestnut had become remarkably intense. Rather than allowing the wood to dominate further, the three casks were vatted and transferred into W066, a second-fill ex-bourbon quarter cask, where the whisky spent another 23 months.
 
That second maturation proved transformative. The ex-bourbon cask softened and integrated the powerful chestnut character, allowing the spirit to become rounder and more composed while preserving the distinctive dried-fruit, herbal and resinous qualities imparted by the chestnut.
 
Disgorged on 1 September 2026 at 58% ABV and subsequently bottled at the distiller's preferred 52% ABV, this three-year-old English single malt offers something genuinely different: plump raisins, dried fruit and spice followed by cooling menthol, herbal freshness and an intriguing suggestion of pine.
 
With only 170 bottles produced, this is an intriguing small-batch release for drinkers interested in the increasingly adventurous world of English whisky.