Henstone Ex-Pedro Ximénez Single Malt: Shropshire Whisky with a Sherry Finish
Limited Release | Ex-Heaven Hill Bourbon then 12 Months Ex-PX Quarter Cask | 46% Alc. | 70cl | 140 Bottles
Key Information
Distillery: Henstone Distillery
Region: Oswestry, Shropshire, England
Spirit type: Single Malt English Whisky
ABV: 46% Alc.
Volume: 70cl
Maturation: Ex-Heaven Hill Bourbon cask (3+ years)
Finish: Ex-Pedro Ximénez quarter cask (12 months)
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Colour: Natural, no added colouring
Batch size: 140 bottles
Tasting Notes
Nose
Stewed dates, raisin, dried fig and soft espresso. Underneath, a creamy vanilla base from the bourbon years, with a faint cinnamon warmth building slowly.
Palate
Rich and coating. Dark dried fruits, marmalade peel, chocolate praline and gingerbread. The PX sweetness is generous but not cloying; the bourbon backbone keeps it grounded.
Finish
Long and warming. Aromatic wood spice, a trace of sticky toffee, and a dry cocoa note that lingers well past the last sip.
Tasting notes informed by Henstone's own release notes and third-party review. Character may vary slightly between individual bottles in this batch.
What Makes This Release Distinctive
- Quarter cask finish: At 125 litres, the ex-PX cask has a significantly higher surface-area-to-volume ratio than a standard hogshead. Twelve months in this format produces a depth of sherry influence that would take far longer in a larger cask.
- Heaven Hill ex-bourbon foundation: The base maturation in Heaven Hill barrels adds the vanilla and sweet grain character typical of American-style cooperage, providing a counterpoint to the rich sherry influence rather than competing with it.
- Non-chill filtered: Bottled without chill filtration, preserving the natural fats and esters that give the whisky its viscous texture in the glass.
- Natural colour: No caramel colouring added. What you see in the glass is the colour from the cask alone.
- Very small batch: Just 140 bottles from this release. Each is hand-labelled with batch details.
- Fully on-site production: Mashed, distilled, matured, and bottled at Henstone's Oswestry site. No contract distilling.
Perfect For
Who Will Enjoy This
- Sherry cask whisky drinkers looking for an English alternative to Scotch
- Collectors interested in small-batch English single malts
- Whisky drinkers who prefer non-chill filtered, natural-colour expressions
- Anyone already enjoying Oloroso or PX-influenced Scotch and curious about how English producers handle the same cask type
Serving Suggestions
- Best served neat in a Glencairn glass at room temperature
- A drop of still water opens the nose and softens the spice
- Works well as an after-dinner whisky alongside dark chocolate or aged cheese
- Suits a festive or winter occasion where richer, warmer flavours fit the mood
About Henstone Distillery
Henstone was founded in 2017 in Oswestry, Shropshire, by Chris and Alexandra Toller and their partners Shane and Alison Parr, who also run the Stonehouse Brewery on the same site. The name combines the family homes of the two founding families. All spirits are produced in a 1,000-litre pot/column hybrid still named Hilda, built by Kothe in Germany. Henstone makes its own wash on-site, which is rare among English whisky producers and gives them direct control over the flavour of the spirit from the very start of the process. The distillery has been named Gin Guide Distillery of the Year on multiple occasions and is a member of the English Whisky Guild.
Understanding English Single Malt Whisky
English whisky is a young but fast-growing category. To qualify as English single malt whisky, the spirit must be produced at a single distillery in England, made entirely from malted barley, matured in oak casks for a minimum of three years, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV. While it draws on the same raw materials and broad techniques as Scotch single malt, English producers are not bound by the regional style conventions of Scotland, which gives distilleries like Henstone genuine freedom in their cask selection. The result is a category with significant variety from producer to producer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does Pedro Ximénez mean in whisky?
A: Pedro Ximénez (usually abbreviated to PX) is a variety of grape used to produce a very sweet, dark, concentrated sherry from the south of Spain. Casks that previously held PX sherry are used to mature or finish whisky; the residual sugars and dried fruit compounds in the wood transfer into the spirit, contributing dark fruit, raisin, dark chocolate and spice character. Quarter casks (smaller than a standard barrel) accelerate this process due to greater wood contact per litre of spirit.
Q: How does Henstone's PX whisky compare to a PX-finished Scotch?
A: The profile is recognisably similar to well-known PX-finished Scotch expressions: rich, fruit-forward, with a sweet and warming finish. The difference is in the base spirit character. Henstone's new make has a distinctly English quality — slightly grassier and lighter than Highland or Speyside spirit — which comes through beneath the sherry influence and gives this release its own identity.
Q: Is this whisky suitable for someone who normally drinks Scotch?
A: Yes, particularly if you enjoy sherry cask Scotch. The PX influence gives this whisky an immediately familiar profile for Scotch drinkers, while the English single malt base and the specific cask combination add something different. It is a good way to explore English whisky without straying too far from a flavour profile you already know you enjoy.
Q: Why is there no colouring in this whisky?
A: Henstone bottles this expression without added caramel colouring (known as E150a), so the colour you see in the glass comes entirely from time in the cask. This is the case for all of Henstone's whisky releases. Many drinkers prefer this because it means the colour is a genuine indicator of cask influence and maturation, rather than a cosmetic adjustment.
Q: What does non-chill filtered mean, and does it matter?
A: Chill filtration removes natural fats and esters from the spirit to prevent it from going hazy when cold or when water is added. Some producers do this for visual clarity; Henstone does not. The trade-off is a whisky that may cloud slightly at low temperatures, but retains the naturally richer texture and fuller flavour that chill filtration would otherwise remove. For most drinkers, non-chill filtered is considered the more expressive option.
Q: Where is Henstone Distillery located?
A: Henstone Distillery is based in Oswestry, Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It operates on the same site as the Stonehouse Brewery, and all production — mashing, distilling, maturation, and bottling — takes place at this single location.
