Retribution Distilling Single Malt English Whisky PR005, New American Oak, 70cl
Retribution Distilling's fifth release is a three-year-old English single malt from a single cask: a 200-litre new American oak barrel (cask W014) with a level 3 char. Fresh, charred American oak gives flavour quickly, and in a young whisky it brings vanilla, toffee and baking spice forward. Distiller Rich Lock describes this cask as active without overpowering the spirit, and we agree that it is nicely balanced.
On the nose there is vanilla, toffee and marzipan, with the dried fruit and spice of a rich Christmas cake. The palate follows the same path, with spice up front and a long finish. For its strength, there is very little alcohol heat.
The spirit is made from Maris Otter barley malted at Warminster Maltings, fermented for 7 to 14 days with an English ale yeast and distilled in a direct-fired copper pot still in May 2023. It went into cask on 23 May 2023 and was bottled on 2 June 2026. The batch ran to 300 bottles; this bottling is at 52% Alc., the strength that Rich prefers for this whisky.
At 52% Alc., add a splash of water; it opens up the toffee and marzipan. In our view, PR005 suits anyone who enjoys sweeter, vanilla-led whisky and wants to see what a full new-oak maturation does to an English malt spirit.
Retribution Distilling is a small distillery in Frome, Somerset, founded by Rich Lock. Each whisky release is a small batch from one or a handful of casks, numbered in sequence, so every bottling has its own character.
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