Cooper King Many Hands Yorkshire Blended Malt Whisky, 70cl

Cooper King Many Hands: A Yorkshire Blended Malt Whisky, Two Distilleries, One Bottle

England's first open distillery collaboration | Cooper King Distillery x Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery | 48% Alc. | 70cl | 1,922 bottles

Key Information

• Distilleries: Cooper King & Spirit of Yorkshire
• Region: Yorkshire, England
• Style: Blended Malt Whisky
• ABV: 48% (96 proof)
• Volume: 70cl (700ml)
• Cask types: Dark-fired bourbon, first-fill bourbon, rye whiskey, corn whiskey (ex-MB Roland Distillery, Kentucky)
• Recipe: Cooper King's own recipe, distilled at both sites
• Filtration: Non-chill filtered
• Natural colour: Yes
• Release: Limited to 1,922 bottles, July 2026

Tasting Notes

What Makes Many Hands Distinctive

• Born from necessity, not marketing: the collaboration began in 2021 when a fault in Cooper King's Tasmanian still forced a nine-month production pause. Spirit of Yorkshire stepped in to help a neighbour, not to launch a joint product.
• One recipe, two distilleries: Spirit of Yorkshire distilled to Cooper King's own recipe, so both component whiskies share a base character despite being made on different stills.
• An unusually varied cask profile: matured across four cask types (dark-fired bourbon, first-fill bourbon, rye whiskey and corn whiskey) previously used at MB Roland Distillery in Kentucky, a broader range than most English whisky releases draw on.
• Yorkshire's first blended malt: a whisky category most associated with Scotch, produced here for the first time by two neighbouring English distilleries.
• Transparent provenance: each bottle is marked with its dual origin and carries a QR code linking to the full technical breakdown.

Perfect For

About Cooper King Distillery and Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery

Cooper King is one of the most interesting names in English whisky. Founded in 2016 by Dr. Abbie Neilson and Chris Jaume in Sutton-on-the-Forest, ten miles north of York, it is the only self-built whisky distillery in England and runs entirely on renewable energy.

Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, based at Hunmanby on the Yorkshire coast, is the producer behind the Filey Bay range and makes its whisky from 100% Yorkshire-grown barley. The two distilleries are near neighbours, which is what made this collaboration possible in practice as well as in spirit.

Understanding Blended Malt Whisky

Blended malt whisky is 100% malted barley whisky combined from two or more distilleries, with no grain whisky added. That makes it a different thing entirely from a "blended whisky", which typically mixes malt whisky with cheaper grain whisky. Blended malts are a familiar, well-regarded category in Scotch whisky; Many Hands is a rare English example, and Yorkshire's first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between a blended malt and a single malt whisky?

A: A single malt comes from one distillery only. A blended malt is still 100% malted barley, but the whisky has been brought together from two or more distilleries. Many Hands is a blended malt because it combines whisky from Cooper King and Spirit of Yorkshire.

Q: Is Many Hands the same as a blended whisky?

A: No. A blended whisky usually mixes malt whisky with grain whisky. Many Hands contains no grain whisky; it is 100% malt whisky from two distilleries, which is what makes it a blended malt rather than a blended whisky.

Q: Why did Cooper King and Spirit of Yorkshire make a whisky together?

A: In 2021, a fault in Cooper King's still forced a nine-month pause in production. Their neighbours at Spirit of Yorkshire stepped in and distilled spirit to Cooper King's own recipe to help cover the gap. Four years of maturation later, that spirit became Many Hands.

Q: What casks was Many Hands matured in?

A: Four cask types previously used at MB Roland Distillery in Kentucky: dark-fired bourbon, first-fill bourbon, rye whiskey and corn whiskey. Eight casks of each distillery's whisky were married together, matched cask type for cask type.

Q: Is Many Hands a good whisky for beginners?

A: It's better suited to drinkers who already enjoy a bit of savoury spice and American cask character. The pepper and toasted-nut notes on the palate make this more of a whisky for curious enthusiasts than a first single malt.

Q: How should I serve Many Hands?

A: Neat, in a Glencairn glass, is the best way to pick up the honeycomb and stone fruit on the nose. A few drops of water can soften the pepper on the palate if you prefer a gentler pour.