Some stories in the whisky world feel almost too cinematic to be true. The London Distillery Company is one of them. It all begins back in 1807, when engineer Ralph Dodd decided to challenge London’s rather shaky spirits industry. His vision? To create honest, clean, well-crafted spirits at a time when shortcuts and adulteration were more common than quality. Unfortunately, it never became more than an idea — at least not then.
Fast-forward more than two centuries and the name comes to life again. In 2011, a small but ambitious distilling operation opened in Battersea, becoming London’s first whisky distillery since Lea Valley shut its doors in 1903. Traditional methods were mixed with a modern, almost playful curiosity. The result was a range of intriguing casks that genuinely rekindled a piece of the city’s forgotten whisky heritage.
But this chapter, too, came to an abrupt end. In 2020 the stills went silent, and once again the idea of The London Distillery Company was left half-realised.
And now — in 2025 — the project enters its third, and perhaps most promising, chapter. The new team behind the distillery doesn’t talk about a restart, but about “breathing life into a historic future project” — and that feels about right. The aim is to tie London’s craft tradition to a distinctly modern expression. To let the city’s spirit of innovation find its place in the glass. Their direction is clear: world-class whisky rooted in history, with a firm look toward the future.
The whisky is built on heritage barley, 1920s brewer’s yeast and a mix of American, Spanish and English oak casks — all in the spirit of fulfilling Ralph Dodd’s original intention: capturing the flavours of tradition without getting stuck in the predictable. In their own words: “The London Distillery Company was an idea that never got fully realised. This is our chance to do it right.”
It’s hard not to appreciate that attitude. And there’s something genuinely charming about seeing a 200-year-old vision finally take shape — not as a nostalgic throwback, but as a natural part of the new wave of English whisky. At last autumn’s London Whisky Show, I had the chance to scratch a little lottery ticket at their stand, and what I won was a sample of a 12-year-old English whisky matured in a French oak cider cask. Tonight, it’s finally time to taste it!
English Apple Brandy 12 Years Old – Single Cask No. 141
Matured in a single French oak cider cask
Selected by The London Distillery Company
71.1% ABV
Nose:
A huge hit of black wine gums — seriously, a lot of them. Then marzipan, applesauce and clove. There’s also something that almost hints at arrack without tipping over into rum-like sweetness, plus a note of buttery shortbread. Such an interesting nose!
Palate:
The flavour follows the same overall profile as the nose but with a lot more punch, and far less oaky bitterness than I expected. That said, the whisky is extremely strong and really needs water before I can analyse it properly (or enjoy drinking it).
I add water and keep tasting — and now things start to happen! Half-bitter sweet liquorice (those little tubes with all the holes from the Gott & Blandat mix), butter cookies, apple pie, coconut, and now the oak bitterness I couldn’t find earlier finally appears.
Verdict:
This is a very fun whisky, one I’d happily revisit. I found the nose slightly stronger than the palate, but what a great reminder that cider casks deserve much more attention from the whisky world. And it’s refreshing to see an English distillery that doesn’t try to imitate a “traditional” or Scottish style. I really do hope The London Distillery Company survives this time — because there’s real potential here.
