Filey Bay is the first single malt whisky made in, and of, Yorkshire. Why 'of Yorkshire?' Because it's created by us from field to bottle, here on the coast (visit 'The Distillery' section to find out more about how we respect tradition but do things our own way). All single malt whisky made by the Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery will be called Filey Bay so scroll down to find out more about our bottlings and ranges, our name and our bespoke bottle, designed uniquely for us.
“Filey Bay STR Finish is totally different from anything we’ve released so far. It takes the citrus and caramel flavours from the bourbon casks and weaves them with the red fruits of the Rioja barriques, creating a complex whisky with spice and depth that’s also light and floral.”
Joe Clark, Whisky Director, Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery
Totally different to anything we’re released before, this ‘field to bottle’ single malt is light and floral, with layers of summer berries and vanilla ice cream. There’s a sweet and oaky spiciness that hints at a fantastic glass of Spanish red wine. Distilled in 2016, Filey Bay STR Finish first spent years maturing in bourbon casks before transferring to be ‘finished’ in STR red wine barriques from sunny Rioja in Spain. STR refers to Shaving, Toasting and Re-charring the casks, resulting in a cask that delivers a really beautiful and balanced maturation.
Filey Bay Moscatel Finish is our first ever sherry-finished release. Distilled in 2016, this Single Malt was first matured in 200L bourbon casks (for around three years) before being 'finished' in 250L Hogshead barrels that had held Moscatel for ten years. By using bourbon casks first and a distillate that combines both pot and column styles, we've created a light whisky in our house-style, which has then slightly softened and taken on more wood spice and layers of fruit from the Moscatel barrels.
Moscatel is very unusual in the world of sherry-influenced whiskies – the naturally sweet character of the grapes, along with their floral aromas of orange blossom, jasmine and honeysuckle (with citric elements too) really complement our house-style.
"When creating a ‘finished,’ whisky, we’re looking for layers of flavour and complexity. The finishing process is intensive and time-consuming. With our first sherry-finished release, Filey Bay Moscatel Finish, we added the extra step of reducing the strength of the bourbon matured whisky to 50% before transferring it into the Moscatel barrels. Why? It makes for a softer sweeter whisky and you can really taste the difference"
"Our Flagship single malt whisky brings together some of our very best and oldest whisky matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks carefully selected and gently married together to create a beautifully balanced, light and fruity whisky. As the years unfold, our Flagship whisky will continue to develop as age and time reveal more casks and flavour in our warehouse."
David Thompson, Co-Founder and Director, Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery
Filey Bay Flagship is the true taste of our distillery character. Light, fruity and creamy, it is made with 100% homegrown barley and is the culmination of our bourbon matured style following on form our First and Second release launched in 2019. Whether you have an experienced palate that will notice the complex and nuanced flavours, or you're just discovering single malt, our Flagship whisky, we believe, really is a whisky for everyone.
Filey Bay Second Release is the next step on our path to our Flagship single malt bottling. A true evolution of our First Release, the 'inputs' are very similar: a selection of bourbon casks married together with one sherry cask, and a combination of pot and column distillates, leading to just 6000 bottles. Whilst the overall style remains light and fruity, with familiar notes of vanilla and citrus, the extra maturation time gives Filey Bay Second Release a more rounded flavour with added depth.
Please note: Filey Bay Second Release is now sold out.
Filey Bay First Release comes from a selection of only 16 casks laid down in the spring and summer of 2016 carefully chosen from our warehouse and gently married together here at the distillery, yielding just 6000 bottles. For the future, we'll be building up to our Flagship whisky with a series of releases. Each release will be an evolution of the one that's gone before it, building towards our flagship style.
Please note: Filey Bay First Release is now sold out.
"From our very first distillations, we have always set out to create a defined house style and a light, fruity whisky. We have very firm production principles and a 100% field to bottle process. Quality underpins absolutely every aspect of our production from the barley we grow to the casks we source for maturation.
You can't rush whisky. That is the nature of the spirit and it is massively exciting to see our 2016 casks yielding a whisky full of character. Our First Release is a combination of our two distillate styles, matured in select oak casks to produce a whisky that is creamy, light and fruity with flavours of honey, citrus and caramel."
Joe Clark, Whisky Director, Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery
Filey Bay Yorkshire Day 2020 is our first 'Special Release,' the first of our annual Yorkshire Day releases, and our rarest whisky so far, with only 1500 bottles available. Whisky Director Joe spent months sampling casks in the warehouse to find the ideal combination for this release: chocolatey and fruity PX (Pedro Ximenez) sherry casks married together with bourbon casks full of toffee, honey and vanilla notes with the marriage taking place in STR casks, for a final 'flourish' then bottled at 55%.
Filey Bay Sherry Cask Reserve #1 is our first sherry matured whisky and our first winter 'Special Release.' The dry, elegant and full-bodied nature of Oloroso sherry, along with the nutty aromas for which Oloroso is known, give rich, dark and spicy flavours to this single malt. The casks were filled in 2017 with pot-distilled spirit, which has spent over three years extracting all those delicious aromas from these Spanish sherry casks, creating a whisky that is perfect for the festive season. There are only 2000 bottles available, presented in a new 'Special Release' tube.
Please note: Filey Bay Sherry Cask Reserve #1 is now sold out online.
Our local area is hugely important to us and so naturally it’s where we’ve found the name for our Single Malt: Filey Bay. It’s our local beach, visible from the distillery windows; a beautiful stretch of sand that goes on for miles, from the outcrop of Filey Brigg to the headland of Flamborough Head.
Our bottle brings together the textures of the farm, the soil, the beach and the sky. Pick it up, look closely and you'll see that there's so much more than initially meets the eye.
