Five Years in the Making: Introducing Forest Whisky 5-Year-Old Single Malt

There are moments in the life of a distillery that feel quietly monumental. The release of our first 5-year-old single malt is one of them...

This whisky represents the culmination of our earliest whisky experiments, distilled back in 2020, when we first began exploring what Forest Whisky might one day become. Five years later, after patience, care and a great deal of hands-on work, we are proud to share a tiny release of just 200 bottles.

Shaped by Place and Ingredients

Forest Whisky begins, as everything we make does, with its landscape. Our barley is sourced locally from Cheshire farmers, bought by the sack rather than by the tonne. It is fermented using wild yeast and distilled with pure Peak District spring water drawn from the surrounding hills. These are not ingredients chosen for convenience or scale, but for character and connection to place.

Distillation takes place on our 500-litre still: one of the smallest whisky stills in the country (and the highest). Its size means we produce far less whisky per run than larger distilleries, but it allows for an intimate, hands-on process where every decision is closely observed and carefully made. From fermentation to spirit cut, nothing is automated, and nothing is rushed.

English Oak, Handcrafted and Unique

After distillation in 2020, the spirit was rested in small 65-litre oak casks. A large part of the flavour and colour comes from our English Oak Casks. These casks were handmade in Yorkshire using oak sourced from Norbury Park, a carbon-negative, sustainably managed woodland in neighbouring Staffordshire. Each cask is entirely unique, shaped by the natural grain and character of the wood itself.

The small size of these casks plays a crucial role in the whisky’s development, increasing interaction between spirit and oak while retaining balance. Over the years, the whisky slowly matured, absorbing the character of the English oak and developing depth, texture and complexity.

Five Years Beneath the Cat & Fiddle

The casks were laid to rest in the cool, dark cellars beneath the Cat & Fiddle, our home and the UK’s highest-altitude distillery. Here, temperature shifts are gentle, the air is clean, and time moves at a different pace. It’s a unique maturation environment, and one that has shaped the whisky just as much as the casks themselves.

After five years of quiet ageing, the whisky emerged with a profile that reflects both its ingredients and its environment:
Colour: Earthy harvest gold
Nose: Soft cedar, petrichor and leather
Palate: Buttery biscuits, gentle clove and ginger, honeyed orange peel

Bottled at 48% ABV, the whisky is non-chill filtered, with no colourings or flavourings added.

A Whisky That Earned Its Recognition

We were honoured when Forest Whisky 5-Year-Old Single Malt was awarded a Gold Medal at the World Whisky Masters 2025. Recognition is never the goal, but it is deeply affirming when a whisky so rooted in place, patience and small-scale craft is acknowledged on the world stage.

Every Detail Considered

This release is not just about the liquid. Every element surrounding the whisky has been crafted with the same care and intention.

Each bottle is handmade porcelain, chosen for its tactility and permanence, and gilded with bespoke papercut artwork by Georgia Low. The design reflects elements of Macclesfield Forest which surrounds the distillery - rosehips, ferns, acorns and berries.

The presentation boxes are made from the very same English oak as the casks that matured the whisky, sourced from Norbury Park. Natural knots, grain lines and markings are deliberately left visible, ensuring that no two boxes are the same. Each one tells its own quiet story of the woodland it came from.

Every bottle is accompanied by a Certificate of Authentication, featuring hand-painted English oak leaves by our in-house artist, Melanie Selstrom. Each certificate is hand-signed by co-founders Karl and Lindsay Bond, marking this release as a true distillery milestone.

“Distilled in 2020 and matured in two small English oak casks beneath The Cat & Fiddle in Macclesfield Forest, it is the fruit of our first ever whisky distillation experiments, combined with years of patience.
In 2025, we hand-bottled this whisky into our porcelain bottles, and presented it in a box made from the very same English oak as the casks that nurtured it.
We are so proud to share this milestone with you, and we hope you enjoy this whisky as much as we have loved creating it.”

- LINDSAY AND KARL BOND

With just 200 bottles produced, this whisky won’t be for everyone – and that’s part of what makes it special. It is a collector’s piece, a snapshot of where Forest Distillery began its whisky journey, and a testament to what can be achieved when time, place and craft are allowed to lead.

This is Forest Whisky, five years in the making.