The English Whisky Company - distillery visit

I spent a really enjoyable and interesting day photographing at the English Whisky Distillery at Roudham, Norfolk last week.  I hadn't appreciated before how much of a hand crafted product it is that they produce, I guess that's why a skilled head distiller is so important.Below, this is where it all happens,  in the foreground is the Mashtun where the ground malted barley is soaked and the resulting water and sugars (known as the wort) taken off into the brewing tanks (wash-backs), yeast added and allowed to brew for four days.  The resulting beery type liquid (the 'wash') is then put into the first still (copper thing on the left at the back), and the resulting liquid (known as 'low wines') is then put into the second still (on the right).  The resultant liquid (raw spirit) is then poured into casks for maturation over a number of years before it can be called whisky.Below, distillery manager David Fitt, checks the wort, due to the sugars that come from the barley mash it is incredibly sweet liquid (it's these sugars that the yeast turns to alcohol).Below, the cask shed smells absolutely incredible - most of the casks in use here are ex-Jim Beam bourbon casks and being a big fan of Jim Beam I was inhaling deeply!Below, at the rear of the distillery the River Thet flows past.Below, David checks the sepcific gravity of the spirit coming out of the still.  The liquid running out of the pipe on the left of the shot is the raw spirit from the second still.Below, the results of many years work - a superb single malt from England's only whisky distillery.For the full gallery of shots click here.  I highly recommend a trip to the distillery, they do weekday tours hourly and they've got an amazing selection of whiskys for sale in the shop.