The original Bankhall distillery was one of the bigger producers of English whisky. Located in Liverpool, near the docks, it closed down between the wars. Since 2018, there’s been a new Bankhall on the scene, still in the North West, but over on Burton Road in Blackpool. The idea was never to recreate what was once made on Merseyside, however. Instead, the project backed by Halewood Artisanal Spirits (the people behind Aber Falls, Whitley Neil, Vestal Vodka and many others) makes whisky that incorporates an American perspective. The first head distiller was Vince Oleson, who swapped Widow Jane and New York for the British seaside to offer something different in the English whisky scene.
Re-imagining the traditional whisky process in Britain with a star-spangled twist, initial releases included bourbon-inspired aged spirit and a rye-based expression that were too young to be bottled as whisky: Bankhall Sweet Mash and Rye Rebellion. Then in 2023 came Bankhall Single Malt Cask Strength – First Release. It includes some of the first to flow through the distillery back in March of 2020, right after it got a licence from HMRC.
The production process today entails making English whisky from English-grown malted barley from Crisp Maltings that is roller milled, mashed, and lautered on-site. Fermentation takes place with yeast strains picked according to the style of whisky being made, with the English single Anchor Yeast 502 used for Bankhall Single Malt Cask Strength – First Release. The 5,000L fermented washes are run through hand-hammered McMillan pot stills, wash still, intermediate still, finishing still, each with a 15% decline on their lyne arms to retain a heavier profile even after three distillations.
After Bankhall Single Malt Cask Strength – First Release two more expressions followed, the full-bodied Distiller's Cut, a British single malt whisky presented at 46% ABV, as well as a celebration of British-made whisky named Bankhall British Malt. It’s a blend of single malt whiskies from English, Scottish, and Welsh distilleries, all Halewood-owned brands, namely Bonnington in Edinburgh, Aber Falls in North Wales, and Bankhall.