The first whisky made in Bristol for 80 years is almost ready to drink

It has been more than 80 years since a whisky was last made in Bristol. But the wait is almost over, as Circumstance in Whitehall prepares to release its first single grain whisky.

Making whisky requires years of patience. At least three years of patience to be exact because that is the required amount of time that new-make spirits need to mature in casks before they are legally allowed to be called whisky.

The whisky that Circumstance will be releasing on September 5 has been aged in an ex-bourbon cask for 37 months.

Its tasting notes say that there is stewed apple, lemon zest and milk chocolate sweetness on the nose, and cream soda, soft delicate spice and a gentle sweetness on the palate.

Hear more from Steph Smith and Sara Sanna of Circumstance on the latest episode of the Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:

On a recent morning at Circumstance, the team were preparing a new whisky, pouring bags of malt into water in a process known as mashing.

In the opposite corner of the distillery on the Whitehall Trading Estate off Gerrish Avenue, dozens of barrels in which whisky are busy maturing, each colour-coded: blue for barley, red for rye and yellow for wheat.

Some are virgin barrels that have never had liquids in, made from European oak. Others have been used before to store port or Muscat.

“All of that is about laying flavouring into it,” head of operations Steph says. “Flavours from the wood but also flavours from what has been in there before.

“It’s one of the things that we really like searching for and looking for.”

Where the magic happens at Circumstance – photo: Martin Booth

“We definitely want to always respect the past and tradition,” Steph adds. “But it would seem stupid to us as a new young distillery to remake scotch in Bristol. That just seems like a pointless endeavour.

“So to try to push things forward, looking for flavour and doing it in a different way is more exciting for us and for the people drinking it as well.”

Sales and marketing manager Sara joined Circumstance and its sister distillery Psychopomp on St Michael’s Hill (where gin takes three days to make rather than three years) from Season & Taste, where she worked at Bravas and later Cargo Cantina, specialising in tequila and mezcal.

But Sara’s focus is now – here in Whitehall at least – solely on whisky.

“I think because this is something that hasn’t been done in Bristol for so long, it is very much an honour and we do feel really proud of it,” she says.

“That’s why we want to share this with as many people as possible. It’s super exciting and we want everyone to be able to try it.”

A selection of liquids that Circumstance has already produced – photo: Martin Booth

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read next:

• Bristol to get first new whisky distillery in a generation
• First spirit released from new Bristol distillery
• Bristol’s own version of Pimm’s is a taste of summer

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: