The Cooper King distillery have collaborated with the neighbouring Spirit of Yorkshire to create a blended malt. The Many Hands conception began when Cooper King were forced to stop production in 2021 due to a fault with their still. This saw Spirit of Yorkshire step in to help and provide some spirit for future projects to Cooper King. This was filled to a selection of cask types and left to mature.
Now five years later, eight casks of that Spirit of Yorkshire whisky has been married with eight casks of Cooper King single malt to create Many Hands. The exact same cask types have been used from both distilleries. The packaging is marked with the dual provenance of the liquid. It is the first ever Yorkshire blended malt.
Copper King was founded in 2018 by husband and wife team Dr. Abbie Jaume and Chris Jaume. It was designed as a sustainable and independent distillery that was self-built – Chris is an architect and Abbie is a scientist. It is located in Sutton-on-the Forest, which is roughly halfway between York and Thirsk. whisky production began in 2019 with their first bottling released in 2023. The micro-distillery is equipped copper pot still from Tasmania and practises a combination of traditional and vacumm distillation. They also produce gin. Whisky production accounts for 1,250 litres per year.
The Spirit of Yorkshire distillery is the brainchild of Tom Mellor and David Thompson. It is in the village of Hunmanby, between the towns of Bridlington and Filey in Yorkshire. It was the first single malt distillery to ever be registered in the county and gives a true ‘field to bottle’ offering. They grow all barley needed for whisky production on Mellor’s nearby farm, before producing, maturing and bottling all spirit on site. The milling, mashing and fermentation parts of the process take place at the Top Wold brewery. This is also owned by Mellor, which is a couple of miles from the distillery. Distillation began in Spring 2016 and current production sits at 100,000 litres per year.
Many Hands is released at 48% ABV and is limited to 1,922 bottles. It is on sale at the Cooper King distillery and selected UK specialist retailers. Each bottle will cost £95. £1 from each sale will be donated to the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust’s Rural Apprenticeships programme.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is bright gold and the nose is immediately packed with vibrant earthy and malty aromas. This is reminiscent of an old floor malting or grain store with suggestions of freshly baked bread and yeast. Further aromas of crisp red apple, toffee, fresh honeycomb and milk chocolate sit underneath. Hints of candied orange peel, desiccated coconut and vanilla sugar are also evident. These are accentuated by a hefty pinch of cinnamon and oak spice.
On the palate this whisky is bold and sweet with a lovely creamy texture. It is immediately honeyed – think of fresh honeycomb straight from the hive and a hint of manuka – with a great cereal structure underpinning everything. This is a continuation of the distinct maltiness from the nose and gives a biscuit-like feel. Further sweetness is supplied with notes of milk chocolate, sugared almond and toffee.
The crisp red apple characteristic is present throughout and when combined with the sweeter elements is reminiscent of fairground toffee apple. Vanilla sponge cake, freshly grated coconut and cinnamon bark are also evident, as is a note of orange fondant icing. This becomes more candied and marmalade-like with time. A peppery and warming spice takes hold towards the end with a pinch of cocoa powder and oaky sawdust coming through too.
The finish is long and increasingly warm and woody. The delightful, bright sweet and fruity notes fade to let the malty grip take firm control. This is exaggerated with some peppery heat and baking spice-like warmth. Increasing oak tannin adds further grip and a lovely dryness.
What’s The Verdict?
We love this. Not just the expressive and vibrant flavour profile of the whisky, but the collaborative nature of the bottling. We know it was born out of a negative situation, but the result is fabulous. This will surely not be the last Yorkshire blended malt (- we hope not anyway), and should lead the way for other English distilleries to join forces in a similar way. Emphasis is put on flavour rather than age in English whisky, and a collaborative blended malt is a great way to express that. Many Hands is delightful and packed full of flavour. We are have got our bottle and cannot wait to share it with others.
