How is the business going?
Interesting would be a good description, we released our first whisky earlier in 2025, which, along with subsequent releases, have sold well. But like all business production costs are up, along with continual increases in duty and taxes, make it a tough business to be in – can’t wait for the next budget!
What fraction of your output is single malt whisky?
Up to 95% of what we do is whisky, which can be further broken down into 30% peated (Somerset peat) single malt English whisky, 30% un-peated single malt English whisky, with the remainder being single pot still and various whisky-based projects.
What kind of wholesalers and buyers do you like to deal with?
Retribution Distiling Company is based on a farm in Somerset
Obviously, independent is always good, as are prompt payers, but to be honest, these days I will happily talk to any business that replies to emails, picks up the phone and wants to talk, even if it’s just to say no thanks.
Tell us about the community you're building up with direct-to-public sales?
This is something we are really looking to build. We set up our own direct business - Club Retribution in 2025. There is a one-off joining fee of £70, which then gets you access to a paywalled part of the website where there are club discounts, early access to upcoming releases, distillery tours (we are closed to the public), and tasting events.
The idea is to build a community around the distillery of people who get what we are doing and want access to see how we are doing it.
Are supermarkets a total waste of time for a craft whisky maker?
Yes, we don’t have the volume to make money from such small margins. I also don’t want the distillery to be over-reliant on any one customer, as it puts us in a very weak position.
How do you feel about the many so-called whisky brands ("white-label") popping up in England that aren't mashing, fermenting, distilling, ageing their spirit themselves?
It’s inevitable, where there is money to be made people and companies will look to profit from it, and at the end of the day English whisky distilleries are selling the liquid to the other companies to it’s self-inflicted.
A quick few quid now may well make quite a big problem down the line, and I would say it’s the bigger English distilleries that will be responsible for the majority of the issues as I believe they are less fussy about who they sell the liquid to.
There does not appear to be any appetite to address the issue either within the English Whisky Guild.
How does your brewery training help you as an English whisky distiller?
As craft as craft gets - at Retribution Distillery
I have a very good understanding of water chemistry, mashing, yeast and fermentation from over 15 years of homebrewing, this is why a lot of we do and talk about is flavour creation at every step:Floor malted barley (Maris Otter and Plumage Archer); ale yeast strains; making sure water chemistry is correct so we get the right mash pH; and doing our best to make sure we get the most out of the grain we use – basically it’s been crucial to get to this point.
What's the most exciting liquid that you have in stock right now?
This has to be Somerset Peated New Make. We're still 18 months away from launching our English peated whisky, but it's developing very nicely in cask. We also have some other exciting plans for the end of this year and early next, so the most exciting liquid may still be yet to come.
Where will you be in five years?
Hopefully still in business, employing a small team of people to make a truly English whisky shaped by people and place.
* You can find out more about Retribution Distilling Company here.
