A North Yorkshire distillery has begun bottling its latest iteration of its popular STR-finished whisky. 

Filey Bay STR Finish Batch #4, 46% vol, builds on the success of STR Finish Batch #3 which won Platinum in the Las Vegas Global Spirit Awards, gold in the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition and gold in the UK Spirits Master Awards. 

Whisky director Joe Clark said: “The key difference between Filey Bay STR Finish Batch #4 and previous batches is the increased time in cask, both ex-bourbon and STR.”

"This release delivers much more red fruit and greater depth, showing clear development of both this style and our whisky as a whole. This is partly down to the whisky being built around older stocks but also reflects the quality of these unique and beautiful casks.

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"In terms of tasting notes, expect hints of summer berries, vanilla ice cream, orange chocolate, and toasted oak. The citrus and caramel notes from the ex-bourbon casks seamlessly intertwine with the red fruits of the STR ex-red wine casks, creating a complex yet approachable whisky. There's a sweet and oaky spiciness reminiscent of a fantastic glass of Spanish red wine that fans of our whisky batches will love."

STR stands for the Shaving, Toasting and Re-charring of red wine casks and is an advanced cask type pioneered by the late industry expert Dr. Jim Swan. The casks used for Filey Bay STR Finish held red wine from Rioja before being returned to the cooperage in Jerez to undergo the STR reconditioning process.

The result, says Filey Bay producers, the Spirit of Yorkshire distillery, is a balanced maturation that retains many of the fruit-driven flavours from the wine but also allows sweetness and spice from the oak to shine through while not overwhelming the spirit. 

Limited to just 3,000 bottles for the UK market, Filey Bay STR Finish #4 costs £65 and is available online at spiritofyorkshire.com, from the distillery shop and from specialist retailers nationwide.

 Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery is one of only a handful of distilleries worldwide that grows 100% of the barley used to produce its whisky.