I have to admit, I did have some preconceptions about this distillery on the drive up to Lancashire earlier this month. With a name pertaining to the infamous witch trials connected with the local area, plus a “patented witches hat still” and a witch silhouette on their current labels, I couldn’t help but wonder if this distillery might be a little too quirky to be taken seriously as a whisky maker. But as with many things in life, one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover… or a distillery by its name and branding.
David Moore, 53, has been making moonshine for many years, inspired by the US TV show “Moonshiners” – in fact his original moonshine still is proudly on display in the distillery for all to see (even though it’s no longer being used for production since being relocated from his garden shed). It is this experience that makes the current operation so promising and David is the lynchpin at the heart of this operation.
A thick Lancastrian accent lends David an air of friendly ‘man-down-the-pub’ vibe – and his friendly welcome and generosity with his time and attention confirm this initial expectation. The Distillery sits above the small town of Clitheroe on the edge of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape. Housed in a stone building on a small multi-purpose rural site (alongside an antique shop, woodworkers, therapists and beauticians) there is an inherent charm in the stonework and solid wooden beams, even before setting eyes on the shining Holstein still set-up inside the distillery.
David’s set-up, started in 2024, includes a 1200 Litre wash still and a 400 litre spirit still, as well as a hybrid 5 plate column manufactured in Germany. The patented “witches hat” still design is not, in fact, a gimmick linked to the area, but a feature from his original alembic still creating additional reflux by speeding the cooling of the still helmet – that just coincidentally looks (and is named after) the regions occult connotations.
With 30 casks laid down so far and production churning out a new cask every week currently, the operation is fully up and running and the first whisky is destined to be released in March 2027 or thereabouts. Using a range of locally grown barley varieties, a long fermentation and High quality casks (including some interesting second-fill Scotch Highland barrels) everything here is done properly, just as you’d expect. And whilst there may be no actual magic at play, there’s certainly a touch of something special in the liquid coming off the stills and going into casks.
David kindly allowed us to sample the new make spirit, and a few maturing samples, including:
English Oak cask, medium toast, char level 3
Ex-Bourbon cask
Ex Highland Single Malt barrel
Peated new make in an ex-peated cask
Overall the liquid we tried was extremely delicious and had a clear distillery character running through it all. The cask samples were at the higher end of cask fill ABVs, but with a small splash of water opened up some great flavours that show real promise for the whiskies to come. I didn’t take down tasting notes (I admit I was having far too much fun in the warehouse and forgot this simple act), but everyone there agreed (including another distiller and whisky aficionados) that Pendle Witch Distillery are making a very fine spirit that’s tasting amazing already even at such a young age.
We’ll all be keeping a close eye on what comes out of this distillery over the coming years and I wholeheartedly recommend a visit if you’re in the area to see a unique, but passionate and clearly very capable distillery operation witch (sic) promises great things to come.
As we departed and drove through some stunning countryside and beautiful villages (including lunch at the recently opened Wild Buck in Waddington, highly recommended), I was once again struck by the wonderfully eclectic nature of the English Whisky scene – with distilleries aiming to emulate Scotch or American liquids, others firmly rooted in place and agriculture and some, like David at Pendle Witch, making a spirit he wants to drink in a fashion he wants to make it. Not compromising on heritage, legacy or innovation – but nonetheless re-writing the long, fascinating and sometimes harrowing history of the name Pendle Witch.
Tasting David’s spirits certainly isn’t a trial, but may well give the distillery’s namesake new meaning and create a fresh narrative for this quiet unassuming part of Lancashire.
Cheers to that.
