Can a whisky made in Norfolk really prove a winning blend?

FOR five centuries, whisky has been inextricably linked with the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, but an English businessman is planning to open his own distillery - in Norfolk.

Andrew Nelstrop, 33, has pledged to invest 1 million in the Norfolk Whisky Company, which will eventually include a bottling plant, shop and visitor centre.

The distillery will produce 100,000 bottles of cask-strength single malt whisky a year, he said.

The Scotch Whisky Act of 1988 will prohibit Mr Nelstrop from marketing his product as Scotch. But the inspiration for his product is clear - and it comes from hundreds of miles north of Norfolk.

"We will be distilling along traditional Scottish lines and the building will be inspired by the old Scottish malting houses with their double pagoda roof," he said.

"We will also be looking for someone with expertise in a Scottish distillery."

Whisky connoisseurs say Mr Nelstrop should have the three key ingredients for a successful malt whisky - high quality barley, a ready water supply and Scottish expertise.

Dominic Cornish, the editor of Whisky Magazine said: "Norfolk is already the champion beer region for the UK. The region has excellent barley. It also has a good water supply from the Brecklands aquifer. And I understand [Mr Nelstrop] plans to bring in a Scottish expert.

"On paper, there is absolutely no reason he can't produce a fine whisky."

The launch of the Norfolk Whisky Company follows the opening last year of the Welsh Whisky Company, the first distillery in the principality. Its Penderyn single malt has sold steadily as a novelty drink.

The new distillery will not be the first in England - a whisky guide published in 1887 records four distilleries south of the Border. More recently, the St Austell brewery in Cornwall laid down casks for maturation 18 months ago.

However, as Cornwall is a Celtic area, the Norfolk venture will be the only distillery in the British Isles from outside of Celtic territory.

"What he is doing is very brave," Mr Cornish said.

Campbell Evans, of the Scotch Whisky Association, said: "We welcome the Norfolk Whisky Company. Anything that gets people talking about whisky is a good thing. Scotland's reputation for whisky has been built up over 500 years. We'll compete happily on the high street with anybody."

Under UK regulations, whisky can be marketed as such only if has matured for at least three years, although experts said it needed at least eight years to properly mature.

But Mr Cornish said England's warmer climate would help Norfolk whisky mature faster than Scotch.

"Whisky in Arran, which is in the Gulf Stream, matures faster. That same phenomena could make this whisky unique," he said.