House of worship: British brandy house Burnt Faith makes smooth debut with London distillery

“We are free to unleash what we believe is the true potential of the brandy category.”

So says Simon Wright, CEO of British brandy house Burnt Faith, which has just opened the first brandy distillery in London in over 200 years.

Later this year, the public will be able to tour the facility. However, the first bottlings are available now, so we can all sample in anticipation.

The urban distillery is in Walthamstow, London, already home to several craft breweries and an urban winery along the increasingly popular Blackhorse Beer Mile.

The Luxe Review attended the grand opening of the Burnt Faith distillery, and the unveiling of its reconditioned Charentais still, imported direct from Cognac. It’s one of the few Charentais stills operational in the UK.

The brand’s road map certainly looks exciting, with limited edition runs and small batch collaborations already on the cards…

The inaugural brandy release, Burnt Faith Batch 001, uses four grape varieties: Trebbiano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Muscat Blanc.

It’s matured and finished in four different casks: ex-Ukrainian Cherry liqueur, Pineau des Charentes, Spanish brandy and bourbon.

During our tour we sampled the liquid through each of these various stages.

The Charentes cask is responsible for a lemon citrus top note to the bottled brandy, while the ex bourbon barrels, typically Jim Beam, contribute butterscotch and coconut.

Master Distiller Oliver Kitson says the ex-Spanish brandy cask acts as the glue, holding everything together – “it’s the bass player in the band” – delivering honeydew melon and custard creams on the palate. The final ex-Cherry liqueur cask brings an influence of chocolate and cherry. 

“We had an idea from the very beginning, to make a brandy that was smooth but approachable,” says Kitson. “One that was versatile enough to work in a variety of cocktails yet able to stand up to being drunk neat. Like it or not, it had to go with Coke as well!”

CEO Simon Wright says the brand is dedicated to unlocking the potential of the spirit, combining traditional values with new distilling techniques.

Founder Wright says his passion for brandy was fuelled by a trip to Cognac. “I left inspired, not by what Cognac brands are but more by what they could never be.” He says that unlike most spirit categories, there has been little innovation in the spirit, not least by the rules which govern Cognac.

The brand’s road map certainly looks exciting, with limited edition runs and small batch collaborations already on the cards. Unlike Cognac distillation, the company has the flexibility to distil all year round. We’re told the brand is in discussions with a number of British Wine producers about the 2023 harvest.

“We’re not trying to be a VSOP or XO, “ explains Kitson. “So we’re free to harness different flavour and age profiles. We can create something new, not copy something that already exists. We have one eye on what we’re doing here, and one eye on the future.”

The distillery itself is a bright and breezy space, with an expansive bar and social area. It’ll be one of the few places in the UK where enthusiasts can see brandy being made before their eyes, and then sample it at leisure.

The site itself was once a Pentecostal church – inspiration in part for the label’s name.

To showcase its Batch 001 release, the Burnt Faith team constructed an inspirational cocktail menu, all well worth trying at home.

Refreshing Faith & Fizz combined the titular brandy with Ridgeview English sparkling wine, with a sugar cube and bitters.

Fish House Punch comprised Burnt Faith with Mount Gay Rum, Lemon juice, Creme de Peche and a splash of sugar syrup.

Brandy Negroni was a classic mix of Burnt Faith, Select Aperitivo and VRSD vermouth, while the Locally Foraged Highball mixed Burnt Faith, with Pineapple , Banana and Tepache. 

Finally Sazerac combined Burnt Faith with Rittenhouse Rye and Devil’s Botany Absinthe.

Inevitably, we also couldn’t resist going off piste, with a Burnt (Old)Faith(ful).

So what cocktail does Master Distiller Oliver Kitson favour?

“When I’m drinking out stuff at home, I have a splash of brandy, add some cloudy apple juice and then top it up with ginger beer,” he tells us. “It’s a variation on a Horse’s Neck –  not too fiery, but it’s not too sweet either. It’s easy to make and really nice”

Burnt Faith Batch 001 sells for £36 and has an ABV of 40%. The Burnt Faith distillery is located at 57 Sutherland Rd, London E17 6BH. Keep an eye on the Burnt Faith website for upcoming visitor information.