Adnams have been brewing in Southwold since 1872, but the Copper House Distillery is a more recent addition — built in 2010 inside the brewery itself, taking advantage of the wash already being made next door. That brewer's instinct runs through everything they distil, and the Triple Malt is perhaps the clearest expression of it: a single malt whisky made not just from malted barley but from malted wheat and malted oats too.
The recipe gives the whisky a softer, more cereal-led character than most English single malts, leaning into the breakfast-table side of grain rather than the orchard or sherry-cask traditions. Bottled at a healthy 47%, it has the body to carry the lighter flavour profile.
The nose is gentle and inviting — cereal sweetness up front, then vanilla custard, a lift of lemon zest and an unmistakable note of toasted oat biscuit. There's something almost flapjack-like underneath. The palate confirms the impression: soft and creamy, malted milk and honey on toast, with white pepper and a gentle lick of fresh oak adding shape.
The finish is medium in length, biscuity and warming, finishing on cream and a touch of grapefruit pith. It's not trying to be a heavyweight; it's trying to be itself, and it succeeds.
For anyone curious about what an English brewer's perspective brings to whisky-making, this is a charming and very drinkable answer. Suffolk on a plate.
