What a difference a decade makes. It's a mantra that shapes the destiny of a distilled spirit, as it lives and breathes, slumbering in oak, slowly gaining personality.
The same can also be said for the main characters involved in such a journey. At Rosemaund Farm, located in the verdant fields of Preston Wynne, Herefordshire, and home to the Chase family since 2007, the sense of history repeating itself must feel particularly profound as they embark on their latest chapter into distillation.
In 2008, brothers James and Harry Chase, along with their father, William, launched the Chase distillery, a decision that revived British craft vodka and gin. Their success was down to a steadfast belief in transparency when it came to the raw ingredients involved: in this case, potatoes grown on the farm.
The Chase family story resonated well among the spirits community, especially bartenders, who were treated to their very own summer music festival, ‘Rock the Farm’, on the family estate. By 2016, Chase was selling 10,000 bottles of its gin and vodka every week. A corporate takeover became inevitable, and in 2020, Diageo came calling.
Fast forward to 2025, and with the spirits industry facing multiple economic challenges, Diageo moved production of Chase spirits up to its Cameronbridge facility in Scotland, closing the farm distillery in the process. That set the stage for a triumphant return of the Chase family, this time with single malt whisky as their focus.
Not only did the family reacquire the distillery – neatly packed into a hop-drying barn from the 1950s – but alongside it, nearly 500 casks of English single malt distilled at the site between 2012 and 2021.
All the spirit came through Fat Betty, a 2,500L-capacity hybrid copper pot and column still, using the much-fabled Maris Otter strain of barley, highly prized for its exceptional flavor, at the expense of its alcohol yield.
The casks have been maturing in an old potato storage warehouse and are predominantly made up of ex-American bourbon barrels, alongside five sherry butts (a mixture of Oloroso and PX-seasoned sherry), an apple brandy cask, and several ex-cognac casks.
Eleven casks from this treasure trove – aged for 10 years – have been selected for the inaugural release of the new Rosemaund brand, limited to 2,700 bottles.
“We have so much great spirit to play with. The key for us now is to hone in on our house style.”
Tristan Stephenson
“We have a history of building spirits brands from the soil up,” says James, at the official launch of the whisky, “and our ambition is to create a whisky that is unmistakably English, capturing the flavor and spirit of the land where it is grown. Not only are we reviving the family farm, but we’re also making a bloody good dram in the process.”
The Maris Otter ‘wash’ (a 6-8% beer, twice-distilled into spirit), was originally supplied by Hobsons, an award-winning Shropshire-based brewery. Alongside creating a release plan for the existing casks of aged whisky, the Rosemaund team are in the process of recommissioning the distillery to begin whisky production once more from early 2026, continuing their relationship with Hobsons, but also using Maris Otter barley grown on the family fields adjacent to the distillery.
“Our dream is to become a completely single estate distillery,” explains Lorna Chase, co-founder of Rosemaund. “Quality has always been at the heart of everything we do, and it’s something we’ll never compromise on. This is not about mass production – it’s about creating something honest, rooted in our land and our values.”
The goal is for Rosemaund to operate as a craft operation, with a maximum of 220 casks filled each year. To aid the selection process and future distillation plans, the family has turned to Tristan Stephenson, well known in the drinks industry for his innovative work in the world of cocktails, who will act as Rosemaund’s official master blender.
“We have so much great spirit to play with,” says Stephenson, with some of the existing casks containing triple-distilled whisky, which gives a totally different flavor profile. “The key for us now is to hone in on our house style. We also have a bigger column still [named Maximus] which can create higher strength grain whisky, allowing us to be one of the few distilleries in the UK to produce a single-site blended whisky.”
As well as Stephenson’s input, Rosemaund has also nurtured a partnership with British filmmaking legend, Guy Ritchie, who has not only become an investor in the project, but also brought along his enthusiasm for British food, through his WildKitchen concept: an al-fresco dining experience, which showcases the best in local produce. It will be open to distillery visitors in 2026.
So, what does the inaugural Rosemaund 10 Year Old taste like? Bottled at 47.2%, it’s a complex mixture of baked apple notes, toasted almonds, candied orange peel and milk chocolate on the palate, with a distinct floral-led, almost sweetly scented rose aroma emanating from the glass. In other words, a very English whisky.
The Rosemaund inaugural release is limited to 2,700 bottles, priced at £126 and available via ballot at rosemaund.com.
