Compass Box, the London-based Scotch whisky blender, has launched a new whisky and promotion in support of the English Whisky Guild's bid for an English whisky geographical indication (GI).

Revealed on St George's Day (23 April), Scot-Free is a vatted English malt whisky, made using sprit from six English distilleries: Copper Rivet Distillery, Cotswolds Distillery, East London Liquor Co, Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, the English Distillery, and White Peak Distillery.

Compass Box called the release a "full-throttle celebration of English whisky’s rising stars". Just 61 bottles of the whisky have been made, to reflect the 61 English distilleries currently producing English whisky — and all 61 will be given away for free via a public ballot. 

The ballot was announced through a partnership with television personality Tom Skinner, in a video that poked fun at the debate around the proposed English whisky GI. 

Although Compass Box is known for its Scotch whisky, it calls itself an "outsider" to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). It has previously "ruffled feathers" at the SWA through its Spice Tree blend, which was banned due to its use of French oak staves inserts in its casks and later returned with a new formulation, and over the sharing of its recipes for some of its blends, which lead Compass Box to launch a 'Campaign for Transparency' in 2015.

Lead whiskymaker James Saxon commented: “St George didn’t ask permission to engage the dragon — and neither do we. Scot-Free is our tribute to the bold, brilliant rise of English whisky. It’s proof that deliciousness is not dictated by geography and that we are all better off as friends!”

Scot-Free (48.7% ABV) is available via public ballot until 30 April 2025. For more information, visit www.compassboxwhisky.com.