Retribution Distilling: Somerset Whisky, History and Visitor Guide
Retribution Distilling is a small Somerset producer built around Richard Lock's interest in brewing, fermentation and spirit-making. Its working farm distillery near Frome produces whisky in limited releases whose casks, bottle numbers and strengths deserve careful attention.
The producer's current visitor FAQ says tours are not open to the general public. This is a working production site, not a venue where readers should assume they can arrive for a walk-in whisky tasting.
Retribution Distilling Co. at a glance
Key fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Setting | A working farm near Frome, Somerset |
Founder | Richard Lock |
Established | 2019, according to the founder's published account |
First whisky release | Reported in early 2025 |
Production emphasis | Malt, brewing yeasts, extended fermentation and copper distillation |
Release style | Small, individually specified cask batches |
Public tours | No; current access is restricted to Founders and Club members |
Official website | retributiondistilling.co.uk |
Research checked 26 October 2026. Visitor access, release plans and bottle availability can change.
In this guide
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From brewing experiments to a farm distillery
Richard Lock's route into distilling began with home brewing and further study. The producer's founder account describes an initial operation in a garden outbuilding before a move to a farm, giving the project more room to develop.
In a published interview with cask platform Still In Cask, Lock dates the business's start to 2019. A separate February 2026 interview reports that the first whisky appeared in early 2025. These milestones explain why some of its early commercial bottlings are small and young rather than an established range of long-aged releases.
Richard Lock and the production approach
Retribution is closely associated with its founder's hands-on work. The project combines interest in whisky with other spirits, including rum, rather than relying on a single anonymous bought-in recipe.
The useful point for whisky readers is the emphasis on how flavour is created before maturation: barley choice, yeast and fermentation. Casks matter, but the producer does not describe them as a substitute for a distinctive starting spirit.
Yeast, direct heat and more than one route to smoke
The producer discusses barley varieties including Maris Otter, Plumage Archer and Chevallier, alongside brewing yeasts and long fermentations. Copper distillation and direct heating are part of the house approach, with small batches allowing different combinations to be compared.
Smokiness needs more precise explanation. PR007 was matured in second-fill Pedro Ximénez octaves that previously held peated Inchfad whisky from Loch Lomond. That is different from claiming its barley was dried over Somerset peat.
The producer separately advertises a Somerset-peated whisky for March 2027. As of this October 2026 check, that is a future release plan, not a bottle already on sale.
Whisky range and documented expressions
PR release codes identify distinct bottlings. Within PR005 and PR007, bottle-number ranges also separate strengths. Do not combine those strengths into one fixed specification.
Retribution PR003, Oloroso Cask
Bottle detail | Retribution PR003, Oloroso Cask |
|---|---|
Identity and strength | Three-year-old English single malt; 53% ABV; 70cl. The producer records 370 bottles. |
Maturation | Oloroso cask W006, described as a 250-litre cask. |
Tasting-note context | Producer descriptors, summarised: red fruit, nuts and a creamy sweetness. No personal Whisky Clan score is claimed. |
Retribution PR005, New American Oak
Bottle detail | Retribution PR005, New American Oak |
|---|---|
Identity and strength | Three years old; 70cl. Bottles 1–50 are 62.9% ABV; bottles 51–300 are 52%. |
Maturation | New American oak cask W014. The page records distillation in May 2023 and bottling on 2 June 2026. |
Tasting-note context | Producer notes emphasise vanilla, toffee and marzipan-like sweetness, followed by spice. The product photo must not be treated as a label for both strengths. |
Retribution PR007, second-fill PX octaves
Bottle detail | Retribution PR007, second-fill PX octaves |
|---|---|
Identity and strength | 70cl; 162 bottles. Numbers 1–50 are 58.3% ABV and 51–162 are 52%. Bottled 6 October 2026. |
Maturation | Octaves W025 and W026 previously held peated Inchfad whisky. July 2023 is the recorded distillation month, not itself an age statement. |
Tasting-note context | The producer describes dried fruit and a smoky, sherry-influenced profile. Distinguish this previous-cask influence from the future Somerset-peat project. |
Limited releases and the experimental programme
These releases illustrate a catalogue that is better understood through individual casks than through a permanent set of age statements. Exact codes and strengths matter when comparing tasting notes or recording a bottle.
The announced 2027 peated whisky is a separate future milestone. Release plans, awards and personal ratings are not interchangeable, and no award has been added here merely because a different Retribution spirit received recognition.
Can you visit Retribution Distilling?
The official FAQ explicitly limits distillery tours to Founders and Club members. It does not advertise a general public tour programme.
Use the producer's contact page to ask about eligibility, arrangements and directions. This guide deliberately does not publish an unverified public booking price or treat an imported farm address as an invitation to visit.
Compare more south-west and nearby English producers
Circumstance and the Wiltshire producers offer the nearest regional comparisons. Cotswolds and Dartmoor broaden the route; these links do not imply that each is a short drive from Frome.
Test your whisky knowledge
Open the four-question Retribution Distilling Co. quiz
Help us improve this distillery guide
Visited the producer, found a dated release announcement or spotted a correction? Share the supporting details through our contribution form. Newsletter subscription is optional; submissions are reviewed before publication.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Retribution Distilling?
The producer describes a farm distillery near Frome in Somerset. Contact it for directions and agreed access rather than assuming a public visitor centre.
Can anyone book a tour?
The current official FAQ says tours are only available to Founders and Club members, not the general public.
Why are there two strengths for PR005 and PR007?
Each product page assigns strengths to bottle-number ranges. PR005 has 62.9% and 52% bottles; PR007 has 58.3% and 52% bottles. Check the exact label.
Is PR007 the Somerset-peated whisky planned for 2027?
No. PR007 uses casks that previously held peated whisky. The producer's Somerset-peat release is a separate project advertised for March 2027.
Sources and photograph credits
The following sources support the guide. Producer tasting descriptions are identified separately from independent Whisky Clan reviews. Checked 26 October 2026.
Retribution Distilling, official photograph of its working copper stills.
Retribution Distilling, official PR005 New American Oak bottle photograph; verify the strength on the individual label.
Retribution Distilling, official PR007 product photograph; verify the individual bottle's strength.
Photographs remain the work of their respective creators and rights holders. Credits identify their source; no open reuse licence is asserted.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
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