To date there are few signs of a consumer animosity toward Scottish products in England, and the Scotch whisky industry is so well-established globally that it is unlikely to lose significant share over a political issue. But the success of the English Whisky Company suggests that if Scots vote for independence, there may be commercial potential here in promoting the Englishness of a range of culinary products that compete with those coming from Scotland.

While England never had the same tradition of whisky making as Scotland, there were four grain distilleries here in the late 19th century. In a book published in 1887, “The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom,” Alfred Barnard noted that the Bristol Distillery, with its annual output of 637,068 gallons, even sent spirit to Scotland and Ireland for whisky making.

Image David Fitt, chief distiller for the English Whisky Company, at the distillery in Roudham, England. Credit... Tom Jamieson for The New York Times

But by the late 1880s, Scotland had pioneered blended whisky — a mix of light grain whiskies and flavorful malt whiskies that was meant to have broad appeal, according to Charles MacLean, a whisky expert and historian. This became hugely popular in England during the following decade, helping to drive the few English whisky distillers into decline, he said. The Lea Valley Distillery in London, generally thought to have been the last in England, went out of business around 1903.

More than a century later, the distillery in Norfolk stresses the Englishness of its product, even though “Scotch” remains a popular shorthand term for whisky here (and the spelling is most commonly “whisky,” though “whiskey” is most often used for American and Irish versions). Emblazoned on the label of each bottle is a picture of England’s patron saint, St. George, slaying a dragon.

The distillery produces two main types of single-malt whisky, one peated and the other unpeated. It also produces a single malt specifically for the British retailer Marks & Spencer, described in tasting notes as “fresh and fragrant, sweet, soft and slightly spicy.” Building on its English branding, it has released special products like a limited edition of 1,850 bottles in observance of the 60th anniversary in 2013 of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.

For years, the idea of producing whisky had been a dream of Mr. Nelstrop’s father, James, a farmer. “He used to say, ‘It’s nuts this barley has to go to Scotland to come back as something useful,’ ” Mr. Nelstrop said.