White Peak launches Derbyshire’s first ever single malt:

-WIRE WORKS WHISKY-

named after the Distillery’s home

Derbyshire’s first full-scale craft Distillery – White Peak – is finally releasing its long-awaited single malt: Wire Works Whisky.

Provenance, heritage and flavour are at the heart of the Distillery ethos and whisky-making process, and its home at the dramatic, former *Johnson & Nephew Wire Works is celebrated within the whisky brand. The Distillery’s woodland home on the banks of the River Derwent has a long history of innovation and forms part of a *UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Wire Works Whisky celebrates its rich homeland and the brewing heritage for which the region is so renowned. Every aspect of production and maturation is done onsite at the Distillery to ensure that the unique location and environment can play their part in the provenance of the final spirit.

The lightly-peated single malt whisky has been created using a combination of English un-peated and peated malted barley. A flavour-focused four day fermentation uses a unique yeast blend incorporating live yeast sourced from a local Peak District brewery.

The Distillery’s traditional, bespoke copper pot stills have been hand-built by McMillan and are run slowly to help produce the desired flavour profile. The final spirit is matured in a variety of carefully selected first fill oak casks, including ex-bourbon and STR casks (re-conditioned casks that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred), adding the final rich flavours to the spirit that will become Wire Works Whisky.

A complex, fruit-forward, lightly peated spirit – Wire Works Whisky has a delicious aroma of vanilla, chocolate, orchard fruit and orange peel, with roasted malt and toffee on the palate and a strong finish, with moments of café mocha, a hint of peat and liquorice allsorts.

Max & Claire Vaughan

Founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife team Max & Claire Vaughan – both originally from Derbyshire – White Peak Distillery has gone from strength to strength in its first few years, winning awards for its Distillery visitor experiences, as well as its new make and maturing single malt spirit: the journey to now and the reveal of the Distillery’s new whisky.

Max Vaughan, Co-founder of White Peak Distillery said: “The journey we’ve been on since we started the Distillery has been amazing and full of challenges but we’ve never lost sight of making the best spirit we can and this moment of releasing our own single malt whisky. We’re realising a dream that our small and passionate team has been focused on since day one.”

“We are exceptionally proud of our heritage and local provenance within the Peak District and believe that our Wire Works Whisky brings all of the best elements of our homeland together in one special spirit. In many ways we are only just at the start and we hope that our supporters and Distillery friends will enjoy celebrating this very special moment with us.”

Just 5,016 numbered bottles of Wire Works Whisky will be available from 3^rd February, with more releases planned for 2022. White Peak’s loyal followers and supporters – including their Temperance Club members, cask owners and crowdfunding investors – have had the opportunity to reserve their own bottle ahead of the launch date.  

Wire Works Whisky is available from Thursday 3^rd February directly from the Distillery and selected trade retail partners, including various nationwide independents: Booths (leading food and drink retailer in the northern counties), Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop, Selfridges, House of Malt and Hard to Find Whisky, RRP: £65 (70cl).

The Distillery is open Monday – Saturday for shop visitors, with tours available every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For availability, timings and to book, please visit www.whitepeakdistillery.co.uk

Notes

*Johnson & Nephew Wire Works: The Distillery site was originally used as an iron forge owned by the Hurt family in the early 1800s. The derelict forge was then transformed by the Johnson Family into a wire works in 1876. Johnson & Nephew was a pioneer and innovator in wire and cable products, including supplying cable for the first, sub-sea cross channel telegraph service and numerous early suspension bridges in the UK and overseas. The Johnson family were part of the group of entrepreneurs that established the industrial heritage of the Peak District region.

The Wire Works thrived for most of its 120 years until its closure in the mid-1990s and was a major local employer, known to be fair and generous in supporting local community events. The buildings stand proud alongside the River Derwent and back into the Shining Cliff Woods, an ancient woodland and site of specific scientific interest.

Wire Works Whisky tasting notes:

A complex, fruit-forward, lightly peated spirit.  Vanilla, chocolate and orchard fruit on the nose, with roasted malt and caramel on the palate and a strong finish with moments of café mocha, a hint of peat and liquorice all sorts.

On the nose…

Chocolate-covered cinder toffee, vanilla, caramel, Caramac bars, candied ginger, orange peel, macadamia nuts, baked fruits, pear drops, icing sugar, glacé cherries and lightly roasted coffee beans.

On the palate…

Dark chocolate, a flash of pepper, chilli across the tongue, roasted malt, orchard fruits, raisins, toffee apple, black forest gateaux, butterscotch, cigar box, sandalwood and a wisp of smoke.

The finish…

A long finish, with café mocha, chilli chocolate, liquorice all sorts and a final hint of peat.

The 128th auction, going live on February 4th, is already shaping up to be a memorable one.  Here’s a sneak peak at a few interesting bottles that’ll soon be going under the hammer.

Harry E. Wilken 1917 Amercian Medicinal Spirits Company Prohibition Era Bourbon One Pint

History and whisky are inextricably linked, and nothing evokes the past more than a Prohibition era bourbon.  This Harry E. Wilken was distilled way back in 1917, aged for 15 years (unusually long for this time period) and bottled under the guise of its medicinal qualities.  A great bottle, and a relic from an important era in American history.

Shizuoka Contact S

From something old to something new, this is the Shizuoka Contact S.  Built in 2016 Shizuoka Distillery has 2 stills, ‘K’, refurbished from the legendary but now silent Karuizawa, and ‘W’ a wood-fired still built by renowned Scottish craftsmen Forsyth’s of Rothes.  Contact S is the first release to blend the output of both stills, with pedigree like this expect big things from them in years to come.

Springbank 1965 35 Year Old McCoy’s Millennium Malt 75cl

Finally we love an unusual bottle at SWA and this Springbank 1965 35 Year Old McCoy’s Millennium Malt is certainly that.  There aren’t many Springbanks this old and certainly no others bottled for Dr David ‘The Scotch Doc’ McCoy, a man once described by Playboy magazine as a “world authority” on Scotch malt whisky.  That’s some endorsement and given the quality of the cask he chose to bring in the millennium; we tend to agree.

We’ll have thousands more bottles to whet your appetite once the auction starts so stay tuned for more updates, and remember we’ve recently revised our schedule and fee structure to ensure our auction is always the best it can be, check out our new timetable here and fee structure here.

Glenfarclas 30 Years

1990 vintage S21 cask #9256. Single sherry butt bottled June 2021 yielding 558 bottles. Glenfarclas 30 Year Old 1990 vintage Family Casks Release Summer 2021 Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single sherry butt #9256 bottled June 2021. 615 bottles.

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Glenfarclas 29 Years

1991 vintage S21 cask #5676. Single sherry butt bottled June 2021 yielding 615 bottles. Glenfarclas 29 Year Old 1991 vintage Family Casks Release Summer 2021 Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Single sherry butt #5676 bottled June 2021. 558 bottles.

Shop Glenfarclas 29yo »

Glenfarclas Distillery was established in Speyside in 1836 by Robert Hay and following his death it was bought by John Grant in 1865 and has remained in the ownership of the Grant family ever since. The interior of the visitor centre is stunning, the walls are lined with the original oak panels salvaged from a lounge on the liner SS Empress of Australia when she was scrapped 1952. Ace sherry casks underpin the ethos of Glenfarclas single malt whisky, exemplified in the Family Cask range, and way back in 1968 released its first cask strength single malt. The range includes Glenfarclas 15 Year Old, Glenfarclas 105 and Glenfarclas 21 Year Old alongside the Family Casks series.

February Malts of the Month

“Utterly Dependable”

The perfect introduction to their portfolio, the Discovery range provides single malt whiskies from some of Scotland’s most admired distilleries.  Each expression sits within the bold flavour profiles of either ‘Sherry’, ‘Smoky’, or ‘Bourbon’.

Ideal choice for the whisky-lover who enjoys exploration through flavour and character.

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Glenfiddich

Gran Reserva – 2022 Chinese New Year Edition

21 Year Old | 70cl | 40% ABV

Presented in a stunning box designed for Chinese New Year 2022, this Glenfiddich has been created using casks that once contained premium Caribbean rum. It then spends a further four months finishing in Gran Reserva barrels which are hand selected by Malt Master Brian Kinsman, adding to its distinctive and complex flavour and thus giving this expression its name.

£164.95

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Johnnie Walker

Blue Label – Year Of The Tiger Edition

70cl | 40% ABV

To the one who never walks alone, to the one whose steps inspire yours – celebrate prosperity and good fortune this Lunar New Year with the new limited edition 2022 design for Johnnie Walker Blue Label. The intricate design marks the Year of the Tiger and is illustrated by Chinese artist Shan Jiang.

£189.95

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John Walker & Sons

King George V – 2022 Lunar New Year Edition

70cl | 43% ABV

The stunning design marks the beginning of a new year and is inspired by the Oriental myth of the Bai Ze, a mythical creature that symbolises virtuousness, nobility and protection from evil. Drawn from extremely rare, precious casks, including irreplaceable whiskies from the now silent distillery of Port Ellen. This elegantly rich and creamy Whisky has rarity reflected in every drop.

£549.95

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Add a unique, one-off dram to your whisky collection…

Our exclusives range contains some very special whiskies, selected by us and bottled by the distillery exclusively for our customers. They are usually single casks, but are always limited. Spot a distillery or region you enjoy below, and experience the uniqueness of that one-off dram you won’t find anywhere else!

View all exclusives →

https://youtu.be/ahpzkoPPa4o

I never thought I would be this flabbergasted by any whisky. When you’ve been tasting spirits for this long you don’t really think that anything can shock you in a new way anymore. How wrong I was, and it took this exquisite bottle of Bushmills to prove me wrong.

Spending the first thirteen years of it’s life in ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso casks, it was then transferred to maderia casks for sixteen years! Bit of a stretch of the word ‘finish’, but it works, nonetheless.

A huge amount of this whisky, for me, is the nose. The melding of toffee, coffee, tobacco and this wonderfully sweet and mouth watering minty aroma is jaw dropping. Other whiskies have had this this? Yes, they have. But none have delivered it quite the way this one has.

Nostlagia in the tobacco note is a key thing for me, so many smells of childhood captured in a liquid.

This is the best Irish whisky I’ve ever tried, it even surpasses the greats of Redbreast 15 and 21YO, but it is a single cask. As a result, numbers are low and it has to be treated as the exception that it is. With that said it is still on a different level of extraordinary.

BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY LAUNCH ONLINE EXCLUSVE – OCTOMORE TEN AGED YEARS

“At that age, with the quality of those casks, this Octomore is absolutely singing.”

Adam Hannett, Head Distiller at Bruichladdich Distillery

ISLAY, SCOTLAND – Bruichladdich Distillery have today announced the concluding chapter in their Octomore 12s series – a 10 year old, sold exclusively on the distillery website and in the Laddie Shop on the island of Islay.

The 12^th series of the world’s most heavily peated single malt was launched in October 2021, and introduced all three .1, .2, and .3 globally to domestic markets for the first time ever. Challenging conventional whisky wisdom, this Octomore trio was malted to 80+ PPM, matured to five aged years, and were bottled above 55% ABV. The series explores the influence of barley provenance and cask exploration combined with super heavily peated malt – including a stripped back ex-American oak maturation in the 12.1, Sauternes cask maturation in the 12.2 and Pedro Ximenez sherry cask matured Islay barley spirit in the 12.3. In a closing statement to the series, this new Octomore Ten Aged Years brings a heightened texture and depth to its youthful counterparts.

Distilled from the 2009 harvest of Scottish grown Optic barley, this 2010 vintage was then malted to 90.3PPM. It would spend its first five years maturing in first fill ex-American oak casks, before being recasked into wine barriques for its final five years. Hailing from a bodega in northern Spain, this Ribera del Duero wine is known for its intense flavour and complexity, owing to its altitude (~900m), exposure to wind and organic production methods. The resulting Octomore single malt is viscous, sweet and structured, with a touch of dryness from the tannic European oak.

Bottled at 56.3% ABV and limited to 3,500 bottles, the Octomore Ten Aged Years is available online at www.octomore.com from the 1^st of February 2022. As with all Bruichladdich Distillery malts, it is conceived, distilled, matured and bottled on Islay.

The International Wine & Food Society

Yes, now ‘s the time for blended Scotch to shine. A brand new publication, singing the praises of #blendedScotch, has been released by The International Wine & Food Society (IWFS) – ‘Exploring Blended Scotch’.

This new title investigates a topic which the authors believe has not been given the coverage it deserves – the sheer delights of blended Scotch whisky – uncovering many of the hidden treasures of what is the ‘foundation of the Scotch whisky industry’. The IWFS agreed that blended Scotch is a style of whisky that is worthy of further investigation and have published this almost pocket-sized booklet for its members and beyond. Chapters covered include its fascinating history, blending, appreciation, leading blends, old blends, cocktails, pairing whisky with food and finishing with some delicious recipes.

“Exploring Blended Scotch” is the product of a collaboration between two writers from both sides of the Atlantic. It has been co-authored by Charles MacLean MBE (Scotland), one of Scotland’s leading experts in writing, tasting and lecturing about whisky and Stuart Leaf (USA) who is a knowledgeable, passionate collector and taster of old blends (and IWFS member). They first met, over a glass of Scotch back in Edinburgh, three years ago. Stuart says “Although conducting joint tastings was challenging across the Atlantic, writing this monograph was a truly fun and engaging distraction during the depths of Covid. Needless to say, most discussions were dutifully enhanced with an appropriate dram!”

“Exploring Blended Scotch” aims to be an insight into an exciting array of different blends, both old and new, which Scotch lovers are encouraged to try. It may also be just the introduction that newcomers, to the delights of whisky, are looking for.

For now, please put your feet up with a glass of #blendedScotch, with or without water (bottled soft water is best!), and get ready to explore the many interesting and tasty elements of blended Scotch whisky.

As well as being distributed to the 6,000-strong international membership of the IWFS, which has branches from Toronto to Tokyo and Honolulu to Helsinki, this title is also available to both public and trade.

This title can be purchased from the IWFS website via the following link: https://www.iwfs.org/secretariat/purchase. The cover price is £9.99 (US$13.99 approx). A Japanese translation will be published in February. An e-book will also be available via various platforms in due course.

The IWFS is an independent non-profit making organisation, run by volunteers, it is also one of the largest wine and food societies in the world. When members enroll they receive a quarterly food and wine magazine and wherever they travel are welcomed by branches worldwide. Branch events encompass all aspects of food and wine appreciation and learning, visits to food and wine producers plus international and regional festivals.

We are proud to offer a whole host of drams from the lost distilleries of Scotland. These are whiskies from distilleries that have reached near-legendary status, such as Brora, Rosebank and Lochside. More and more of these hard-to-find gems are added to our old & rare range every week.

If you’re after something special, take a look at our recommendations below, including a 1970-vintage Brora bottled by Douglas Laing as part of their Platinum Selection series, a special bottling from Dallas Dhu, a 1975 vintage from Linlithgow and much more.

EXPLORE LOST DISTILLERIES