White Peak lays bare its house style and its oldest whisky yet with Wire Works Bourbon Barrel.

Award-winning Derbyshire Distillery – White Peak – hits a landmark this summer with the Distillery’s oldest whisky yet: Wire Works Bourbon Barrel.

This milestone bottling is the Distillery’s first release to be fully matured in ex-bourbon barrels, featuring some of the oldest casks in White Peak’s warehouse since its inception in 2016.

Wire Works Bourbon Barrel is a vatting of a select parcel of American oak, first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and bottled at 53.5%. Each cask was filled with Wire Works’ signature lightly-peated single malt spirit and has developed into a beautifully balanced complex spirit, showcasing the fruit-forward character of the Distillery. 

The new release will join Wire Works Caduro as the second permanent expression in White Peak’s core range of products, a significant marker in the legacy being laid down by the Distillery. 

Max Vaughan, founder of White Peak Distillery, said:

“We’re so excited to be releasing our second permanent expression to build on our core range of whiskies following Caduro last year.  Bourbon Barrel is a signature whisky for us, elevating our house style and showcasing our unique flavour elements; our Derbyshire home, lightly-peated malt barley, fresh local Brewer’s yeast, long fermentation and slow distillation.”

“Ex-bourbon barrels are considered to be relatively inactive and so their exclusive use in maturation can really highlight a distillery’s true house character.  It’s over 6 years since we fired up the stills, and we feel the time is right in 2024 to open up our soul with this release. This is some of our oldest liquid from some of our favourite casks, and we hope White Peak whisky lovers will enjoy it as much as we’ve enjoyed our journey so far”

Since the first Wire Works release in February 2022, White Peak has released several whiskies under the house Wire Works Whisky name, including Caduro in 2023 – the first permanent edition to the White Peak range of whiskies – and a number of limited editions.

As with all Wire Works whiskies, Bourbon Barrel is natural colour and non-chill filtered. The release will be available from 5th July via the Distillery shop and online, as well as from select trade partners nationwide, RRP: £65 per 70cl.

Tasting notes:

• Overview: Fruit salad sweets and custard creams.

• Nose: Vanilla cheesecake, white chocolate, fruit salad sweets, lemon curd, candied ginger, peaches and cream.

• Palate: Custard creams, lemon zest, icing sugar, chocolate covered peanuts, honey, ginger bread.

• Finish: Apple crumble, murray mints, lime pickle, white pepper.

About White Peak Distillery:

Nestled in the heart of Derbyshire, White Peak Distillery stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of innovation and craftsmanship for which this region is renowned. The White Peak journey started with a vision and purpose, rather than any grand marketing plan. To create an authentic English single malt whisky that honours the maker traditions that put Derbyshire on the global map.  This legacy informs the Distillery’s decisions around whisky-making, its place in the community and establishing a destination to celebrate the craft of distilling.