New ‘Alter Ego’ release brings a flavour twist to White Peak’s Wire Works English whisky.

Limited Edition Alter Ego

This month will see an exciting, limited edition release from Derbyshire’s White Peak Distillery, revealing an alternative flavour expression of the Wire Works Whisky house style – ‘Alter Ego’.

Wire Works ‘Alter Ego’ has rich fruit flavours and a different take to its background light peat, extending the personality of Wire Works Whisky.

This limited edition single malt has been distilled with alternate cut points to previous Wire Works whiskies, bringing forward more fruit and allowing different elements of peat notes to shine through in the final spirit. In addition to the change in the distillers’ cut points, the casks used for the selected vatting lean more on first fill ex-bourbon than in previous releases, bringing emphasis to the fruit notes, along with a bolder range of vanilla.

‘Alter Ego’ bottled at 51.5% ABV, maintains the balance of higher strength and approachability which has characterised previous releases of Wire Works Whisky.

Max Vaughan, founder of White Peak Distillery said: “We’re always keen to showcase the innovation and creativity we ourselves enjoy. ‘Alter Ego’ is an example of how we are exploring and developing different approaches during our whisky-making to reveal new personality in our spirit.”

“We’re still on a learning curve and it’s exciting to share this with customers and for the longer term we’re interested to get feedback on this release and hope that both our loyal Wire Works supporters and new whisky drinkers will enjoy the whisky for what it is – an approachable, fruit forward yet complex spirit with a wee bit more peat present in the glass.”

Earlier this year, White Peak released Caduro – its first ever permanent expression to the distillery’s stable of whiskies.

White Peak Distillery was founded seven years ago by husband-and-wife team Max & Claire Vaughan - both originally from Derbyshire – and continues to go from strength to strength. Last year saw the Distillery winning multiple awards not only for its whisky, but also for its Distillery visitor experiences and the much-celebrated Wire Works Whisky packaging.

‘Alter Ego’ will be available from 10th June - via the Distillery shop and online, as well as from trade partners including Berry Bros. & Rudd, Master of Malt and select independents nationwide, RRP: £65 per 70cl.

(www.whitepeakdistillery.co.uk/where-to-buy-wire-works-whisky/)

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

About Wire Works Whisky Alter Ego:

• 51.5% ABV

• 100% natural colour and non-chill filtered.

Tasting Notes:

Lemon meringue and fruit sweets on the nose, with tropical fruit and biscuits on the palate, with a buttery biscuit finish and light peat.

Nose: Lemon meringue, sherbet, fresh ginger, vanilla pastry, fruit salad sweets and caramel cream.

Palate: Cream soda, honey, light caramel, gingerbread, mango and malted milk biscuits. Finish: Caramac, gooseberries, short bread and light peat.

About Wire Works Whisky:

Wire Works Whisky from White Peak Distillery is Derbyshire’s very first single malt.  

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 to six day fermentation (varies across seasons) 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, virgin and STR (re-conditioned casks that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred), adding the final rich flavours to the whisky.  

White Peak Distillery Awards:

2022 and 2023 has seen White Peak also win numerous awards for their whiskies and packaging, as below:

UK Packaging Awards 2022:

• Corrugated Pack of the Year

• Best Packaging of a New Product

• Glass Pack of the Year, Spirits, Perfumes and Cosmetics

The Global World Whisky Masters 2022:

• Necessary Evil: Gold

• Small Batch: Gold

International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2022:

• Best Contemporary Design: Wire Works Whisky

International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2023:

• Caduro: Gold

People’s Choice Awards 2023:

• Best Whisky: Wire Works Whisky Small Batch – World Whisky Category

English Whisky Guild:

White Peak Distillery is one of the 15 members of the English Whisky Guild, that was founded in 2022 by the English whisky industry to represent the interests of the increasing number of English whisky distilleries (currently there are 40) on the world stage of whisky.

For further information visit: English Whisky Guild

Provided by White Peak Distillery