Wire Works Small Batch (03/22) English Single Malt Whisky

Picture courtesy of The Whisky Exchange

Today we are off to Derbyshire, England and specifically the White Peak Distillery for our review. Truth be told it's a distillery I know very little about. While the whiskey renaissance has been in full swing in Ireland and has taken most of my focus over the last few years, England finds itself in the in the midst was a whisky revolution of it's own.

England historically isn't asscociated with whisky production although in the late 19th century there were whisky distilleries in Bristol, Liverpool and London. The modern start of English whisky production began when the English Whisky Company established St. George's Distillery in 2006 in Norfolk. Strikingly in 2006 Northern Ireland also only had one distillery, Bushmills. How times have changed back home.

Although throughout the island of Ireland whiskey distilleries seemed to be planned or opened on a nearly monthly basis over the last few years England's whisky growth has outstripped Ireland over the last 19 years. As of 19th April 2025 there are now 61 whisky distilleries registered in England! Even with all that growth it's been done very quietly and without much fanfare. Certainly most of the people I follow or interact with are still very Irish and Scotch whisk(e)y centric. For anyone who follows this page you'll know I also fall into this category pretty strongly.

I get it. Ireland and Scotland especially have historically strong brands and a heritage in whisk(e)y production and both nations provide so much choice that it's very easy to stay within their confines and overlook new and emerging whisky nations and regions. 

Thanks to Rob Halford who gave me this sample I can start to expand my own horizons into English whisky which can only be a good thing!

The whisky in question then is a single malt that is lightly peated, matured in a combination of STR and bourbon casks and is bottled at a healthy 46.2% abv. The outturn of this 'small batch' was 4323 bottles. It is still available at The Whisky Exchange for £60.75

Let's taste!

Nose: This has a slightly metallic and cereal driven note to start that leads to tart green apple, unripe banana and some pear. Vanilla fudge, gingerbread and nutmeg with a faint hint of smoke.

Palate: A very soft and approachable intro to the palate. Oatcakes and malt. Floral honey and vanilla. Stewed apple and lime marmalade. Mild ginger and sweet cinnamon. Bergamot and pink grapefruit.

Finish: Short with a mix of honey, malt, tart citrus and a wisp of smoke.

Score: 5 out of 10

Overall: A decent enough dram, perfectly drinkable but also pretty forgettable in the grand scheme of things. It smells and tastes youthful but shows promise that with a bit more aging Wire Works will be onto something more worthy of your attention. 

At £60 it's a fair enough price for a roughly 4 year old spirit especially considering that their output isn't super high. But it is in a price point that is competitive and their will be plenty of other viable options from both official bottlings of bigger brands and independents that may offer a better experience overall. I guess that is the problem facing newer and less well established distilleries and brands.

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