AN INTRODUCTION TO WHITE PEAK DISTILLERY
Nestled in the heart of Derbyshire, White Peak Distillery is the region’s first full-scale craft distillery. Its home is the historic Johnson & Nephew’s Wire Works, a site that thrived with industry for 120 years but had fallen silent and derelict since its closure in 1996. Perched by the River Derwent and surrounded by ancient Shining Cliff woods, the picturesque distillery reflects its provenance in the naming of its spirits - Shining Cliff Gin and Wire Works Whisky. Even individual expressions pay homage to this heritage, with Wire Works Caduro named after a global cable brand once produced onsite.
After acquiring the site in 2016, it took a year to clear and prepare the space, followed by another year to install equipment. By May 2018, White Peak Distillery began producing spirit, marking a significant moment for Derbyshire and English Single Malt whisky.
White Peak Distillery is the brainchild of Max and Claire Vaughan, a husband-and-wife duo who traded corporate careers in London for a life steeped in whisky and community. Both lifelong whisky enthusiasts, Max and Claire grew up near the distillery, making the decision to return to Derbyshire as much about homecoming as about whisky. From the start, their mission has been to contribute to the growing English whisky movement while firmly placing Derbyshire on the map. We first met Max and Claire at the World Whisky Awards, where Wire Works was sweeping up gold medals. Having tried and enjoyed their whisky many times we knew we just had to collaborate with them on a Heart Cut release.
White Peak uses predominantly English barley, lightly peated with Scottish Highland peat to achieve a subtle, delicate smokiness (about 10ppm). This balance is created by combining heavily peated and unpeated barley in a 1:6 ratio. A smaller proportion of their output is entirely unpeated, with exciting future releases planned from locally grown barley, which is currently maturing beautifully.
Their fermentation process is a standout feature. The team co-pitches modern distillers' yeast with spent wet brewers' yeast sourced from Thornbridge Brewery’s iconic Jaipur IPA. This nod to whisky’s historic reliance on brewer’s yeast and Derbyshire’s brewing history enhances their spirit’s tropical, orchard fruit, and honeyed character. With a minimum fermentation time of six days and a slow distillation process, every step is designed to maximise flavour and preserve the esters that define their truly bold new-make spirit.
Maturation takes place exclusively onsite, with around 50% of the whisky aging in ex-bourbon casks, 40% in STR red wine casks, and the remaining 10% in a variety of barrels, including sherry, port, and madeira. Each cask is sourced from family-owned cooperages, reinforcing White Peak’s focus on quality and relationships.
Their flagship whiskies, Caduro and Ex-Bourbon, beautifully showcase this: Caduro is a blend of both ex-bourbon and STR cask-matured whisky, while Ex-Bourbon shows the character of their spirit when aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks. The rest go into quirky, delicious, limited edition releases that are quickly snapped up by their loyal fan base. The quality and character of these two flagship whiskies are just a few of the reasons why we’re thrilled to partner with them, share their story and - of course - enjoy their whisky!
Other Wire Works expressions we enjoy
Named after a branded cable once made at the Wire Works, Caduro is matured in a combination of re-charred red wine casks and ex-bourbon barrels. The result is a rich, balanced whisky with layers of red fruit, vanilla, and a light veil of smoke.
Their signature lightly peated single malt whisky, originally matured in ex-bourbon before being transferred into Madeira wine casks for a finishing period. These wine casks imbue a rich, sweet and spicy character, with notes of orange peel, apricot, chocolate fruit and nut bar and baking spices.
