Wire Works Coastal Smoke

Finally, we’re travelling back to the Derbyshire Dales to look at another expression from the White Peak’s Wire Works Distillery – Coastal Smoke.

I’ve covered Wire Works a few times in the past, and for good reason. Not only are they located in a gorgeous setting in the Peak District National Park, but they’re also doing wonders for English whisky, and are really helping it to stand out and find its own identity, rather than living in its northern neighbour’s shadow.

Despite being about as far from the coast as you can possibly be, Wire Works have done a great job of bringing the Islay coastline to mainland Derbyshire through a unique dual maturation process. To begin with, the whisky was matured in first-fill bourbon barrels sourced from Heaven Hill. The coastal influence, however, comes next. For its second maturation period, the whisky is finished in casks which were once home to peated whisky from Islay. The end result is a dram with fruity and tropical notes, combined with briny, salty, peaty, and smoky flavours. The sweet and fruity influences work amazingly well with the salty and smoky notes and help tie everything together fantastically well. At 50% ABV it also has plenty of burn, just like you’d expect with an Islay expression.

This is the most expensive dram on my list today, averaging around £65 – £70 but for me personally, it’s worth every penny.