White Peak Wire Works Heritage Chevallier
July 30, 2026
When it comes to exploring new whisky, a fascinating place to look these days is the country of England where there has been a resurgence in the number of distilleries over the last decade. Which is why I’m exploring the Wire Works Heritage Chevallier release from the White Peak Distillery, located located in the village of Ambergate, in the county of Derbyshire, in the East Midlands of England.
White Peak Distillery got its start in 2016 when there were only about a dozen whisky distilleries in England. 10 years later, there are around 70 whisky distilleries in England. I guess you could say that’s some pretty decent maturation there.
So, what’s SOMEthing, that makes THIS English whisky unique? Well, first of all, for EVERY whisky produced here, they use spent BREWER’s yeast that they collect weekly from a local brewery, which they claim helps them create their unique flavors during fermentation. As a comPARISON, almost ALL, modern Scotch whisky producers use specially cultured DISTILLER’s yeast. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the flavor profile the individual whisky makers are looking for their spirit.
The name “Heritage Chevallier” refers to the type of barley used, a “heritage barley variety” that was popular over a hundred years ago. And while every Wire Works Whisky is peated, this Heritage Chevallier release is White Peak’s first non-peated whisky.
There were 999 bottles released of this non-aged statement whisky, which was matured in ex-bourbon barrels - I think from Heaven Hill - and bottled at 57.3 percent ABV. They’re putting a lot of effort into provenance and heritage so it doesn’t surprise me that all of their whiskies are non chill filtered and have no added color, which makes me very happy to award it the Whisky Zone thumbs up.
The natural color of this whisky has a light, golden honey shade to it. I think it looks good. Let’s see what all this experimentation gives us on the nose.
Nose:
Initially, I can’t get past the sweetness coming out of the glass. It comes across like a sweet malt. There’s some caramel. Then I get what I most closely associate with soap suds. I pick up some lemon. This is followed by the smell of cotton candy or spun sugar. And there’s also the earthy smell of dark tea.
Palate:
That sweetness shows up in my mouth as caramelized barley. I get rhubarb, like my Dad used to grow in his backyard garden. There’s a little clove spice on the tongue. I get the taste of burnt cherries. Now I know it’s not peated but I think I get a tiny bit of cigarette ash. Interesting. There is the flavor of orange rinds coming through. Some oak tanin. I get an interesting taste like a sugar-coated cucumber. And then there’s a bitterness and sweetness mixed together here, like a grapefruit.
The ABV is over 57 percent so maybe it deserves a few drops of water.
Nose + H2O:
The water promotes that initial nose sweetness very nicely. I get some chocolate covered almonds. And apple sauce.
Palate + H2O:
My initial flavor sensation with water is a latte, easy on the milk. Then some chocolate-covered coffee beans. Even with the diluti9n of water it’s still a bit astringent. And finally, burnt lemon drops.
Cork Pop:
Starting with this one, I’m going to highlight one of the senses that I’ve been overlooking in my previous reviews. I’m talking about sound and this rating is for the cork pop. Now, I’m not going to get into the science of decibel level loudness or spectral frequency pitch. I just love a good cork pop, and this Wire Works bottle has the right sized cork and properly shaped neck to produce an outstanding pop. It earns my totally subjective Whisky Zone Prodigious Popping Power score of 9 out of 10.
Finish:
The finish doesn’t linger very long but while it’s there it’s an engaging mouthfeel. Vanilla creme, tree bark, black tea, unsalted peanuts, and orange rinds.
Rating:
It’s safe to say that the White Peak Distillery is committed to making unique, flavorful whiskies and from what I’ve been exposed to so far I’d say they’re succeeding. This release is very pleasant to drink and doesn’t attack the wallet too badly, either. There’s some interesting butting going on between sweet and astringent flavors here and it makes me very curious to see where they take it. Hopefully down the less astringent road. I’m giving the Wire Works, Heritage Chevallier, single malt, English whisky an 8 finger pour.
Age Statement: NAS
ABV: 57.3 %
Chill-filtered: No
E150a caramel coloring added: No
Average Price (700ml): £75 (UK)
https://www.whitepeakdistillery.co.uk/wire-works-heritage-chevallier/
