To the delight of everyone in attendance on the night, an English Whisky has been selected as The Whisky Exchange Whisky of the Year for 2026 in a blind tasting by customers for the first time.
Wire Works Bourbon Cask from Derbyshire’s White Peak Distillery was pitted against traditional favourites such as Bowmore 15 Year Old and Glen Moray 18 Year Old in a blind tasting at The Whisky Exchange Great Portland Street, where customers were asked to select the 2026 Whisky of the Year from six unlabelled drams.
Even the most traditional drinkers in the room admitted that Wire Works Bourbon Cask stood out from the (distinctly Scottish) crowd, with its hint of bonfire smoke blending perfectly into the vanilla cheesecake, white chocolate, lemon curd and candied ginger notes and a satisfyingly long, creamy finish.
Alongside the other ‘Of The Year’ winners, White Peak Wire Works Bourbon Cask will be the focus of a year long marketing campaign via The Whisky Exchange online and in-store throughout 2026, including bottle discounts and in-store tastings.
Max Vaughan, founder of White Peak Distillery, says: “The Whisky Exchange has supported Wire Works since our first release and has been a great partner for us over our first few years. Whisky is measured over the long-term and, almost 10 years since founding the business, to now have our core Bourbon Barrel release selected as Whisky of The Year for 2026 is beyond anything we could have imagined. Amazing news for the whole distillery team and we’re looking forward to working with TWE for years to come.”
The Whisky Exchange Spirit of the Year
Chosen by The Whisky Exchange team, Hampden Estate 1753 has been awarded Spirit of the Year. Aged for three years in ex-bourbon barrels and fermented using wild yeast, the rum offers a high-ester character and palette full of tropical intensity and herbal funk with notes of pineapple, banana, toffee and hints of petrol and nutmeg. Long fermentation, natural spring water and traditional pot-still distillation all contribute to an expressive example of the signature Hampden style, reflecting a deep sense of place and nearly 300 years of Jamaican rum heritage.
Supporting Jamaica’s Recovery
In response to the recent devastation in Jamaica, The Whisky Exchange has launched a dedicated fundraising initiative to support communities across the island. Working in partnership with global rum ambassador Ian Burrell, The Whisky Exchange will donate £6 from every bottle of Hampden Estate 1753 sold directly to Support Jamaica, the official relief fund led by the country’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM). Watch out for other initiatives throughout the year to support our friends in Jamaica.
The Whisky Exchange Producer of the Year
Also selected by the team at The Whisky Exchange, independent bottler The Heart Cut has been named Producer of the Year for 2026, adding to the impressive line of accolades they have received since founding in 2023.
Founded by wife and husband duo Georgie and Fabrizio, The Heart Cut is an independent bottler that spotlights distilleries from across the globe, releasing one-off single cask bottlings. It is recognised for its focused approach to cask selection and a growing range that champions both emerging and established distilleries. Noteworthy releases among these include:
Georgie Bell, co-founder of The Heart Cut, says: “Fab and I created The Heart Cut to champion the distilleries we love from around the world, bring a modern edge to independent bottling and encourage a more explorative way of drinking whisky. It truly is our dream whisky company and to be named Producer of the Year by The Whisky Exchange is an incredible validation of the passion, graft and care we put into every release. This win isn’t just ours; it belongs to every distillery we’ve partnered with so far, and all those still to come.”
