Wire Works Whisky Necessary Evil

A stout finished single malt English whisky

Working with Thornbridge the story here starts with Necessary Evil beer, this being a Derbyshire-crafted imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels (at an ABV of 13%) at Thornbridge Brewery.

the relationship with the brewry has exosted from the earliest days at the distillery, with Max & Claire collecting spent brewer’s yeast from Thornbridge to use in the whisky-making. Added to along fermentation, this brewer’s yeast helps to create great flavour and Derbyshire provenance in the spirits.

The Necessary Evil stout is aged for 8 months in ex-bourbon barrels. Sweet bourbon, vanilla and oak from the barrel ageing combine with rich chocolate, roasted malts and caramel from the base beer. The result is a complex and flavoursome stout unlike any other, that leaves a strong DNA in the bourbon barrels once emptied of the stout.

“We were looking for a flavour-forward beer with the power to add a finish to our Wire Works Whisky, which Necessary Evil has in spades. And we were looking to add to our Derbyshire provenance. The chocolatey, malty notes of the stout really complement the cereal, fruity, smoky notes of our lightly-peated single malt English whisky.”

The whisky maturation starts in freshly filled ex-bourbon barrels for a minimum of three years before disgorging and then refilling the stout seasoned ex-bourbon barrels from Thornbridge, where the whisky is finished for several months. Wire Works Whisky Necessary Evil Finish therefore spends time in different ex-bourbon barrels and, whilst there is some profile crossover from the ex-bourbon oak, the flavour and aroma are enhanced further by the stout influence.

The barrels used for ageing the Necessary Evil begin life in Kentucky (some from Heaven Hill Distillery), where they’ve been used to mature bourbon. The same is true of the bourbon barrels used for maturing our single malt spirit, as Heaven Hill has been another key partner since 2018. The first part of the barrels’ journey is across the Atlantic Ocean.

Thornbridge use their ex-bourbon barrels to mature their Necessary Evil stout for eight months. Once emptied at Thornbridge the barrels travel a few short miles down the road to White Peak Distillery and, because, they’re so close they can to refill them almost immediately with single malt whisky, for a final stout finish.

Wire Works Whisky Necessary Evil Finish is a limited 2,059 bottle release, at an ABV of 51.3% and priced at £65. It’s a Distillery exclusive release, and the only way to buy a bottle is through our website or in our Distillery shop. Sign up to the mailing list to be among the first to know when it’s available online.

And to taste, you’ll find a savoury stout finish single malt whisky, with hazelnuts, light roast coffee and roasted malt on the nose, with cacao nibs, dates and bitter marmalade on the palate, and a malty smoke finish