White Peak Petites Eaux Proofing Part Deux

The 2nd release of 'Special Waters' from White Peak Distillery, this time from Red Wine casks.

The previous Special Waters release was my favourite dram of 2024 so this one had a lot to live up to!

The first Special Waters release was matured in Shaved Toasted & Recharred American Oak casks this one in ex-red wine casks - a favourite of mine!

Bottler info:

Tom from White Peak told me about this release:

"The second iteration of the ‘Special Waters’ I gave you is a tiny batch bottled as 20cl as an exclusive only available in our physical shop. Compared to first version, this is older liquid, implementing older ‘petites eaux’, and more of it applied bringing the final strength down to 50%. It doesn’t have an age statement, but it is 7yo, with all liquid being distilled in our inaugural year of production - 2018. Both the base whisky and the PE were aged in recharred red wine (STR) constructed of both American and French oak, with the whisky aged in the Upper Dunnage, and the PE aged in the Still House."

So what does it all mean?

"Petites Eaux" is French for "Small Waters" defined as "a spirit cut with distilled water (16 to 18% ABV.) which is used to lower the alcoholic strength of a distillate before bottling (generally from 70% to 45% ABV.)."

In this case White Peak used some circa 7yo 14% ABV spirit: 3-ish year old spirit, chopped down to 15% and re-casked into refill wood. It naturally dropped down to 14% over the best part of 3 further years pulling more water soluble compounds from the cask. Full of yummy fatty acids, this liquid was used to slowly dilute a 7yo wine cask whisky from 69.2% down to a bottling strength of 50% ABV.

Normally this dilution would be done with water, using the 14% Petites Eaux means that more is required to get down to the bottling ABV but importantly each dilution is adding more mouthfeel to the whisky.

We also have to remember that this was an experiment, and whilst it's allowed under English whisky making rules, the SWA would be having heart palpitations even thinking about this - I'm guessing that when White Peak come to sell this it can't be called whisky in Scotland?

Anyway what did it taste like?

My thoughts:

Appearance: dark gold in the Glencairn, swirls cling as a thin line, take some time to bead up and fall as slow thin legs.

Nose: gentle smoke is the first thing out of the glass followed by cherry and berry notes: strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. There's liquorice, milk chocolate and a lovely orange marmalade note. A little dunnage funk and some caramel wafers round things off. 

Palate: Thick sweet juicy arrival, the berries and cherries from the nose are here, the caramel has turned into toffee pennies and the orange marmalade has turned spicy and been spread on slightly burnt toast - Yummy! Each juicy sip offers different berry notes, citrus zest and a hint of spice as the liquid disappears.

Finish: Lingering sweet berry notes, spicy orange marmalade, dry peppery spice and a hint of smoke.

Overall: The first Special Waters had a really thick yougurt-y mouthfeel, this one doesn't share that, maybe the ABV is a little low? But what it gives in mouthfeel it makes up for in flavour: berries and cherries to the fore, gentle smoke and that lovely spicy orange marmalade note from nose to finish. YUMMY!