Derbyshire single malt whisky charity auction sets world record with £9,900 bid for first bottle

The first bottle of Wire Works Whisky was sold for £9,900 and was the highest price paid at public auction for a single bottle of English whisky.

White Peak Distillery, which is based at the Wire Works in Ambergate, raised more than £15,000 for two Derbyshire charities through auctioning the initial 12 bottles of its inaugural whisky release.

More than 370 bids were received from the UK, Denmark, Singapore, China and Andorra for each bottle of the Wire Works Whisky during the ten-day auction.

Since being founded in 2016 by husband and wife team Max and Claire Vaughan, the distillery has won awards for its visitor experience, white spirits and its much sought after malt whisky.

Claire said: “We are absolutely delighted and humbled by the response to this charity auction. To have raised over £15,000 for our charity partners alongside Whisky Auctioneer is very special…. not to mention a special moment for English whisky! We hope that the proceeds can help to support our local community and some fantastic environmental projects for both Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and The Peak District National Park Foundation.”

The charities will receive 100% of the auction proceeds, as well as the fees waived by Whisky Auctioneer. The distillery has previously worked with both charities on numerous fundraising bottlings and activities, including limited-edition spirit releases and local environmental initiatives.

Joe Wilson, head curator and spirits specialist at Whisky Auctioneer, said: "This is an exciting result for both Whisky Auctioneer and White Peak Distillery. To break the world record in such a fast-growing category with a distillery's first release is momentous and we congratulate Max, Claire and their colleagues. This historic moment challenges the traditional dominance of established regions such as Scotland and Ireland in the single malt category, and we look forward to the future development of England's vibrant whisky industry. We are proud to have supported the White Peak team in raising over £15,000 for charity with the inclusion of Whisky Auctioneer's donation of £1,394.30."

For those wanting to visit White Peak, the Distillery is open Monday – Saturday for shop visitors, with tours available every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For availability, timings and to book, visit www.whitepeakdistillery.co.uk