The White Peak distillery has made a strong and steady name for itself by producing great whiskies that really play on their base spirit and cask selection, whilst never holding back on the ABVs. Their recent Caduro Cask Strength release carries on that tradition by offering a big ABV version of their first core release.
The name ‘Caduro’ comes from the type of wire produced in the factory and warehouse that has now become the home of White Peak distillery (and where their whisky brand’s ‘Wire Works’ name also comes from). I’ve posted about this release (rather favourably) here: Wire Works – Caduro
The same base spirit and combo is used from their STR casks and bourbon barrels and lightly peated recipe. The main difference is that the regular release sits at a solid 46.8% ABV, the cask strength stomps at a big old 58% ABV. As with other releases this is non-chill-filtered and bottled at its natural colour. Bottles are currently available at the time of writing from various stockists at around £80 GBP.
Nose
A big old plume of alcohol vapours immediately shoots up the nostrils with sweet oak and stone fruits trailing behind.
Taste
A strong heat arrives at first with a rush of sugary vanilla, barbecued pineapple, and brown sugar. A myriad of spices then appear from a calm and warming nutmeg to bright flashes of cayenne pepper spice.
Finish
A big old fizzle as the alcohol tingles the tongue, tastebuds, and tonsils, but it’s worth it for the final flashes of fruit and the first real signs of the light peat smoke.
Verdict
Woah Nelly. This really is amped up.
As I’ve mentioned before, the White Peak team never hold back on the booze content but here it’s quite noticeable. It’s still got that fruitiness and touch of smoke, but the ABV grip makes for a far punchier and spicier affair – as you’d expect.
Using my own bottle of Caduro, I was able to do a proper side-by-side sitting:
Nose: Obviously the CS is so much punchier – which you’d expect with just over 11% extra. The oak and fruit characters are there, but slightly muted by the ABV.
Taste: Vanilla, oak flavour, and spices are more pronounced on the CS whilst the regular Caduro has a more fruit forward approach. The fruits are still there on the CS but much more of a background character. Speaking of which… the light peat is barely noticeable on the CS until the final breaths after the liquid has gone. In the regular Caduro it’s another supporting cast member with a speaking role. The CS fruitiness brings to mind barbecued pineapple with touch of smoke, acidity, popping sweetness and tartness, whilst the regular Caduro has a little of that but more about the stone fruit vibe.
Finish: The regular Caduro is soft and balanced whilst the CS fizzles and sizzles away. Funny that peat smoke only really comes to light on both afterwards though.
If I was being super cynical, from a more mathematical perspective you’re paying 33% more money to get roughly 25% more whisky, but that’s not what this really about and there’s the old taxman to blame. What you do get is a new bottle to add to the collection, you get more booze, and I think the pleasure and pay-off here is experiencing the cask strength and then, adding your own water it down to find your preferred strength.
Having been on their site tour and hearing about their own tasting process to get their preferred profile by adjusting the strength – you get to do this at home. And it is of course, very tasty at pretty much any strength!
M
Dram disclosure: This sample was received as part of a promotional Tweet Tasting event led by TheWhiskyWire using #WireWorksWhisky on X and BlueSky. All notes are intended as an honest, fair, and independent review of the whisky, and not as a promotion. Please drink responsibly. Please drink wisely.
whisky unplugged 
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