DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 23 April 2026

🥃 DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 23 April 2026

Maker's Mark Brings Back Star Hill Farm for 2026

Maker's Mark has confirmed the return of its Star Hill Farm Whisky — the Kentucky brand's first new mash bill in 70 years and its first wheat whisky ever. The 2026 release leans on estate-grown soft red winter wheat and carries the bragging rights of being crowned World's Best Wheat Whisky 2026. Bottled at a punchy 58.2% ABV with a $100 RRP, it rolls out across the US, UK, Australia, Japan and global travel retail. A genuine flavour experiment from a distillery better known for playing the hits.

English Whisky Week Opens with a Booming Map

English Whisky Week (18–26 April) is well under way, and Cooper King Distillery has marked it by publishing the 8th edition of its English Whisky Map. The headline number: 69 operational distilleries in England, up from 61 in 2025. The map captures everyone from established players at scale down to garage-sized micro producers, and underlines just how fast England's whisky scene is maturing into a category of its own.

Whisky Exchange Awards 2026 Crown an English Whisky of the Year

Sticking with the English theme — Derbyshire's White Peak Distillery has taken The Whisky Exchange's top prize with its Wire Works Bourbon Cask, named Whisky of the Year 2026 through a blind tasting by TWE customers. The Heart Cut, an English independent bottler, picked up Producer of the Year. Two years ago most "best whisky" lists were an all-Scotch affair; 2026's shortlist looks very different.

Loch Lomond Returns to The Open with Two Limited Malts

Loch Lomond has announced two new limited-edition single malts in partnership with The Open, timed for the 154th Championship at Royal Birkdale in July. Both will be pourable and purchasable on-site at the tournament — an unusually direct distillery-to-fan pipeline in a category where most limited editions vanish to auction within hours. Full ages, cask breakdowns and pricing are still to come.

Spirit of Yorkshire Marks 10 Years with The Whisky Shop

Yorkshire's Filey-based Spirit of Yorkshire has teamed up with The Whisky Shop for a special single cask single malt to mark the distillery's 10th anniversary of production. It's a neat milestone for one of the earlier serious English entrants, and another signal of how quickly "new world" English whisky has moved from novelty to collectible.

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