From one whisky brand founder, we heard about many more
When: 12th March 2026
Where: Thirsty
The Heart Cut was founded by Georgie and her husband in 2023, in the same week as their twins were born; it was her recommendation to have twins and set up a business, but she advised that doing them in the same week was probably not optimal! Georgie had been working in the whisky industry for 15 years before they both quit their day jobs to start this new independent bottler. They focus on close relationships with the distilleries and producers from which they release their single cask and small batch bottlings – never buying from 3rd party sellers or cask brokers means they know exactly what they’re delivering and can get deeply involved to pick the most delicious things; Georgie said that as far as she’s aware, there’s only one other indie bottler operating like that, the US-based Lost Lantern (I think – my note-taking was a little chaotic).
Spending all that time in the whisky industry gave Georgie a lived experience of what it’s like as a woman in a male-dominated industry, both in terms of the production and the market – though she observed attitudes changing. Women have pretty much always been involved in making, selling and drinking whisky, but as is all too common, they have been under-respresented, under-recognised and under-respected. There is more of a movement, as time goes on, to get more women involved and recognised in all aspects of whisky, and running her own company gives Georgie more power to contribute. That was one of the many reasons I knew she’d be great as a guest host for us at Cambridge Whisky Club. The plan I proposed, way back in May last year, was for her to present some bottles from The Heart Cut and some from producers she loved, around the time of International Women’s Day.
The Whisky
(Click on the images to buy a bottle)
The Heart Cut – BARLEY
English Blended Malt Whisky – 46%
We started with the bottle I was probably looking forward to trying the most from the lineup. In part, that was because it was one of the two I hadn’t had before, but more importantly, it was a different kind of release from The Heart Cut. Their 21-bottle model, up until this one released in November last year, was to give us single-producer expressions (though #11 coming up later was a blend of distilleries), but this first core bottle is their own blend of 5 English whiskies.
Working with a secret blender, they started with the target flavour and worked with the spirit to reach that goal. Just as with all The Heart Cut releases, the aim was to champion their partner distilleries – the 5 in here are Cotswolds, The English, White Peak, Copper River, and Adnams. And Georgie said that although this is a core bottling, their ‘house pour’, they will feature different whiskies in future batches, but will keep that flavour consistent.
It is designed to be a whisky for everyone, to suit all needs and drinking moods. A tall order, but one well met, at least as far as I can tell from a neat drinking experience. The flavours are well balanced, but not overly muted, as can happen with some blends. It serves as a great cross-section of English whisky, and apparently forms the start of a trilogy, with CORN and RYE to come at some unspecified future date.
Notes: 👃🏻Toffee, ginger beer, blackberry jelly, wheat beer, strawberry jam, salt cracker, floury white bread 👄Cereal, citrus, toasty oak, grapefruit, red bioled sweets, salty strawberries, bitter grapes.
Nc’nean – Batch PL/11
Single Malt Scotch Whisky – 46%
The first of Georgie’s fan-girl bottles – I hope she doesn’t mind me referring to them like that, but she really did present them as passionately as her own, and represented the women behind them wonderfully.
We’ve had Nc’nean at the club before with their gorgeous bottles and whisky, with their sustainability awards and their strong female leadership and founder Annabel Thomas. They are also one of The Heart Cut’s partner distilleries – the first Scotch whisky they released back at #12. Georgie spoke of Annabel’s tendency to question every decision or strategy as a woman in whisky but not with a background in it; she has the kind of experience that has set her up to guide this amazing distillery and the industry in new and better directions.
Notes: 👃🏻Sulphur funk, butterscotch, dates, peach, green malt, hot cross buns, sage yoghurt 👄Baking spice, icing sugar, bitter rum, golden syrup, overripe banana, rosé wine.
The Heart Cut – #11 J.J. Corry
Blended Irish Whiskey – 48%
This bottle was a little bit of a late addition to the lineup, but it was always Georgie’s intention to include something from J.J. Corry. Founded by Louise McGuane and named after an antique-shop whisky label find that led her to a successful Victorian businessman who was a bonder and bottler not far from her family farm. Spurred on to revive the lost art of bonding Irish whisky (a take on blending – curation of casks and styles and vintages combined with expert mixing and aging) she has amassed a ‘warehouse of flavours’ with Irish whiskies aging in woods from all over the world.
This Heart Cut release was a partnership with Louise McGuane that started with an exploration of the warehouse. It is a marriage of whisky from 4 barrels, though not the entirety of each barrel, as finding the right ratios to conjure a flavour that pops requires a more delicate experimentation. This Irish whisky blend contains pot still, grain, and single malt whiskies. Two of the 4 casks were full Oloroso and PX sherry maturations, whereas the other two were Oloroso and Pajarete finishes. Pajarete is a sticky-sweet fortified wine, much like PX and using the same grapes, from Malaga. And, according to Georgie, the parcel of whisky finished in it was a late addition to the blend, but it was that little something special that tipped it over the top to completion.
Notes: 👃🏻Ginger beer, tropical glasshouse, sawdust, toffee cookie, tonic water 👄White pepper, chilli, white sherry grapes, chopped mixed nuts, floral perfume.
Brenne – Estate Cask
French Single Malt Whisky – 40%
The final of Georgie’s selections from beyond The Heart Cut now, and one they haven’t worked with (yet?). French whisky is big… in France – there are nearly as many distilleries as in Scotland, with the first only opening in the late 1980’s, but much of what’s released doesn’t make it across the Channel. With wine, cognac, armagnac, calvados, and even colonial Caribbean rum, there is a huge history of alcohol in France, and much of it spirits-based. There is a tendency for French whisky makers to lean towards terroir and local provenances, and generally, production set-ups are smaller.
Brenne was founded by Alison Parc and first unveiled in 2012 in New York. A partnership with a 3rd-generation Cognac farm-distillery, she was introduced to the farm owner and their whisky sometime after her ballet career had ended, and she was exploring whisky import/exporting. She was immediately enamoured and invested in the partnership, ultimately suggesting the final-touch cask finish. Brenne whisky is made using organic heirloom barley grown on the farm, and is distilled in a traditional cognac still rather than a more traditional whisky pot or column still. The barrels used to age and finish the whisky are new, local Limousin oak and ex-Cognac.
So, unusual barley, unusual still, unusual cask profile – what does that all add up to? A very interesting whisky, sold around the world thanks to the efforts of Alison. I had tried Brenne before some years ago, and had recently learnt that it’s small batch released, so there can be variation in the core Estate Cask release year on year. I was looking forward to trying it again, but nervous about placing a 40% ABV whisky in slot 4 after 3 stronger whiskies – I need not have been worried. The combination of the indigenous barley varietal, different still, and progressive cask selection produces something quite unique, which very much holds its own and fascinates.
Notes: 👃🏻Milk bottle sweets, citrus, white chocolate 👄Fried egg sweets, foam banana, meringue, apricot, rubbery.
The Heart Cut – #19 Thomson
New Zealand Single Malt Whisky – 51.5%
The Thomson distillery in New Zealand is one I’m fairly familiar with, having presented a number of their bottles at various events through the years. I know of their experimental beginnings, smoking malt on a barbecue with Manuka wood, and well, their experimental current, incorporating peat from the South Island of New Zealand. I had tried their non-smoked whiskies before too, but they weren’t what I associated with the distillery in my mind. Knowing the spirit with which the distillery approaches whisky-making, it makes a lot of sense that The Heart Cut would partner with them.
This bottle is one of Thomson’s non-smokey offerings and stood out to Georgie because of the cask story. It’s not a long story, and that’s part of the attraction: a fresh, wine-soaked Pinot Noir wine barrel from a winery that’s just a 15 minute drive from the distillery. Thomson distillery focus on giving people an experience of their local environment, and whiskies with a strong sense of place are high up on The Heart Cut’s list of what makes a partnership attractive.
Notes: 👃🏻Blackcurrant, balsamic, fig rolls, wood char, menthol 👄 Dense dark sweet fruits (prunes/dates), brown sugar, baking powder, old leather.
The Heart Cut – #10 White Peak
Single Malt English Whisky – 55%
I’m a fan of Derbyshire-based White Peak distillery and their Wire Works Whisky. Based in the buildings of a 19th-century wire-maker who made some of the first undersea cables to Calais, they have made use of some of the original orignal pipework in the renovations to update the building to become a distillery. White Peak uses a small portion of peat-smoked malt in almost all of their spirit runs and they’ve really honed a characteristic style in quite a short period of time.
Part of that character is found in their willingness to employ bold cask types in contributing to their bold flavours. They use yeasts from the local Thornbridge brewery in their live-yeast blend, which contributes to an end product, featuring English (and Derbyshire) barley, which again represents the place it was made.
So for Georgie, being able to find a punchy tawny port cask Wire Works whisky meant all the pieces are present to make a new partner for The Heart Cut: a wonderful team making confident decisions towards location-representative delicious whisky.
Notes: 👃🏻Butterscotch, sausage roll, heating element, plain crackers 👄 Jam, tobacco, cola bottle sweets, gravy, bacon frazzles.
The Winners
Vote Winner: Bottle #5 – Thomson
Close Contender: Everything else!
The vote spread was pretty even, and from my seat at the front as a punter, I struggled a little to make an accurate count, but the winner was clear to Georgie from the front. Everything was lovely to drink and lovely to learn about. Georgie is a wonderful host, whether she’s presenting one of The Heart Cut bottles, presenting something from another producer, or wandering round talking to people and answering questions; someone told me we should have her back every year! I sense everyone enjoyed the mix of behind-the-scenes info from an independent bottler, tales from a career in the industry, tasting notes & background from a well-curated lineup, and just sharing our evening with a genuinely lovely person.
And, a special shoutout to Thom from Thirsty. It was his last night on the job, but he was an essential component of another successful Cambridge Whisky Club tasting, just as he has been over the last year of events. It’s sad to see him go as he’s been such a help and a wonderful, friendly figure to have around. You will be missed Thom – thank you for everything!