Whisky Focus - Coleburn's Local Heros Win Great Taste and IWSC Honour

The Distillery at Coleburn is celebrating early success for its inaugural Local Heros whisky collection, with all three expressions receiving a one-star Great Taste Award alongside further recognition at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC).

The collection, which marks the first whisky release from the revival of the historic Speyside distillery, comprises three blended malts—Sherry Bomb, Sweet Peat and Big Smoke—created to celebrate the people, places and craftsmanship that lie at the heart of Scotch whisky.

Sherry Bomb and Big Smoke were both awarded Silver medals at the IWSC, scoring 92 and 91 points respectively, while Sweet Peat received a Bronze medal with 88 points, underlining the strong reception for the collection's debut release. I notice that their scoring was pretty much inline with my scoring when I reviewed the three whiskies in December last year.

The Local Heros series represents an important milestone in the ongoing restoration of Coleburn Distillery. The collection also carries a personal connection for co-owners Mark and Dale Winchester, who made a cameo appearance and contributed to the soundtrack of the 1983 film Local Hero. The name reflects both that link and the wider communities, distilleries and traditions that have shaped Scotch whisky for generations.

Owned by D&M Winchester Ltd since 2004, the Coleburn site has long been associated with the Scotch whisky industry. Based in Speyside, the company has established itself as a specialist in the sourcing, storage, management, maturation and bottling of malt and grain whisky, managing around 20,000 casks across three HMRC-compliant bonded warehouses while providing end-to-end services for independent whisky brands and bottlers.

Dale Winchester, co-owner of D&M Winchester commented:

“Seeing all three Local Heros expressions recognised by Great Taste, alongside our IWSC medals, is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the quality and character we wanted to capture with this first collection.

“These awards mark a further milestone as we continue to bring The Distillery at Coleburn back to life, with new visitor experiences and hospitality offerings helping to create a destination that celebrates whisky, food and the community that surrounds it, right here in the heart of Speyside.”

The awards come as development continues across the Coleburn site. Planning has been submitted for a new warehouse tasting area within the distillery's historic former stillhouse, creating a distinctive visitor experience centred around whisky maturation. Construction has also begun on The Kitchery, a new on-site bistro expected to open before the end of the year.

Together, the projects form part of D&M Winchester's wider vision to transform Coleburn into Scotland's first "whisky resort"—a destination combining whisky, food and hospitality while building on the company's long-established expertise within the industry.

The three blended malts each offer a distinctive interpretation of the Local Heros concept, from rich sherry influence to approachable peat smoke, and provide an accessible introduction to Coleburn's new chapter. You'll find my tasting notes for Sherry Bomb, Sweet Peat and Big Smoke below.

All three whiskies are blended malts, crafted and bottled on site at Coleburn’s historic facility. You’ll find my tasting notes below, and you will find the full Local Heros range available from specialist online whisky shops such as Amazon.
 

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