Craft spirits, made with care — and tasted properly.
A £35 bottle of UK craft spirit can be fair value or a stretch. We break down duty, glass, still time, and margin with two small distillers — and give you three practical questions to ask before you buy.
Cask finishes can add real depth to whisky, rum and gin. They can also hide young spirit behind a famous barrel name. We asked UK distillers what a finish actually does, where the shortcuts creep in, and how to taste one properly.
We put six UK craft bottles priced at £30 or under against supermarket own-label spirits in a blind tasting. Craft didn't win every round — but the results showed exactly where the extra money goes, and when it's worth spending.