A whisky made in Macclesfield Forest has been named one of the world's best.

Forest Distillery's single malt whisky has been awarded a Gold Medal in the World Whisky Master 2025.

Competing in the European Single Malt category, the whisky was judged in blind tastings by a panel of leading spirt specialists.

This accolade is a landmark moment for the Cat & Fiddle distillery, cementing its position among world-class whisky producers and putting Forest Whisky on a par with established, historical brands from Scotland, Ireland the United States.

 "We've been distilling and maturing our single malt for the past six years," said co-founders Karl and Lindsay Bond.

"While that may be a short time in the whisky world, for us it represents years of hard work, patience, and an anxious wait.

"To have that journey recognised with a Gold Medal is incredibly rewarding and makes the wait more than worthwhile.

"Whisky is such a historic and revered spirit, so for our little distillery in Cheshire to receive this honour feels truly amazing."

Owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Karl and Lindsay since 2015, Forest Distillery is the UK's highest altitude distillery.

They currently export to high-end bars, restaurants and hotels in Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, New Zealand and Germany.

Their first batch of single malt whisky was released in 2022 and sold out within minutes.