The History of Welsh Whisky
By Rob Gudgeon (as published on pages 22 to 29 of Issue 3 of 2013 of The Mini Bottle Club Newsletter)
Introduction
When you think of whisky the normal immediate association is with Scotland or even Ireland but Wales also has a long (and often colourful) history of distilling and Whisky. There is a vague and murky past with mentions and passing comments that there may be whisky dating from before the Middle Ages. It is said that in 356 AD Reaullt Hir was distilling ‘chwisgi’ at Bardsey Island but there is very little evidence available to support this.
Dale and Cardigan Distilleries
Some sources mention commercial distilleries in Wales during the 18th century but again there is very little, if any evidence to support this. Apparently there was a commercial distillery opened by a Williams family in Dale, Pembrokeshire in the early 1700s and one was also supposed to have been opened in the mid 1700s by a Daniel family in Cardigan. Members from both of these families are rumoured to have emigrated to America and founded bourbon whisky distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee. Once again, there is no hard evidence of the existence of these distilleries or any other distilleries on Welsh soil during the 18th century.
Fron-goch or Bala Distillery
The first true commercial distillery in Wales was the Fron-goch Distillery that was located near Bala at the edge of Snowdonia. This was built at the end of the 19th century and produced malt whisky. The company was founded in 1887 by Mr Robert Willis and Richard John Lloyd-Price of Rhiwlas, Llanfor and the Welsh Whisky Company Ltd. was registered in 1889. The site of the distillery was chosen after testing samples of water from around Wales. Tairvelyn Brook and rivers Mynach and Tryweryn on Lloyd-Price’s Rhiwlas Estate on Bala near Fron-goch were decided to be the most suitable. The site also had the Bala and Blaneau Festinog railway line 600 yards away and a siding of this would be mainly for the distillery. The buildings were made from local grey granite stones and the distillery used traditional copper pot stills and oak casks.
In 1889 a silver embellished presentation cask bearing the company’s Welsh lady trademark was given to Queen Victoria on a royal visit to Bala in 1889. After this the company renamed the whisky as ‘Royal Welsh Whisky’ even though they never actually received a Royal Warrant. Later in 1894 another special cask was also sent to the Prince of Wales.
The company registered several other brand names in 1889 and 1890 which included “Black Prince”, “Bells of Aberdovey”, “Coracle”, “Maid of Langollen”, “Men of Harlech”, “Saint David”, “Taffy”, “The Leek” and “Welsh Rare Bit” but it is unknown if all these were intended to be used for their whisky.
Unfortunately the Welsh Whisky Co Ltd did not survive for long as the company was sold to William Owen (who owned the White Lion Hotel in Bala) in 1900 after the unfortunate death of the then chairman of the company, Mr Willis, under the wheels of a horse and cart. The actual distillery went bankrupt and was finally liquidated in 1910. There are three theories about why Fron-goch distillery was closed just before the great war. The commonest one is that the Temperance Movement that was active in Wales at that time was to blame. Apparently the granite stones that the distillery was constructed were used by the Methodists to mend the Tal-y-bont chapel walls and this is where the common idea that the Temperance Movement was responsible. Another less well known theory is that it became a threat to the Scottish whisky distilleries that were establishing their brands in England at that time so it was purchased by the Scottish distilleries to remove the competition. The final reason is that there was something seriously wrong with the actual whisky itself and this would have led to low sales. Unfortunately we will never know the true reason.
The distillery buildings and the site remained unused until World War I when the buildings were converted into an internment camp for German prisoners of war and also Irish prisoners following the 1916 Easter Rising. However today there are no signs of the distillery having ever been on the site. The distillery buildings, prisoner of war camp and the railway station are all long gone with the Tryweryn Valley Primary School being in there place. There are some old photographs, the keys to the main door of the distillery and three bottles (one empty and two full) remaining. One of the full bottles is owned by HRH the Prince of Wales and was sent to him on board Britannia while she was anchored in Fishguard Bay during the 1969 Investiture Tour. This is housed by the Museum of Welsh Life (now known as the Welsh Folk Museum at St. Fagan’s) with the empty bottle. The other full bottle (thought to be an older one as it doesn’t state ‘Royal’ on the label) was sold at an auction to an anonymous private collector in September 2001 for £1,350.
Swn Y Don and Swn Y Mor Chwisgi
During the 1970s Dafydd Gittins started to produce ‘chwisgi’ that was called ‘Welsh Whisky’ in Brecon. This was originally called ‘Swn Y Don’ (meaning ‘sound of the wave’ in welsh) and later it was rebranded as ‘Swn Y Mor’ (meaning ‘sound of the sea’). Some sources say that this was claimed to be a malt whisky that was distilled in Brecon but more commonly it was claimed to be a blend of Scottish malt and welsh distilled grain spirit that was then filtered through a layer of welsh herbs. There were no distilleries in wales at the time producing any spirit that was either malted barley or even grain based so it is much more likely that they were simply a Scottish blended whisky.
Prince of Wales Whisky
Later in the 1980s and 1990s there was another attempt at producing whisky in wales by the ‘Welsh Whisky Company’ was based in Brecon. The company changed its name several times being called ‘Brecon Brewery Co.’, ‘Welsh Whisky Ltd.’ and finally ‘Welsh Distillers Limited’. They originally produced a welsh blended whisky (that they called a Single Vatted Malt) and then in the 1980s a Welsh Malt Whisky called Prince of Wales Whisky was produced. On the label they did not state either the word ‘produced’ or ‘distilled’ in wales and it was again the case that it was simply Scottish whisky (this time probably a malt) that was filtered through a layer of herbs. A visitor centre was built in 1991 when the company moved to Parc Meter in Brecon and it was at this site that the company intended to build a new revolutionary design in still that was to be designed for them and funded by the EU. The still was to have a high energy efficiency and much lower environmental impact than traditional copper stills.
Welsh Whisky Ltd. closed down in 1998 after a high court case driven by the Scottish whisky industry ruled that it had misled its customers by selling Scotch whisky that had just been flavoured with herbs as a genuine Welsh product that had been produced in Wales. Three directors were jailed for 8 months for defrauding customs of £250,000 of duty. The company went into liquidation and all the assets of the Welsh Whisky Ltd. were sold to Alun Evans and Brian Morgan who later went on to set up ‘The Welsh Whisky Company’.
Gwalia or Penderyn Distillery
In 1999 the Welsh Whisky Company (now known as Penderyn) was founded by Steve Bird, Edwina Clark, Nick Clark, Arthur Davies, Alun Evans, Anthony James and Brian Morgan. The distillery (originally called Gwalia Distillery) was built on the edge of the village of Penderyn in the Brecon Bacons National Park. Production of spirit started on the 14th September 2000 and Penderyn Single Malt Whisky was launched on 1st March 2004 (St. David’s Day) by His Royal Highness Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales at St. David’s Hall in Cardiff.
The work on the new still that was designed for the Welsh Whisky Ltd. was purchased under the assets of the old company and this is the unique still that is used at Penderyn to produce their spirit. The still was designed by Dr David Faraday at the University of Surrey in Guildford and was built by Macmillans at Prestonpans.
It is very different to a traditional pot still normally used to produce whisky. There is a single 2,500 litre copper still with a copper column containing 6 plates above it. This is attached to a copper rectifier that contains 18 plates and has a pump system for internal cycling of spirit so that it can be extracted and re-introduced to and from any level. This means that there are very low levels of both foreshots and feints because of the great level of control of the distilling process that this allows. The barley malt wash that is used in the still is produced by Brains Brewery in Cardiff and is added to the still at around 8% abv. Because they buy in the wash the distillery does not need a separate wash and spirit still so the whole process can take place in the one still. The final barley spirit that is produced is around 92% alcohol by volume.
The new spirit is around 63% abv and is transferred to old American bourbon barrels that have previously contained Evan Williams bourbon or Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey and subsequently finished in other casks (madeira, sherry, port or old Islay Scotch casks) depending on the required finish. The level of production is much lower than that of Scotch distilleries with only a single barrel of Penderyn being produced each day. All Penderyn whisky is bottled as nu-chill-filtered and generally at 46% abv (some newer releases are bottled at 41% abv) and they are generally around four and a half to seven years old. The whisky is designed to be ‘premium’ because of the limited production with the finest ingredients and traditional methods. The brand is very distinct with a very modern feel to the tall and slim bottles that are branded with their ‘AC’ hallmark (standing from Aur Cymru or Welsh Gold in Welsh) and a hand drawn flash of gold to signify the rarity of the whisky.
Their current range includes; Madeira (their flagship malt), Peated (finished in old Islay Scotch casks), Sherrywood, Madeira 41, Portwood 41, the Icons of Wales range introduced in 2012 (Red Flag and soon Independence limited editions), Single Cask editions and the Limited Edition/Batches (such as the WRU Grand Slam 2012 edition and the Swansea City 2012 Premium Edition). Currently only the first three are normally available as miniatures although there are sometimes others available in very limited numbers.
In December 2012 Penderyn announced that with some help from the Welsh Government they would be investing around £800,000 in a large expansion at their existing site. This is to include an additional ‘Faraday’ single pot still identical to the existing one in August 2013 and also a new two-pot still production unit in January 2014. This will allow them to eventually triple their production from the current 150,000 bottles a year to over 500,000 bottles a year. This will then allow them to meet the increasing demand for Penderyn Whisky in their current markets in the UK, France and Germany and to expand their exports throughout Europe, North America and Asia.
They also produce Brecon Special Reserve Gin, Five Premium Vodka and Merlyn Welsh Cream Liqueur. These are all produced in small batches in the same way as Penderyn Whisky. Brecon Special Reserve Gin is a distilled barley grain spirit infused with 10 specially selected botanicals added to the grain spirit. Five Premium Vodka is distilled five times for purity but with an increased amount of barley spirit from the Penderyn still each time to create smoothness and complexity. Merlyn Welsh Cream Liqueur is named after the mythical wizard of Wales and is a blend of the finest Welsh malted barley spirit and pure fresh dairy cream. Miniatures of all these spirits are also available.
So, if you have an early Welsh Whisky miniature in your collection of Scotch it may not actually be as out of place as you think.
Introduction
When you think of whisky the normal immediate association is with Scotland or even Ireland but Wales also has a long (and often colourful) history of distilling and Whisky. There is a vague and murky past with mentions and passing comments that there may be whisky dating from before the Middle Ages. It is said that in 356 AD Reaullt Hir was distilling ‘chwisgi’ at Bardsey Island but there is very little evidence available to support this.
Dale and Cardigan Distilleries
Some sources mention commercial distilleries in Wales during the 18th century but again there is very little, if any evidence to support this. Apparently there was a commercial distillery opened by a Williams family in Dale, Pembrokeshire in the early 1700s and one was also supposed to have been opened in the mid 1700s by a Daniel family in Cardigan. Members from both of these families are rumoured to have emigrated to America and founded bourbon whisky distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee. Once again, there is no hard evidence of the existence of these distilleries or any other distilleries on Welsh soil during the 18th century.
Fron-goch or Bala Distillery
The first true commercial distillery in Wales was the Fron-goch Distillery that was located near Bala at the edge of Snowdonia. This was built at the end of the 19th century and produced malt whisky. The company was founded in 1887 by Mr Robert Willis and Richard John Lloyd-Price of Rhiwlas, Llanfor and the Welsh Whisky Company Ltd. was registered in 1889. The site of the distillery was chosen after testing samples of water from around Wales. Tairvelyn Brook and rivers Mynach and Tryweryn on Lloyd-Price’s Rhiwlas Estate on Bala near Fron-goch were decided to be the most suitable. The site also had the Bala and Blaneau Festinog railway line 600 yards away and a siding of this would be mainly for the distillery. The buildings were made from local grey granite stones and the distillery used traditional copper pot stills and oak casks.
In 1889 a silver embellished presentation cask bearing the company’s Welsh lady trademark was given to Queen Victoria on a royal visit to Bala in 1889. After this the company renamed the whisky as ‘Royal Welsh Whisky’ even though they never actually received a Royal Warrant. Later in 1894 another special cask was also sent to the Prince of Wales.
The company registered several other brand names in 1889 and 1890 which included “Black Prince”, “Bells of Aberdovey”, “Coracle”, “Maid of Langollen”, “Men of Harlech”, “Saint David”, “Taffy”, “The Leek” and “Welsh Rare Bit” but it is unknown if all these were intended to be used for their whisky.
Unfortunately the Welsh Whisky Co Ltd did not survive for long as the company was sold to William Owen (who owned the White Lion Hotel in Bala) in 1900 after the unfortunate death of the then chairman of the company, Mr Willis, under the wheels of a horse and cart. The actual distillery went bankrupt and was finally liquidated in 1910. There are three theories about why Fron-goch distillery was closed just before the great war. The commonest one is that the Temperance Movement that was active in Wales at that time was to blame. Apparently the granite stones that the distillery was constructed were used by the Methodists to mend the Tal-y-bont chapel walls and this is where the common idea that the Temperance Movement was responsible. Another less well known theory is that it became a threat to the Scottish whisky distilleries that were establishing their brands in England at that time so it was purchased by the Scottish distilleries to remove the competition. The final reason is that there was something seriously wrong with the actual whisky itself and this would have led to low sales. Unfortunately we will never know the true reason.
The distillery buildings and the site remained unused until World War I when the buildings were converted into an internment camp for German prisoners of war and also Irish prisoners following the 1916 Easter Rising. However today there are no signs of the distillery having ever been on the site. The distillery buildings, prisoner of war camp and the railway station are all long gone with the Tryweryn Valley Primary School being in there place. There are some old photographs, the keys to the main door of the distillery and three bottles (one empty and two full) remaining. One of the full bottles is owned by HRH the Prince of Wales and was sent to him on board Britannia while she was anchored in Fishguard Bay during the 1969 Investiture Tour. This is housed by the Museum of Welsh Life (now known as the Welsh Folk Museum at St. Fagan’s) with the empty bottle. The other full bottle (thought to be an older one as it doesn’t state ‘Royal’ on the label) was sold at an auction to an anonymous private collector in September 2001 for £1,350.
Swn Y Don and Swn Y Mor Chwisgi
During the 1970s Dafydd Gittins started to produce ‘chwisgi’ that was called ‘Welsh Whisky’ in Brecon. This was originally called ‘Swn Y Don’ (meaning ‘sound of the wave’ in welsh) and later it was rebranded as ‘Swn Y Mor’ (meaning ‘sound of the sea’). Some sources say that this was claimed to be a malt whisky that was distilled in Brecon but more commonly it was claimed to be a blend of Scottish malt and welsh distilled grain spirit that was then filtered through a layer of welsh herbs. There were no distilleries in wales at the time producing any spirit that was either malted barley or even grain based so it is much more likely that they were simply a Scottish blended whisky.
Prince of Wales Whisky
Later in the 1980s and 1990s there was another attempt at producing whisky in wales by the ‘Welsh Whisky Company’ was based in Brecon. The company changed its name several times being called ‘Brecon Brewery Co.’, ‘Welsh Whisky Ltd.’ and finally ‘Welsh Distillers Limited’. They originally produced a welsh blended whisky (that they called a Single Vatted Malt) and then in the 1980s a Welsh Malt Whisky called Prince of Wales Whisky was produced. On the label they did not state either the word ‘produced’ or ‘distilled’ in wales and it was again the case that it was simply Scottish whisky (this time probably a malt) that was filtered through a layer of herbs. A visitor centre was built in 1991 when the company moved to Parc Meter in Brecon and it was at this site that the company intended to build a new revolutionary design in still that was to be designed for them and funded by the EU. The still was to have a high energy efficiency and much lower environmental impact than traditional copper stills.
Welsh Whisky Ltd. closed down in 1998 after a high court case driven by the Scottish whisky industry ruled that it had misled its customers by selling Scotch whisky that had just been flavoured with herbs as a genuine Welsh product that had been produced in Wales. Three directors were jailed for 8 months for defrauding customs of £250,000 of duty. The company went into liquidation and all the assets of the Welsh Whisky Ltd. were sold to Alun Evans and Brian Morgan who later went on to set up ‘The Welsh Whisky Company’.
Gwalia or Penderyn Distillery
In 1999 the Welsh Whisky Company (now known as Penderyn) was founded by Steve Bird, Edwina Clark, Nick Clark, Arthur Davies, Alun Evans, Anthony James and Brian Morgan. The distillery (originally called Gwalia Distillery) was built on the edge of the village of Penderyn in the Brecon Bacons National Park. Production of spirit started on the 14th September 2000 and Penderyn Single Malt Whisky was launched on 1st March 2004 (St. David’s Day) by His Royal Highness Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales at St. David’s Hall in Cardiff.
The work on the new still that was designed for the Welsh Whisky Ltd. was purchased under the assets of the old company and this is the unique still that is used at Penderyn to produce their spirit. The still was designed by Dr David Faraday at the University of Surrey in Guildford and was built by Macmillans at Prestonpans.
It is very different to a traditional pot still normally used to produce whisky. There is a single 2,500 litre copper still with a copper column containing 6 plates above it. This is attached to a copper rectifier that contains 18 plates and has a pump system for internal cycling of spirit so that it can be extracted and re-introduced to and from any level. This means that there are very low levels of both foreshots and feints because of the great level of control of the distilling process that this allows. The barley malt wash that is used in the still is produced by Brains Brewery in Cardiff and is added to the still at around 8% abv. Because they buy in the wash the distillery does not need a separate wash and spirit still so the whole process can take place in the one still. The final barley spirit that is produced is around 92% alcohol by volume.
The new spirit is around 63% abv and is transferred to old American bourbon barrels that have previously contained Evan Williams bourbon or Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey and subsequently finished in other casks (madeira, sherry, port or old Islay Scotch casks) depending on the required finish. The level of production is much lower than that of Scotch distilleries with only a single barrel of Penderyn being produced each day. All Penderyn whisky is bottled as nu-chill-filtered and generally at 46% abv (some newer releases are bottled at 41% abv) and they are generally around four and a half to seven years old. The whisky is designed to be ‘premium’ because of the limited production with the finest ingredients and traditional methods. The brand is very distinct with a very modern feel to the tall and slim bottles that are branded with their ‘AC’ hallmark (standing from Aur Cymru or Welsh Gold in Welsh) and a hand drawn flash of gold to signify the rarity of the whisky.
Their current range includes; Madeira (their flagship malt), Peated (finished in old Islay Scotch casks), Sherrywood, Madeira 41, Portwood 41, the Icons of Wales range introduced in 2012 (Red Flag and soon Independence limited editions), Single Cask editions and the Limited Edition/Batches (such as the WRU Grand Slam 2012 edition and the Swansea City 2012 Premium Edition). Currently only the first three are normally available as miniatures although there are sometimes others available in very limited numbers.
In December 2012 Penderyn announced that with some help from the Welsh Government they would be investing around £800,000 in a large expansion at their existing site. This is to include an additional ‘Faraday’ single pot still identical to the existing one in August 2013 and also a new two-pot still production unit in January 2014. This will allow them to eventually triple their production from the current 150,000 bottles a year to over 500,000 bottles a year. This will then allow them to meet the increasing demand for Penderyn Whisky in their current markets in the UK, France and Germany and to expand their exports throughout Europe, North America and Asia.
They also produce Brecon Special Reserve Gin, Five Premium Vodka and Merlyn Welsh Cream Liqueur. These are all produced in small batches in the same way as Penderyn Whisky. Brecon Special Reserve Gin is a distilled barley grain spirit infused with 10 specially selected botanicals added to the grain spirit. Five Premium Vodka is distilled five times for purity but with an increased amount of barley spirit from the Penderyn still each time to create smoothness and complexity. Merlyn Welsh Cream Liqueur is named after the mythical wizard of Wales and is a blend of the finest Welsh malted barley spirit and pure fresh dairy cream. Miniatures of all these spirits are also available.
So, if you have an early Welsh Whisky miniature in your collection of Scotch it may not actually be as out of place as you think.
Welsh Whisky… There is More!
(Date when published)
Following on from my last article on Welsh Whisky that was published in the Mini Bottle Club Newsletter (Issue 3 of 2013), I thought that I would produce a follow up article with information about another Welsh Distillery that will soon be producing its own Welsh Whisky.
Photo of the Distillery (photo used with permission of the distillery)
There is another new distillery making its mark in Wales, this is the Dà Mhìle Distillery. Their story starts in 1992 when John Savage-Onstwedder (an organic farmer and one of the founders of the Teifi Farmhouse Cheese) commissioned the Springbank Distillery to produce the world’s first organic whisky to commemorate the millennium. This is also where the distillery name of Dà Mhìle (pronounced as da-vee-lay) is derived from as it is Gaelic for two thousand. This means that their company actually pre-dates the better known Welsh distillery of Penderyn, where the company was formed in 1999 and they started distilling in 2000. From the 11 tonnes of organic barley that was delivered to the distillery, Springbank managed to fill 15 hogsheads (barrels) of new barley spirit. Also, of these 15 hogsheads, 5 still remain untouched and will celebrate their 23rd birthday in the summer of 2015. In 2000 they also commissioned a few barrels of both malt and grain whisky from Loch Lomond distillery.
Photo A, B and C
The story continues that in 2010 they applied for their own 'distillers licence' from the HMRC. It was their intention to have a 350 litre state-of-the-art copper pot-still and become a Welsh farmhouse distillery. Their licence was granted and it is thought that this is the first distiller’s licence issued for a 350 litre still to have been issued in the UK. This is tiny compared to the vast majority of Scottish distilleries and even the original Penderyn still (that is 2,500 litres) making them a true micro-distillery. During the following three years they managed to obtain the other licences that are needed by a distillery before they actually start distilling spirit, such as a warehouse keeper’s licence and movement guarantee.
Finally, in the autumn of 2012 first Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones opened the distillery and Dà Mhìle started distilling their own spirit (used to produce gin) at Glynhynod Farm in Ceredigion. On the 14th April 2015 they distilled the first organic Welsh malt whisky. This can go on sale for the first time on the 21st April in 2018, however the first grain was distilled in the Summer of 2013 so could be available sometime late next year.
Photo of the Still (photo used with permission of the distillery)
The distillery performs all stages of the process on site. From brewing, through to distilling, bottling, labelling and warehousing. By the end of 2015 they will also have have their own malting floor in place, making them one of very few distilleries in the UK to malt their own barley on site.
The eldest son of John Savage-Onstwedder, John-James, is the distillery manager. He trained at the Kilchoman distillery in Scotland and with Dr. Klaus Hagmann who holds a PhD in distilling and also designed the distillery still. His first product was the Dà Mhìle 'Orange 33' which is an organic, orange liqueur that won him a 'True Taste Award' for its first batch. His next product was the Dà Mhìle botanical farmhouse gin. Later on St David's Day 2014 they launch their very unique 'Seaweed Gin' that uses a selection of seaweeds from the Newquay coast of West Wales and the West coast of Ireland and this leaves the gin with a very distinct green hue.
Photo of Gallery (photo used with permission of the distillery)
The distillery has a 'hands-on' tour where they describe their history and take the visitors through the workings of a small-scale distillery finishing in the tasting gallery above the distillery with the top of the still column protruding into the room from below. There are also plans to expand this to become more of a visitors centre with plans for a small café and also to display some of the local artists work.
Photo 1, 2, 3 and 4
Their current range of artisan organic spirits includes the original 1992 Springbank single malt whisky, the later 2000 Loch Lomond Malt and grain whisky (both 12 and 14 year old), Dà Mhìle Blended Scotch Whisky (the only blended whisky to contain Springbank Single Malt), the Orange 33 liqueur, the original small batch botanical farmhouse gin, the seaweed gin and also more recently an oak aged gin. These will obviously be joined soon their own home distilled organic Welsh whisky including some expressions matured in French organic red and white wine barrels, some organic Jerez barrels and even organic port barrels.
I for one will be watching this distillery very closely in the next few years, especially once they start bottling and selling their own expressions of Welsh whisky.
(Date when published)
Following on from my last article on Welsh Whisky that was published in the Mini Bottle Club Newsletter (Issue 3 of 2013), I thought that I would produce a follow up article with information about another Welsh Distillery that will soon be producing its own Welsh Whisky.
Photo of the Distillery (photo used with permission of the distillery)
There is another new distillery making its mark in Wales, this is the Dà Mhìle Distillery. Their story starts in 1992 when John Savage-Onstwedder (an organic farmer and one of the founders of the Teifi Farmhouse Cheese) commissioned the Springbank Distillery to produce the world’s first organic whisky to commemorate the millennium. This is also where the distillery name of Dà Mhìle (pronounced as da-vee-lay) is derived from as it is Gaelic for two thousand. This means that their company actually pre-dates the better known Welsh distillery of Penderyn, where the company was formed in 1999 and they started distilling in 2000. From the 11 tonnes of organic barley that was delivered to the distillery, Springbank managed to fill 15 hogsheads (barrels) of new barley spirit. Also, of these 15 hogsheads, 5 still remain untouched and will celebrate their 23rd birthday in the summer of 2015. In 2000 they also commissioned a few barrels of both malt and grain whisky from Loch Lomond distillery.
Photo A, B and C
The story continues that in 2010 they applied for their own 'distillers licence' from the HMRC. It was their intention to have a 350 litre state-of-the-art copper pot-still and become a Welsh farmhouse distillery. Their licence was granted and it is thought that this is the first distiller’s licence issued for a 350 litre still to have been issued in the UK. This is tiny compared to the vast majority of Scottish distilleries and even the original Penderyn still (that is 2,500 litres) making them a true micro-distillery. During the following three years they managed to obtain the other licences that are needed by a distillery before they actually start distilling spirit, such as a warehouse keeper’s licence and movement guarantee.
Finally, in the autumn of 2012 first Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones opened the distillery and Dà Mhìle started distilling their own spirit (used to produce gin) at Glynhynod Farm in Ceredigion. On the 14th April 2015 they distilled the first organic Welsh malt whisky. This can go on sale for the first time on the 21st April in 2018, however the first grain was distilled in the Summer of 2013 so could be available sometime late next year.
Photo of the Still (photo used with permission of the distillery)
The distillery performs all stages of the process on site. From brewing, through to distilling, bottling, labelling and warehousing. By the end of 2015 they will also have have their own malting floor in place, making them one of very few distilleries in the UK to malt their own barley on site.
The eldest son of John Savage-Onstwedder, John-James, is the distillery manager. He trained at the Kilchoman distillery in Scotland and with Dr. Klaus Hagmann who holds a PhD in distilling and also designed the distillery still. His first product was the Dà Mhìle 'Orange 33' which is an organic, orange liqueur that won him a 'True Taste Award' for its first batch. His next product was the Dà Mhìle botanical farmhouse gin. Later on St David's Day 2014 they launch their very unique 'Seaweed Gin' that uses a selection of seaweeds from the Newquay coast of West Wales and the West coast of Ireland and this leaves the gin with a very distinct green hue.
Photo of Gallery (photo used with permission of the distillery)
The distillery has a 'hands-on' tour where they describe their history and take the visitors through the workings of a small-scale distillery finishing in the tasting gallery above the distillery with the top of the still column protruding into the room from below. There are also plans to expand this to become more of a visitors centre with plans for a small café and also to display some of the local artists work.
Photo 1, 2, 3 and 4
Their current range of artisan organic spirits includes the original 1992 Springbank single malt whisky, the later 2000 Loch Lomond Malt and grain whisky (both 12 and 14 year old), Dà Mhìle Blended Scotch Whisky (the only blended whisky to contain Springbank Single Malt), the Orange 33 liqueur, the original small batch botanical farmhouse gin, the seaweed gin and also more recently an oak aged gin. These will obviously be joined soon their own home distilled organic Welsh whisky including some expressions matured in French organic red and white wine barrels, some organic Jerez barrels and even organic port barrels.
I for one will be watching this distillery very closely in the next few years, especially once they start bottling and selling their own expressions of Welsh whisky.
