Wolfburn Distillery Beats First Year Production Target

Thurso, Caithness, 17th December 2013.

The new Wolfburn Distillery has completed its first year of production and has beaten its annual target, producing 190,000 litres of bulk spirit – 7,000 more than initially forecast.

Construction of the new Wolfburn Distillery was completed in early 2013 and full production began on 25th January. Since that time, 811 casks have been filled – the equivalent, if it was all to be bottled, of 375,000 bottles of whisky.

“It has been a truly fantastic first year, with production levels far ahead of expectations,” remarks Shane Fraser, Wolfburn production manager. “Right from the start the distillery equipment performed beautifully – we have had very little downtime, which has allowed us not only to maximize yields but also to implement a rolling maintenance plan to ensure the plant continues to operate as efficiently as possible.”

Shane and his team have laid down spirit in a variety of casks throughout 2013. These include small (120 litre) “quarter casks”, ex-bourbon hogsheads (250 litres), and Spanish sherry butts (500 litres). Only the finest oak casks have been used, with the sole aim of making the best possible single malt scotch whisky.

“Those people lucky enough to have tried the new spirit have given it tremendously good reviews,” says Iain Kerr, assistant manager. “We’re aiming to make Wolfburn a very smooth, aromatic and pleasing whisky to drink. So far the results have been absolutely excellent.”

As a result of the huge interest shown by journalists and public alike, Wolfburn distillery has released a small number of casks of whisky to private investors and collectors. “The interest from serious enthusiasts has been very impressive,” comments Shane Fraser. “We plan to release a few more next year, particularly to overseas collectors.”

Malted barley and casks have already been delivered to Wolfburn’s premises in Thurso in preparation for the start of 2014 production in early January.

NOTE: A high resolution image, logo and press release is available to download simply clicking on the media kit on the top right of this email. Alternatively, please email daniel.smith@wolfburn.com for more information.

ABOUT WOLFBURN:

The original Wolfburn Distillery was founded just to the west of Thurso by William Smith in 1821. In its day it was one of the largest distilleries in Scotland, producing, according to HMRC records, 28,056 “gallons of proof spirit” in a single year. Taking its name from the stream that provided the water – the Wolf Burn – the distillery operated until the 1860s. The reasons for its closure are lost in time, but by the 1870s the newly produced Ordnance Survey maps showed it being in ruins.

In 2011, plans were laid to resurrect the old distillery. Construction began in mid-2012 and in January 2013 the new Wolfburn Distillery commenced production. Situated 350m from the site of the original distillery, the new Wolfburn operates in much the same way as the old: craftsmen use traditional methods to produce fine spirit, which is laid down in best quality oak casks to await the day when it is bottled as whisky.