Wolfburn Distillery Launches “Aurora” Sherry Oak Expression　　

Wolfburn Distillery is today delighted to announce the launch of its second permanent whisky expression, Aurora. The new release is made from a combination of whisky matured in first-fill Spanish sherry casks and American ex-Bourbon casks.

“Aurora is a truly splendid malt,” commented Shane Fraser, distillery manager. “The sherry casks have done an excellent job, producing a really sweet and flavourful whisky. Combined with spirit matured in the ex-Bourbon casks, it makes for a deeper flavour and an incredibly smooth finish. We’re very confident that customers worldwide are going to love it.”

Aurora has been planned by Shane and his team since the inception of the distillery in 2012. Approximately one third of Wolfburn’s laydown is maturing in a combination of first and second-fill sherry casks, with the remainder in American oak (mainly ex-Bourbon casks). “All the casks are hand-selected,” states Shane. “That’s one of the joys of Wolfburn – we’re relatively small in scale, which means our attention to detail and quality control is second to none.”

Wolfburn’s first release was launched in February, to wide acclaim. 2016 sales have significantly exceeded expectations, with distribution now taking place in 21 countries worldwide. “It has been an amazing experience, seeing the brand take off like this,” says Shane. “We always had high hopes for our whisky but the reaction globally has been better than anyone forecast. It’s a great starting point for the business.”

Photographs:

1. Shane Fraser with Aurora carton
2. Shane Fraser with Aurora carton and bottle
3. Aurora carton and bottle studio image

ABOUT WOLFURN:

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, thereby becoming the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland. 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 single malt scotch whisky. Wolfburn’s inaugural whisky was launched globally in February 2016.

Wolfburn Distillery, Henderson Park, Thurso, Caithness KW14 7XW

www.wolfburn.com