Wolfburn distillery
 | |
| Region: Highland | |
|---|---|
| Location | Thurso, Caithness |
| Owner | Aurora Brewing |
| Founded | 1822 (closed c. 1877 – reopened 2013) |
| Status | Operational |
| Water source | Wolf Burn |
| No. of stills | 1 wash 1 spirit |
| Capacity | 125,000 litres |
| Cask type(s) | American Oak Bourbon Oak Quarter Cask Bourbon Hogsheads Oloroso sherry |
58°35′43″N 03°33′05″W / 58.59528°N 3.55139°W Wolfburn distillery is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland. After ceasing production in the 1860s, a new distillery of the same name opened in 2013.
History
[edit]Wolfburn Distillery was founded just to the west of the town of Thurso, Caithness,[1] in 1821[2] by William Smith.[3] The distillery was of considerable size for its day and ran as a successful commercial enterprise for several decades, being handed down through several generations of the Smith family.[4] It is thought to have ceased production during the 1850s, although the exact date is a matter of debate. The distillery appears on the first Ordnance Survey map of the area, dated 1872, marked as a ruin. The reasons for its demise are unclear - very little remains of the original distillery and there are no known photographs. However, records of its annual production volumes of whisky can be found in tax returns, which show it producing 28,056 “Total Gallons of Proof Spirit” during 1826 (roughly 125,000 litres) – making it the biggest distillery in Caithness at the time.[5]
Revival
[edit]In 2012 a private consortium gained approval from the Caithness planning authorities to build a new Wolfburn distillery in Henderson Park, Thurso.[6][7][8] The new distillery is situated approximately 350 m from the site of the old one and draws its water from the Wolf Burn (stream), whence it gets its name. The reinvented Wolfburn site consists of four buildings: the distillery itself and three warehouses for the laying down of casks. Local fabricators Forsyths were contracted to install the distillery plant and equipment. Wolfburn is the most northerly whisky distillery on the Scottish mainland and produces single malt Scotch whisky. Production commenced in early 2013.[9]
In February 2016 the new Wolfburn Distillery commenced bottling operations, in a purpose-built on-site bottling facility. The inaugural whisky was launched globally in March 2016 and has gone on to win several gold medal awards in international competitions.[10][11][12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Farrell, S (2005w) 'Pennylands, Thurso, Highland (Thurso parish), watching brief', Discovery Excav Scot, vol.6 Page(s): 89
- ^ Butler, John. "Edinburgh malt whisky tour". www.dcs.ed.ac.uk.
- ^ "The Whisky Portal: Wolfburn Distillery". www.whiskyportal.com.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Wolf Burn Wolfburn Distillery (90949)". Canmore. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ Commons, Great Britain Parliament House of (1 November 1832). "Parliamentary Papers". H.M. Stationery Office – via Google Books.
- ^ "Bid to revive Thurso distillery after 135-year gap | Thurso - the Energy Town". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- ^ [1] Caithness planning authorities decision notice
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ "New Wolfburn plant up and running".
- ^ "WhiskyIntelligence.com » Blog Archive » Triple Crown For Wolfburn – Whisky News - whisky industry press releases, newsletters, events, tasting notes, bottlings and comments".
- ^ "Wolfburn Wins Gold! - Whisky Time". Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- ^ "US success for Wolfburn | Scottish Field". Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Thurso distillery to re-open after more than a century
- Wolf Burn Distillery history
- 1877 Ordnance survey map
- Canmore Mapping showing details for Wolf Burn (ND16NW 83)
