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NEW DORNOCH DISTILLERY SEEKS CROWDFUNDING

March 2016

The Dornoch Distillery Company has launched its own crowdfunding campaign to raise enough capital to begin converting a 135-year-old fire station into a distillery.

Simon and Phil Thompson plan to transform the Old Fire Station in Dornoch into a traditional Scotch whisky distillery.

Phil and Simon Thompson, directors of the family-owned Dornoch Castle Hotel in Sutherland, Highlands, intend to build a traditional, organic microdistillery within the Old Fire Station at the hotel.

The project has already received planning permission from Highland Council and work to transform the building is due to start imminently.

The brothers are using the platform to generate funding without resorting to bank loans or private equity, and provided there are no regulatory or build delays, expect the distillery to be operational by August 2016.

As part of the crowd funding campaign the Dornoch Distillery Company is offering five different levels of investment.

Investors that donate a minimum of £50 will be given a bottle of first release gin, an official Dornoch distillery t-shirt and be eligible for special offers exclusive to founders.

Those investing £2,000 – the top funding tier available – will get a Dornoch distillery octave cask (50 litres), a cask owner hoodie, a bottle of 5-year-old Dornoch single cask malt whisky, a bottle of the distillery’s first single malt at cask strength, and an opportunity to join the distillery’s experimental tasting panel, as well as other benefits.

Just 100 of the top-tier investment option, which includes an octave cask, will be made available.

Phil Thompson said: ‘We are looking for people to help us and support us with this project. It’s been a pretty heavy past 12 months, but we’re at a point where we’re ready to go.

‘We’ve put our own flat on the market and our own finances into this project. We are looking for people who genuinely feel passionate about old style whisky and also spirits who want to be involved in this project from the early stage.’

Once operational, Dornoch distillery will produce a traditional style of malt spirit made using heritage varieties of organic floor malted barley, brewers’ yeast, long fermentations in wooden washbacks made from oak, and direct-fired pot stills.

An additional 2,000-litre pot and column still will also be used to produce gin and white spirits using organic cereals and botanicals.

Simon Thompson said: ‘We’re trying to make a style of whisky which has long been extinct; a style that hasn’t existed since the 70s and before.

‘We’ve been looking at what we consider to be some of the best whiskies ever made, especially in the ‘60s, ‘50s, ‘40s, ‘30s, and attempting to not quite reverse engineer, but understand the principles of production that created those ranges of flavours. We think that’s something that can be achieved again.’

Dornoch single malt whisky will be matured in organic ex-Bourbon, rye and Sherry casks, and bottled at either cask strength or 46% abv without chill filtration or added caramel colour.

The distillery has the capacity to produce just 37,000 bottles of cask strength whisky per year.

DORNOCH SEEKS FUNDING FOR NEW DISTILLERY

August 2018

Dornoch distillery has launched a second crowdfunding campaign to finance a move to new, larger premises.

Dornoch has outgrown its current home in a 19th-century fire station

The Highland whisky and gin distillery intends to move its operations to the site of an old slaters’ yard located only 200 metres away from its current home in a former 135-year-old fire station in the grounds of the Dornoch Castle Hotel in Sutherland.

The move will enable the distillery to increase production of its single malt whisky and Thompson Brother’s Organic Highland Gin, as well as provide space for a new on-site shop and tasting room.

Phil Thompson, co-owner of Dornoch distillery, said: ‘We never anticipated just how much demand there would be. The expansion means we can meet that demand while still maintaining our ruthless dedication to old-style production methods and quality levels.’

Dornoch distillery creates a style of whisky that imitates the ‘distillate character, mouthfeel and tropical fruits’ of those made prior to the 1960s.

Simon Thompson, co-founder, said: ‘No one else is making this style of whisky any more, so we wanted to push the envelope and see if we could create a whisky which harks back to these extinct Scotch whisky characteristics.’

The new, larger distillery will be situated just 200 metres away from the existing site

The campaign is offering backers the chance to purchase one of 250 casks of maturing spirit by way of contribution:

A £2,000 contribution will net the backer an ex-Bourbon Octave cask, of which 180 are available.

A £2,400 contribution will get a 50-litre American oak oloroso Sherry-seasoned cask, of which 20 are available.

A £4,000 contribution will provide a 100-litre ex-Bourbon cask, of which 30 are available.

A £4,500 contribution will net the backer a 100-litre ex-Bourbon cask seasoned with oloroso Sherry, of which 20 are available.

The Thompson brothers launched their first crowdfunding campaign in March 2016, which financed the convertion of the disused fire station into a distillery.

Dornoch laid down its first casks of spirit in February 2017, before switching focus to produce its first batches of ‘experimental’ gin.

Work on the new site is expected to begin in October 2018.

Following a passion for single malt Scotch produced during the early 20th century, Simon and Philip Thompson’s Dornoch distillery is a hotbed for traditional practices. With a capacity of just 20,000 litres of spirit a year, the hand-operated distillery is one of the smallest in Scotland, which enables a tighter focus on running experimental batches using a variety of methods adopted by Scottish distilleries during the 1940s-60s.

Only organic, heritage varieties of barley are used, such as Plumage Archer and Maris Otter, floor malted to a precise specification at Warminster maltings. These alternative barley varieties, which are more expensive to grow and yield a lower amount of spirit than conventional strains, are used to generate an intensity of flavour in Dornoch’s whisky to complement long-term maturation.

Yeast strains are chosen for their slow, and less efficient conversion rates, allowing Dornoch to achieve fermentation times of up to 216 hours – quite possibly the longest in Scotland. The result is a fruity, complex flavour profile, which the Thompsons believe mirrors that of certain distilleries during their ‘golden years’. Again, at Dornoch flavour trumps yield.

Experimentation continues through to the maturation, which takes place in an insulated shipping container packed with earth to mimic the conditions of a dunnage warehouse.

While 90% of production will be dedicated to single malt whisky (a signature style hasn’t been decided yet), Dornoch will also distil its own ‘experimental’ gin, the botanicals for which will vary from batch to batch.

The original Dornoch Castle was built around the end of the 15th century, although the age of the oldest surviving part of the structure is unclear. It had been a gift from Bishop Robert Stewart to his brother-in-law, the Earl of Sutherland, in 1557, who was tasked with safeguarding the property for the Church from the swell of Lutherans in the Highlands. It never did pass back into the Church’s ownership again. The castle eventually passed to private ownership in 1922, and was renovated into a hotel in 1947.

Colin and Ros Thompson acquired the premises in 2000, and along with their sons, Simon and Philip, soon established a reputation for Dornoch Castle as a whisky hotel.

The brothers, who began working behind the family bar as soon as they were old enough, began collecting whisky and building up Dornoch’s now enviable collection. It was during their early years at Dornoch that the Thompson brothers fell in love with pre-1960s Scotch whisky. They began bottling their own expressions from sourced stocks – under the Simon & Philip Thompson label – and gradually developed the idea to establish their own distillery on the castle grounds.

In 2015 planning permission was granted to transform a former 19th century fire station on the grounds – which was simply being used for junk storage – into a small distillery. To bankroll the project, the brothers put their flat on the market and began crowdfunding, eventually raising enough to begin producing test runs before Christmas 2016.

Dornoch distillery laid down ‘Cask 0’ – a test run of single malt spirit – in February 2017, before briefly switching focus to producing its first batch of ‘experimental’ gin, which was released in UK retailers in June 2017.

CAPACITY (MLPA) i

30.000 Ltrs

FERMENTATION TIME i

168-216 Hours

FILLING STRENGTH i

63.5% abv

GRIST WEIGHT (T) i

0.38

HEAT SOURCE i

Direct gas firing

MALT SPECIFICATION i

Floor malted, organic heritage varieties

MALT SUPPLIER i

Warminster floor maltings

MASH TUN TYPE i

Semi-Lauter

SINGLE MALT PERCENTAGE i

100%

SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L) i

400

SPIRIT STILL SHAPE i

Alembic

SPIRIT STILL SIZE (L) i

500

STILLS i

WAREHOUSING i

Dunnage, in an insulated shipping container

WASH STILL CHARGE (L) i

800-900

WASH STILL SHAPE i

Alembic

WASH STILL SIZE (L) i

1,000

WASHBACK SIZE (L) i

1,200

WASHBACK TYPE i

European Oak

WASHBACKS i

WATER SOURCE i

Mains via ceramic beaded filters

WORT CLARITY i

Various

YEAST TYPE i

Brewers' yeast

Dornoch Distillery Company

Dornoch Distillery Company was initially established by brothers Simon and Philip Thompson as Black Isle Whisky Company, a Dornoch-based enterprise predominantly concerned with bottling whiskies and rums for third parties, as well as other ‘whisky-related odds and ends’.

Today the business continues to bottle some single malt whiskies and older rums, but also operates Dornoch distillery adjacent to the Dornoch Castle Hotel.

Dornoch Distillery Company was originally founded in 2013 as independent bottler Black Isle Whisky Company. The name was changed in 2015 when planning permission to transform an old 19th century fire station into a distillery was granted. Company founders Simon and Philip Thompson spent the next year raising finance for the project – which included selling their own flat – and in December 2016 Dornoch distillery was finally operational

Not content with establishing one of the World’s leading whisky bars in Dornoch, brothers Phil and Simon Thompson have upped their ambitions and started making their own whisky and gin on-site at Dornoch Castle Hotel, forming Dornoch’s first whisky distillery.

Thompson Bros at Dornoch Distillery was founded following a successful initial crowdfunding round in 2016 which saw 250 whisky lovers from all over the world eagerly put their hands in their pockets to secure hotly anticipated casks of new make spirit from Dornoch Distillery. A remarkably successful 2017 saw the team lay down casks of future single malt whisky and launch Thompson Brother’s Organic Highland Gin, available in 11 international markets.

The success of Thompson Bros Organic Highland Gin and the need for more production, storage and distilling space led to the brothers launching the second round of crowdfunding in summer 2018 with the aim of expanding into a larger more versatile site.

We hope you can join us on our journey.

Thompson Bros at Dornoch Distillery

Barley

The process starts with malted barley. We favour older floor malted heritage varieties, which we believe provide a higher degree of complexity in our spirit.

Milling

The malted barley is then milled into a grist composed of husks, grits and flour. The composition of which is very important to enable us to get an efficient extraction.

Mashing

Next the milled grain is loaded into the Mash-tun along with hot water. During this stage the complex carbohydrates within the grain are converted into simple sugars. When this conversion is complete, we filter off the sugary ‘worts’ and chill it, ready for the next stage.

Draff

After mashing the spent grain is collected and provides local sheep with plenty of calories

Yeast

We use a variety of yeast stains, propagated in house along with spent brewers yeast from local breweries.

Fermentation

The chilled worts are filled into our open top eastern European oak washbacks along with the yeast to begin converting the delicious sugars into alcohol. Our fermentations run for a minimum of 168hrs. A long fermentation allows a lot of bacterial activity to contribute even more deliciousness after the yeast finished its work. The result is called Wash.

Wash distillation

The Wash is then distilled into low wines. We don’t use anti-foam, so favour a low fill and a long slow distillation.

Spirit Distillation

Next the low wines are combined with the foreshots and feints from the previous spirit run, again, we favour a low fill and a long slow distillation. We select the heart of the spirit by sense, cutting out the early foreshots and later feints.

Casking

Our precious new make spirit is filled into a variety of casks including first fill bourbon, de-char/re-char and sherry as well as a selection of refill casks left over from our independent bottlings.

Ballot Information

With the success of our ballot system, used for Cask 001 and Bimber #167, we have expanded on the concept with an automated custom software program. Only 1 bottle of cask 001 was sold by a crowdfunder/tier 1 person. The idea is that your ballot status is more valuable than making some fast money so you might as well enjoy your whisky and not think about resell values.

The program was designed to:

Be spam resistant

Be bot resistant

Cut out flippers

Get whisky to drinkers and supporters

Get whisky to bars and clubs

Now with more tiers! We are now running 8 tiers and mandatory accounts. The lower the tier the greater the chances (1 – 8). The more we are able to verify our customers, the lower their tier. We will run ballots for 48 hours. You will not know your tier.

What to do.

Make an account on https://www.thompsonbrosdistillers.com/my-account/

Keep an eye out for emails from us, make sure we are exempt from spam filters and you have confirmed your subscription to our newsletter

Enter ballot (one entry per person/household)

If we have multiple Ballots available, you must check out ONE AT A TIME

How it works:

When you checkout with a ballot entry and enter your card details, Dornoch Distillery will place a “hold” on your account for the cost of the product. Basically, our payment system holds the option to remove that amount from your account. If you win the ballot, the amount is automatically removed from your account, if you do not win the ballot, the “hold” is released. When there is a hold on your account, you can not spend that money. It may take several days for your bank to allow you access to that amount after we drop the hold. Please contact your bank if the money is not returned to your account.

How do I get even more verified?

We are manually adjusting the tiers of our customers, we won’t say how we do this or what tier you are in. if you want to provide evidence to help us get you to a higher tier, We’d love to see the following:

Be a good whisky person 😉

Send us pictures of you with your open/empty bottles of Thompson Bros/DD bottlings

No stuff about death or tragedy as a justification for getting whisky

Drink your whisky

Email: ballot@dornochdistillery.com

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR BOTTLES!

We will keep track of who receives which bottle number from each batch via the ballot system (Dornoch Distillery bottlings). If your bottle is sold and we find out about it, you will be removed from the ballot system entirely. If we catch you flipping bottles, you will be dropped.

The fate of your bottles is your responsibility. If someone else uses a numbered bottle you bought via ballot to increase tier status, you are dropped from the ballot.

If something doesn’t pass the smell test, we reserve the right to adjust your tier or drop you. We have a number of safeguards in place and we have caught a lot of attempts to manipulate previous ballots. We go a bit overboard on this so I wouldn’t recommend trying your luck.

Crowdfunders

Crowdfunders, who were previously tier 1 (of 2) will start at a high tier. You are initially top of the pile as tiers, but there is still a path to further improve your chances. It is helpful if your webshop account uses the same lead name/email address used to sign up for the crowdfunding campaign.

Bars and Clubs

We encourage our importers and distributors to supply good whisky bars. Please get in touch if you need a contact for your region. If you have an account with us that is *only* for a bar or club, we will happily put you at a lower tier with a high chance of winning with the following conditions:

The won bottles are only used for the bar/club

We reserve the right to publicly publish your organisation as a winner

We reserve the right to write your organisation’s name on the label

Fair pricing

We hope you can join us on our journey.

A gift from us to you...

As many of you are aware, over the past year, we've navigated through numerous hurdles in our quest to obtain planning permission for our new distillery in Dornoch. This dream, nurtured for many years, took a significant step forward in September 2022 when we initiated the first phase—a community consultation here in Dornoch. The primary goal was to secure support from fellow Dornoch businesses, community groups, and local residents. The response we received was overwhelmingly positive, bolstering our confidence as we submitted our planning application in December 2022.

Fast forward 11 months, and we are thrilled to share the incredible news with all of you: We have officially been granted planning permission for our new distillery, boasting a production capacity of 200,000 litres of pure alcohol per year, two new bonded warehouses, and a visitor centre/shop. We are now the proud owners of a very expensive piece of paper...

We simply cannot express how grateful we are for the unwavering support you have provided us over the past few years, especially throughout this challenging 11-month journey. This process has been arduous, and countless individuals have played pivotal roles in helping us achieve our goal. Your kind words of encouragement and unwavering confidence in us have been a constant source of motivation.

In gratitude for your support, we're delighted to offer you something special. Throughout November and December, we are extending a 10% discount on all products available on our website! Simply use the code "planning23" at checkout to redeem this exclusive offer. (Please note: This discount does not apply to live ballot products.)

We hope that this small token of appreciation conveys our heartfelt thanks for the incredible support you've provided us throughout this challenging year.

With much appreciation and warmth,

The Dornoch Distillery Team 🥃🎉

Thompson Bros at Dornoch Distillery

Ballot Information

The program was designed to:

Be spam resistant

Be bot resistant

Cut out flippers

Get whisky to drinkers and supporters

Get whisky to bars and clubs

What to do.

Make an account on https://www.thompsonbrosdistillers.com/my-account/

Keep an eye out for emails from us, make sure we are exempt from spam filters and you have confirmed your subscription to our newsletter

Enter ballot (one entry per person/household)

If we have multiple Ballots available, you must check out ONE AT A TIME

How it works:

How do I get even more verified?

Be a good whisky person 😉

Send us pictures of you with your open/empty bottles of Thompson Bros/DD bottlings

No stuff about death or tragedy as a justification for getting whisky

Drink your whisky

Email: ballot@dornochdistillery.com

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR BOTTLES!

The fate of your bottles is your responsibility. If someone else uses a numbered bottle you bought via ballot to increase tier status, you are dropped from the ballot.

Crowdfunders

Bars and Clubs

The won bottles are only used for the bar/club

We reserve the right to publicly publish your organisation as a winner

We reserve the right to write your organisation’s name on the label

Fair pricing

Six Scotch whisky distilleries team up to bring back 1920s techniques - how to try the spirits

Whisky

Six Scotch whisky distilleries team up to bring back 1920s techniques - how to try the spirits

Six Scotch whisky distilleries have been working on a new whisky collection, made using age-old distillation techniques.

Updated 9 th Sep 2024

Six of Scotland’s independent distilleries have partnered with James Eadie to create an innovative whisky collection, bringing nearly-forgotten 1920s distillation techniques back to life.

Project 1927 is the first collaboration of its kind, uniting independent distilleries across Scotland to revive century-old production methods.

Inspired by a historic early 20th-century guide to Scotch whisky production, this September marks the first time the public can experience these historic spirits, as each distillery’s unique new make spirit is released in a special collection, marking the beginning of their journey to becoming whisky.

The Distillation of Whisky, 1927-1931, one of the few available practical first-hand resources dating from Scotch whisky’s early history, was republished by James Eadie Ltd in 2023 in collaboration with the British Library, and illuminates lost whisky-making techniques from the interwar years.

Crafted at Ardnamurchan, Dornoch, Holyrood, InchDairnie, Lochlea, and ‘An Unnamed Farm Distillery in the Heart of the Kingdom of Fife’, with assistance from whisky expert Dave Broom and Alan Winchester, former master distiller of The Glenlivet, the inventive new make spirits were produced adhering to techniques derived from The Distillation of Whisky.

Each distillery has drawn its own inspiration from the book to imitate production methods from 100 years ago, blending tradition with modern expertise to produce spirits that offer a truly unique taste of Scotch whisky’s rich heritage. This collaborative effort not only revives lost techniques but also sets a new benchmark in today's whisky industry.

The distilleries had exclusive use of locally grown barley or those varieties that were grown in the 1920s as well as exclusive use of brewer's yeast for distilling, something which was standard at that time but is now almost unheard of.

New make spirit packs will also include a ‘blended at birth’ bottling containing spirit from each of the distilleries blended together.

Each of the new make spirits have been bottled at 63.4% ABV, with an exclusive presale for buyers of The Distillation of Whisky, launching on 24 September.

The James Eadie Ltd team (L-R Rupert Patrick, Leon Kuebler and Hugh Barron) with copies of The Distillation of Whisky and The Distilleries of Great Britain & Ireland in The British Library, where the original texts were found.

Leon Kuebler, Brand Director at James Eadie Ltd, said: “James Eadie is a business rooted in Scotch whisky’s rich tradition.

Hebridean Whisky Festival 2024: Dates, tickets and what distilleries are taking part in annual event

"Our dream was always to recreate the whisky of 100 years ago, even if the huge challenges involved meant that we doubted it could ever be done.

"To have the opportunity to develop this project on an industry-wide level with six of the best distilleries in Scotland today, in conjunction with Alan Winchester and Dave Broom, two of the most knowledgeable authorities on Scotch whisky has truly been the privilege of a lifetime.

“Project 1927 is not just about reviving the past; it is about celebrating the enduring legacy of Scotch whisky and the innovative spirit of today’s distillers. We believe whisky enthusiasts will find these spirits as fascinating as they are unique, and we look forward to experiencing the journey together as the spirit matures.”

Arthur Motley, Managing Director at Royal Mile Whiskies, where the tasting packs are available said: "Ever since Leon shared his brilliant idea to involve these six amazing distilleries, I knew it was something extraordinary to be a part of. As someone who deeply appreciates whisky history, this project is a rare chance to delve into Scotland’s distilling heritage like never before.

“The dedication, ingenuity and expertise poured into these spirits genuinely excites me; they’re a true reflection of what makes the Scotch whisky industry so special today. At Royal Mile Whiskies, we’re honoured to be the chosen retailer for The Distillation of Whisky book and these exceptional spirit packs."

Ewan McGregor to auction island whisky from his own cask for charity - how to buy a bottle

Dave Broom, whisky expert and author, added: “This was an inspired idea from Leon, to not only discover the truths of how whisky was made in the 1920s - exploding a few myths along the way - but then turning the information contained in this must-have book into something tangible. It is one thing to read the theory, but whisky is about flavour. Here was a way to learn.

“The Scotch industry is at a fascinating stage in its evolution with any number of forward-thinking distillers using ‘old’ techniques to maximise flavour and increase complexity.

"Here was a toolkit for them to continue those explorations. The new makes they have produced are remarkable and fascinating. Congratulations to all involved.'”

James Eadie Ltd plans to continue this series, maturing these new make spirits into whisky with future releases to follow in coming years.

How to try the new make spirits from Project 1927

The Distillation of Whisky, 1927-1931, is exclusively available for purchase at independent whisky specialist retailer, Royal Mile Whiskies.

Glenfiddich launches new Grand Series whisky - The Grand Château

Customers who purchase the book can enjoy an exclusive presale of the new make spirits priced at £115.00 on September 17, 2024.

The new make spirits will be available for general sale at Royal Mile Whiskies from September 24, 2024.

Thompson Bros at Dornoch Distillery

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Home All Dornoch Castle Whisky Club – New Membership 2024

Dornoch Castle Whisky ClubWhisky Club boxWhisky Club box - card and neck tagWhisky Club box - bottles and glassesWhisky Club Exclusive BottlingsWhisky Club Tasting NotesWhisky Club - sales sectionWhisky Club - bottle keep

Dornoch Castle Whisky Club – New Membership 2024

£208.33 ex UK VAT

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Welcome to our new and improved Dornoch Castle Whisky Club – fulfilled by Dornoch Distillery Company

What is included in the package:

The Starter Pack –

Welcome Letter

2 x Thompson Bros branded Rastal whisky tasting glasses

1 x 20cl bottle of a unique composition of Dornoch Single Malt Scotch Whisky 4 Years Old

1 x 20cl bottle of Thompson Bros exclusive Caol Ila 13 Years Old

A neck tag with your membership number for the bottle keep

A whisky club membership card (please sign this with a permanent marker)

Ongoing Member benefits –

20% off direct accommodation bookings at the Dornoch Castle Hotel (excludes special events and Hogmanay, member must be present)

15% ‘Friends and Family’ discount off direct accommodation bookings at the Dornoch Castle Hotel (excludes special events and Hogmanay)

15% off food at the Dornoch Castle Hotel (excludes special events and Hogmanay, up to groups of 10, member must be present)

First refusal on exclusive bottlings, including Dornoch Castle bottlings, Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland bottlings and breakeven bottlings

Option to keep your bottle of choice in our exclusive ‘Member Bottle Keep’ located in our World Famous Whisky Bar. These bottles will be yours to enjoy while visiting (maximum guest pours per stay apply at the discretion of the hotel staff)

Access to a members-only bottle shop, hidden away in our 15th-century vaulted dungeon with exciting old and rare bottlings (available at the hotel staff’s discretion and subject to availability, in-person purchases only)

Monthly updates from the team outlining current offers, monthly breakeven bar bottles and upcoming events

Cost (all prices include UK VAT) –

£250 for the first year, starter pack and joining fee – this includes free UK delivery for the starter packs, for non-UK members, a delivery fee will incur – please contact us for more information

If you live within the IV and KW postcodes in Scotland, we are offering a £50 discount off the joining fee for the Dornoch Castle Hotel Whisky Club – use code IVKW at checkout

£100 yearly subscription (works out at less than £8.50 per month!!) – the automatic payment renewal will start 1 year after the date of your purchase, please contact us one month before the renewal date if you do not wish to continue your membership