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DISTILLERIES
Wolfburn Distillery
DISTILLERY OVERVIEW
In 1821, William Smith founded the Wolfburn distillery on the outskirts of Thurso, Caithness,
the most northerly town on the British mainland, an area fringed by dramatic coastal scenery.
The distillery draws its water from eponymous stream, the Wolf Burn. Smith invested heavily in
Wolfburn and it quickly became a significant producer of malt whisky and one of the largest
in the country at that time, handed down through several generations of the Smith family.
Production seems to have ceased in the 1850s, although the exact date of the distillery’s
closing is unknown.
In 2011, plans were laid to resurrect the old distillery. After 150 years of neglect, the original
distillery was a barely discernible pile of stones, but the source of water remained: The
cold clear waters that fed the mash and stills all those years ago were still flowing just as
they always had. Led by Master Distiller Shane Fraser, formerly the production manager of
Glenfarclas Distillery, Wolfburn started production soon after construction was completed
in 2013.
DISTILLING PHILOSOPHY
Using un-peated malt, the stillmen of Wolfburn distillery today are crafting Wolfburn whisky
by pot still distillation the old-fashioned way: no automation, no rush, and a lot of care.
A variety of casks continue to be filled with new Wolfburn spirit and are laid down in the
warehouses to mature, where some will remain for many years to come. The distillery’s first
whisky will debut in 2016.
Owned by:
Under Private Ownership
Master Distiller:
Shane Fraser
Founded in:
2013
Region:
Highlands
Country:
Scotland
Spirits:
Wolfburn, Single Malt Scotch Whisky