Wolfburn distillery was first founded in 1821 on the outskirts of Thurso by William Smith. The distillery was named after the nearby water source for the distillery.

In 1826 annual production was 28,056 gallons of pure spirit which equates to around 125,000 litres and as such it was the largest distillery in Caithness at that time.

Wolfburn remained in the Smith family for the rest of its existence, but the exact date of its closure isn't known, other than it was sometime around or just after the 1850's.

In May 2011 one of the new Wolfburn team located the site of the original distillery and found the Wolfburn water source to still be flowing, but the original distillery was a barely discernable pile of stones. A suitable piece of flat land was selected some 350m from the original site and plans (and dreams) began to take shape.

May 2012 saw the pruchase of the land being finalised and then in August groundwork began on the site.

The first equipment to arrive and also the largest were two fermenters which were originally used in the now closed Caperdonich distillery. These were situated before the last wall of the building was erected. Building and installation continued as planned until 25th January 2013 when the first spirit began to flow from the stills.

Shane Fraser production manager (right) & Matt Beeson assistant production manager.

Jan. 2013 - The First Cask

Photos with kind permission of Wolfburn Distillery Press Release.

Wolfburn Distillery Website

Wolfburn, New Make, 63.3% ABV

Lightly Peated

Distilled 15.12.2014

Original cost of this bottle; Unknown, festival sample

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Clear like water

Nose: My initial thoughts are spirity with some green apple fruitiness. Mildly smoky but also quite fresh and grassy.

Palate: Quite different to what the nose suggested as it's mouth-filling & mouth-coating, really very floral, almost perfumed, yes perfumed but in a nice way, no FWP!

Finish: Long.

Overall Impression: I love the floral / perfumed character which is unusual in a peated spirit.

Wolfburn, Single Malt

Limburg Festival Sample

Original cost of this bottle; Unknown

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Very pale oak.

Nose: It's fresh but also suggesting bread dough. Also mildly grassy, almost herbal (cloves?).

Palate: Yes, herbal bread dough if there is such a thing? After a few minutes in the glass it becomes more perfumed, but only lightly so.

Finish: Medium.

Overall Impression: Although it is a whisky I get the impression it's still very young, but perfumed bread dough? Unusual but nice.

Wolfburn, Morven, 46% ABV

Lightly Peated

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Very pale, watery

Nose: Very mild smoky, peaty, mustiness alongside an equally mild fruitiness. Perhaps an exotic or tropical fruitiness.

Palate: An initially creamy mouth-feel carrying a distinct pepperiness. It's quite dry with suggestions of hay and dried grasses, perhaps even reminiscent of musty cardboard. The mild tropical fruitiness of the nose appears on the palate towards the finish.

Finish: Long with that mild fruitiness.

Overall Impression: An extremely mild whisky but still exuding lots of character. Not sure what I expected from my first Wolfburn but this exceeded expectations.

Wolfburn, Aurora, 46% ABV

Sherry Oak

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Very pale, watery hay

Nose: Suggestions of dried grasses and hay with a mild and musty bitterness. After 2-3 minutes in the glass there's a hint of butteriness and banana stem.

Palate: Grassy with a distinct pepperiness and yet a quite buttery mouth-feel.

Finish: Long, buttery, peppery.

Overall Impression: Peppery, buttery, grassy? Really quite nice.