Blog

Home » Blog » Wolfburn Distillery

Wolfburn Distillery

Wolfburn distillery is a distillery in the most northerly mainland in Scotland This region is also called the Highlands of Scotland.

Wolfburn was established in 2013 so it’s a very new Scottish distillery. Wolfburn focus on making and distilling single malt scotch whisky. They make peated and unpeated single malt whiskies. 

Because it is a small distillery they have 1 spirit still land 1 wash still and produce approximately 115.000 liters annually. 

The water used at the distillery comes from the stream called Wolfburn. This is where the distillery gets its name from. 

The cask type used at the distillery are ex-bourbon hogsheads, quarter casks, old rum cask and ex-oloroso sherry cask. All their cask are stored in a Dunnage warehouse at the site Henderson Park. 

Wolfburn Distillery has no automation and from milling through to bottling everything is done on site by hand.

  • Owner

    Aurora Brewing

  • Status

    Operational

  • Country

    Scotland

  • Region

    Highlands

  • Production type:

    Single Malt

  • Founded

    2013

  • Production yearly

    115.000 Liters

History

Thurso is the most northerly town on the British mainland, but perhaps surprisingly it didn’t have a distillery for over 160 years. The first plant, called Wolfburn after the distillery water source, was opened by William Smith in 1821 and was run by the same family until 1837. In the 1820s it was the largest producer in Caithness. It appears to have closed in 1837 before David Smith ran it for one year in 1852, though there are claims that it continued intermittently into the 1860s.

The opening of 21st century Wolfburn was more of an exercise in archaeology than a process of bringing a disused plant back to life. Little more than a mound of stones showed where the original site had been. Its new owners built as close as they could to the spot – and use the same water source. The ground was broken on August 2012 and production commenced on 25 January 2013.

“Managing a distillery is of course a big responsibility, but the pinnacle of a career in malt whisky isn’t simply making one, it’s defining an entirely new spirit. ”
Shane Fraser
Distillery manager

Distillery Facts

Taste profile

Medium bodied

Medium sweetness, honey and fruity notes

Medium malty, nutty, spices

Medium smokey notes 

Core range 

At this point Wolfburn’s core range is: 

Special series: 

The kalver Series

Sometimes at Wolfburn we have the odd special cask that delivers a distinctively good whisky. Perhaps one that nature has intended to mature in its own special way or a different type of cask. To make sure these whiskies get their own stage to be shared and enjoyed we have created The Kylver Series.

Named after a burial stone that features one of the earliest examples of the Viking runic alphabet and to reflect the history of Caithness that surrounds us, The Kylver Series will grow as Wolfburn grows and chart our journey through the years ahead.

Distillery Tours

THE CLASSIC TOUR

A guided walk around the distillery with a max of 16 people 

DURATION:

About 1.5 hour
 

COST

£10 per person and a tasting at the end of the tour. 
 
Pre booking essential via emailing us at tours@wolfburn.com
 

Visitor center 

OPENING TIMES

November – March

OPENING TIMES

DayTimes
Monday10:o015:00
Tuesday10:o015:00
Wednesday10:o015:00
Thursday10:o015:00
Friday10:o015:00
SaturdayClosed 
SundayClosed 

April – October

OPENING TIMES

DayTimes
Monday10:0016:30
Tuesday10:0016:30
Wednesday10:0016:30
Thursday10:0016:30
Friday10:0016:30
SaturdayClosed 
SundayClosed 

 

CONTACT DETAILS

Wolfburn Distillery
Henderson Park
Thurso
Caithness
KW14 7XW
United Kingdom
Wolfburn social media links

Livingbythedram social media links 

Shopping cart
Sign in

No account yet?

HEY YOU, SIGN UP FOR OUR WHISKYCLUB!

Be the first to learn about our latest trends and get exclusive offers
We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies.

Are you over 18?

You must be 18 years of age or older to view page. Please verify your age to enter.

Access forbidden

Your access is restricted because of your age.

I am 18 or Older I am Under 18
Shop
0 Wishlist
0 items Cart
My account