In Highland Perthshire, Scotland, production has begun at Kythe Distillery, a new distillery built on Bendochy farm near Blairgowrie. The project belongs to three industry veterans – Angus MacRaild, Jonny McMillan and Aaron Chan – who aim to recreate the Highland whisky style of the 1950s and 1960s.
Its centrepiece is a wash still heated directly by wood fire at temperatures above 800°C – a method used by very few distilleries in the world today. Maris Otter barley is grown on the farm and traditionally floor-malted, while fermentation takes place in wooden washbacks and can last up to two weeks. Annual capacity is 60,000 litres of pure alcohol.
“Efficiency is the enemy of character,” says MacRaild, explaining the choice of a slower, more expensive process. The first bottling is not expected for roughly eight years.
In the meantime, you can discover the selection of whisky and other spirits at Mister Tabaco.
Source: The Whiskey Wash