Northumberland's first commercial whisky distillery is set to be a truly local affair as it has announced all ingredients will come from within a twenty-mile radius of Wooler.
Ad Gefrin Whisky Distillery, part of the new £10.4m visitor centre in north Northumberland that has been named one of the most anticipated museum openings of 2022, welcomed the first whisky stills into the town on March 17. And the barley and water for its Northumbrian Single Malt will not have far to travel.
Northumberland is renowned for the quality of its barley, and the distillery has announced that it will be sourced and stored locally. Four farmers in the region have been selected to grow 400 tonnes between them, whilst Simpsons Malt of Berwick-upon-Tweed will store and malt it.
Read more: History made in Wooler as first ever whisky stills arrive in Northumberland
Ben Murphy, head distiller at Ad Gefrin said: "It is so exciting to be able to produce a malt which will be grown by local farmers, and malted by Simpsons Malt, who are literally just up the road. The relationship with growers will be collaborative, as the barley is grown and malted specifically for us."
As well as locally grown barley, another key ingredient for whisky is the water. This will be drawn from an on-site 200-metre deep borehole bringing it directly from the Cheviot Hills themselves. Energy for the process will also be sourced locally, from Ad Gefrin's rooftop solar panels, with the visitor centre keen to help the environment.
Ben concludes: "A whisky is of course not just about the barley; the barley is just one of many factors. There is the water, and the years required for maturing, the wood chosen for the casks, and of course the careful handling by the stills’ team. Ad Gefrin will be a Northumbrian Whisky, through and through, grown, distilled and nurtured in the shadow of the Cheviot Hills."
Ad Gefrin has formed these partnerships for supplies to its distillery to help guarantee local provenance and quality. As well as Simpsons' Malt, the farmers who have been chosen are Tom Jackson of Northfield Farm in Lowick, George Farr of Pallinsburn, David Warcup of Letham Hill Farm in Etal and Cameron Shell of Brandon near Powburn.
Simpsons' Grower Tom Jackson said: "It is really exciting to be part of such a major milestone for Wooler and north Northumberland. Normally our malting barley goes to Scotland, so we are pleased and proud to be part of this new enterprise to produce a genuinely local product."
Tim McCreath, Simpsons Malt Managing Director, added: "The distillery’s high-quality Northumbrian spring barley has been sown at farms less than 10 miles from the site and we’re now counting down the days until harvest. From there, we will collect and store the barley before transporting it to our Tweed Valley Maltings for malting and subsequent delivery, passing a couple of the farms during the 17-mile journey."
Legally, whisky must be aged in a wooded cask for at least three years before it can be called whisky, so anyone desperate to try the Northumbrian single malt will have to wait until at least 2025. However, there will be a blended whisky for when the visitor centre and distillery opens, which is expected to be this autumn.
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