Buck
A farm-based distillery in the Cabrach, an isolated area of Aberdeenshire.
Daftmill
Distillery
This is one of the very few (conceivably the only) truly self-sufficient distillery in Scotland.
Daftmill distillery
Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Cuthbert brothers who own the site have long grown malting barley. These days a small percentage of the crop (around 100 tons) is diverted for their own use. The process water comes from their own artesian well, and the draff produced after mashing is then fed to their prize beef herd.
Only 20,000 litres is produced during two, three month seasons, one starting after the end of the busy spring period on the farm and stopping before harvest, the other during the fallow winter period between November and February.
Daftmill History
These sixth-generation farmers reckon that they are only the third family to have farmed Daftmill in 1,000 years of existence, but it was only in 2003 that the idea of whisky making began to form in the minds of Francis Cuthbert and his brother Ian. They converted three of their buildings into a distillery in 2003 and were granted their licence two years later, making it the first member of the now burgeoning small-scale distilling movement in Scotland.
None of the maturing stock has yet been released, though samples from casks show that it is mature, balanced with a gentle herbal note, and very much ready for sale.
Timeline
- 1984 The Cuthbert family buy the Pitlair Estate, including Daftmill, from Sir William Walker
- 2003 Ian and Francis Cuthbert submit planning application to transform former Napoleonic era mill buildings into a distillery
- 2005 Daftmill is granted a license to begin distilling whisky
Daftmill Facts
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- Condenser Type i
- Shell and tube
-
- Fermentation Time i
- 72-100hrs
-
- Filling Strength i
- 63.5%
-
- Grist Weight (t) i
- 1
-
- Heat Source i
- Indirect steam heating
-
- Malt Supplier i
- Crisp Malt of Alloa malts own barley
-
- Mash Tun Type i
- Semi Lauter
-
- New-make Strength i
- 75.5%
-
- Spirit Still Charge (l) i
- 1,600
-
- Spirit Still Size (l) i
- 2,000
-
- Stills i
- 2
-
- Warehousing i
- Dunnage on site
-
- Wash Still Charge (l) i
- 2,700
-
- Wash Still Size (l) i
- 3,000
-
- Washback Size (l) i
- 7,500
-
- Washback Type i
- Stainless steel
-
- Washbacks i
- 2
-
- Water Source i
- Artisan well
-
- Wort Clarity i
- Clear
-
- Yeast Type i
- Dried
Owner
Current owner
- Francis and Ian Cuthbert 2003 - present
Contact
- Address
-
Daftmill Distillery
Daftmill Farm
by Cupar
Fife
KY15 5RF
United Kingdom - Phone
- +44 1337 830303
- Visitor Opening Hours
Contact distillery for details
Map
See also
-
Distillery
-
Distillery
Drumin
All that’s left of the precursor to The Glenlivet is a small marker bearing its founder’s name.