Distillery puts whisky back on map
THE first whisky distillery in North Wales for more than 100 years has officially launched with its maiden single malt due to be released in 2020.
Aber Falls is producing Welsh whisky from its 6,000 sq ft distillery site in Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd.
It is using water from Afon Rhaeadr Fawr (Aber Falls River) and Welsh malted barley for the spirit, working with local farmers to increase production of the crop.
Plans for visitor centre at Aber Falls Whisky Distillery in Abergwyngregyn
Full restoration is still taking place with distilling already underway on site and a bottling line to be completed in January.
The first spirits have just been launched out of the site with a number of flavoured gins unveiled in time for Christmas.
This gin from tiny Gwynedd distillery has just been chosen as the best in Britain
Other barrels will be left far longer to mature further.
An application has been submitted to also create a visitor centre on the site.
James Wright, managing director, Aber Falls Whisky Distillery, said they wanted the whisky to capture the spirit of North Wales.
He said: “This is through the ingredients we put in, from the water to the Welsh barley and through to the maturation process, with barrels stored at Abergwyngregyn to take on the characteristics of the Menai Straits air, and retain the authentic profile of Aber Falls.”
He said that he believes the distillery can be good for the wider area, both injecting money into the economy through job creation and money spent with local suppliers.
James also believes it can raise the profile of the area as a producer of spirits, which follows major success for a number of craft gin distillers in the area.
They also want to help bring people to the area with a visitor centre the next stage of the development.
The last major whisky distillery in North Wales was Frongoch near Bala, which was liquidated in 1900.