Rural Hertfordshire is not exactly the rum capital of the world, but that hasn’t stopped Doug Miller. Here, the founder-distiller at Scratch Distillery shares his story.

“You want to make rum – in Britain?” The steely-eyed tax inspector glanced up from my distillery business plan. “We’ve never had a rum application before. Is it made the same way as gin?”

This was my second interaction with the good people who regulate the distilling sector.

The first had been a notice attached to a small copper still I’d imported from Spain to play around with: “It is illegal to distil in the United Kingdom without a licence. Prison or an unlimited fine.”

Eight years on, we’re filling casks in a fully restored stable block on a historic estate-turned-dedicated rum distillery. I can say very definitively that rum isn’t the same as gin, and that British rum isn’t the same as Caribbean rum.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing. It is very much a labour of love – and we are still really only just starting out on this journey.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

We set up Scratch Distillery in 2016. It was one of the first dedicated rum distilleries in the UK, certainly the first in England. We don’t make any other spirit.

While we had wanted to find a trendy and cool London archway, the many thousands of pounds in rent made that a non-starter. We looked at industrial estates, but the combination of equally high rents and a dour atmosphere made us reluctant. We almost gave up, until we were offered the chance to renovate a derelict 16th-century stable block in rural Hertfordshire. Disclaimer: it’s on land owned by family, so we got a helping hand in that regard.

You might assume that starting and running a distillery is the dream. I thought so too. You visit places on holidays which have all the fancy equipment, shiny stills and happy staff working away.

Having started from scratch, it’s safe to say that the reality is somewhat different. Standing in the stable block for the first time, in the cold winter of 2015, that fanciful interpretation faded quickly. Reality hit me like a tonne of sticky treacle.

First steps

First, for much of the year, it’s cold. So cold. Insulating a building costs money; we didn’t have lots of capital, so we skipped insulation.

Second, it’s exhausting. We couldn’t afford the fancy equipment, so we sourced most of our stuff second- or third-hand. Our first boiler was built in the United States the year Ronald Reagan assumed the presidency. It often needed a kick or two to fire up and took hours to do its thing. We didn’t even get close to buying a pump.

Third, the logistics – which really come into focus as you attempt to direct a heavy-goods vehicle down a small winding dirt track. While simultaneously trying to work out how you’ll unload the stuff without the aid of a forklift. (You make friends with the tractor-owning local farmer.)

MAKING THE GRADE

I started out on a small scale, trialling molasses from lots of different suppliers. Molasses, essentially treacle, is the base ingredient in rum production.

There are different grades of quality, typically ranging from low-grade blackstrap to A-grade. The latter is made directly from cane-juice molasses and is therefore higher in sugar content. It lends a far more aromatic and complex flavour than blackstrap. As it has been subjected to less heat than blackstrap, it contains relatively fewer sugar decomposition products; these can add bitterness to the flavour. The impact of the raw ingredient is huge on flavour development.

The problem with A-grade is twofold. One, it’s expensive – far more so than blackstrap. Two, it’s a very unforgiving substance when you try to move it around.

The best way is to heat it gently and then pump it. But when we started out, we couldn’t afford the powerful pump needed, and we were restricted by the limited electrical supply to heat the molasses.

Our molasses was delivered in 25-kilogram tubs, which would sit warming in the sun outside our distillery. Pouring the tubs into the fermenter was backbreaking work, but at least it saved on a gym membership.

ALCOHOL AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT

But all of this I was doing for a reason. Most large-scale commercial distilleries start with the objective of producing alcohol, an obsession with ‘yield’ and ‘consistency’. A consideration of flavour follows almost as an afterthought.

We take the opposite approach. Weirdly for a distillery, producing alcohol is one of the last things we think about. What we want to do is focus on creating the right conditions for a really interesting flavour profile that is different every time.

To do this, we must manipulate every single variable, to create a range of ferments using different approaches, ranging in alcohol-by-volume (ABV) from as low as 3-4% to a beer-like wash that emerges at 12-13%.

We use some untraditional yeasts along with bacteria to produce acidic washes with very different flavour profiles: heavily tropical, spicy or even oily, for example. These can then be distilled individually, blended and put into their own special cask. Never to be repeated. Different every time.

We’re fortunate with the UK’s inclement weather that we see very different profiles develop, fade and evolve throughout the year.

ONE FOCUS

This single process is as much a blessing as a curse. On one hand, it makes reporting back to the taxman ever so slightly simpler as we only have one product line to report against.

But on the flip side, we have to be mindful of cashflow as we aren’t making a product, like gin, that can be turned around in a day. We have to think years down the line. To build solid business foundations, without compromising on our approach, we launched our cask programme, selling a range of new-fill rum casks.

Berry Bros. & Rudd was our first customer – a sign perhaps, that British rum really could be something to get excited about. We’ll just have to wait a bit before we can all drink to that.

We are delighted to announce that the iconic Hambledon vineyard – a true piece of British heritage, established in 1952 – is now part of the Berry Bros. & Rudd and the Symington families.

The bid to acquire Hambledon was a joint venture between us and Symington Family Estates. The Symingtons have been Port producers in northern Portugal since 1882; we have worked together and been friends for many years, always sharing the same values and ethos.

An exciting new chapter ahead

This morning, our Chair Lizzy Rudd had this to say: “We are delighted to confirm this exciting joint venture with Symington Family Estates. Together, we are committed to sustainable viticulture and winemaking, and we believe that this business, which was the first commercial English vineyard of the modern era, has the foundations and potential to lead the way in the English sparkling wine category.”

Our delight was matched by our partners in Symington Family Estates. In the words of Johnny Symington, “It was going to take something very special for us to make wine in a new country, having produced port and wine in Portugal for five generations.” It was the quality of Hambledon’s wines which convinced them: “The quality of the wines is absolutely spectacular and is a reflection of the fantastic Hambledon terroir […]we believe that these are world-class sparkling wines, that will play a leading role in the development of English sparkling.”

It’s an exciting day for us all, and one that calls for sparkling wine to celebrate. A glass of Hambledon, anyone?

Bonfire Night is one of autumn’s glittering highlights. Delicious wines and warming seasonal cocktails are a must – because what’s in your glass should be every bit as spectacular as the skies above.  

Bonfire Night has always been one of my favourite occasions of the year. By now, we’re in the thick of autumn: the trees have turned properly golden, Halloween is behind us and Christmas lies ahead. Everyone is wrapped in warm layers, braving the cold night with good cheer. It must be one of the most low-key occasions of the year, meaning there is little to disappoint and much to unexpectedly delight. 

Sparklers have always been a must – ever since childhood, huddled in the cold darkness of my garden in West Wales. In those days, we often put on our own little firework display, watching them light up the sky in modest shoots of gold, violet and scarlet. But over the course of a decade in London, where personal gardens are harder to come by, I have made a tradition of seeking out proper firework displays. And, unlike the Bonfire Nights of my childhood, the question of what to drink becomes an important one.  

I tend to choose red wines over white, on the condition that they must be delicious out of a picnic glass or a portable mug. Given that they will be enjoyed outdoors, they needn’t be too heavy, as the cool air will chill them naturally. For that reason, I’d recommend fruity red wines that can take a little chilling – such as wines made from Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Garnacha.  

Some of my favourite bottles include the old-vine Moulin-a-Vent Beaujolais from Louis Boillot, the Bourgeuil, Cuvée Prestige from Domaine Lamé Delisle Boucard or Luigi Giordano’s Langhe Freisa. For a real treat, I highly recommend Graci’s incredibly elegant Etna Rosso. But there are plenty of delicious choices in the Berry Bros. & Rudd Own Selection range too. I’m thinking of the New Zealand Pinot Noir from Greystone Wines, the Swartland Red by Eben Sadie or the Péssac-Léognan by Château Haut-Bailly. 

This is a night for the autumn cocktail to take centre stage, too. With the arrival of dark, chilly evenings, I am always excited that hot toddies are back on the cards. A blend of whisky, honey and lemon juice, pour it steaming out of a flask into outstretched mugs, and it’s just the thing to warm you up as you wait for the fireworks to get started. If you’re looking for a reliably delicious whisky, I recommend the Glen Elgin Speyside Single Malt, with its notes of burnt marmalade, apples and spiced cream. It will blend beautifully with the honey and lemon.  

Then, there’s The King’s Ginger – the original outdoor restorative, crafted to revivify royals and landed gentry through the ages on their winter outings. While I fall into neither category, I nevertheless enjoy the spicy notes of ginger blended with my hot chocolate or mulled cider. Fit for a king, but delicious for peasants too.  

Equally, there is nothing more warming than a simple dram of whisky. I’m a huge fan of peat smoke all year round, but it seems particularly appropriate on Bonfire Night. Kilchoman’s Sanaig, with its beautiful notes of caramel, toffee and gentle smoke, is utterly delicious. Or, try Ardbeg’s Wee Beastie for a real bonfire character.  

Whatever you choose, you’re in for a magical autumnal evening. All you need to round it off is a generous Tupperware full of Yorkshire parkin.  

We recently visited two very different distilleries in the east of Scotland – one founded in 1763, the other in 2014. As time has passed, how much has really changed in Scotch whisky distilling? Siggi Gunnlaugsson, one of our Account Managers, reports.

After a lumbering journey to Scotland aboard the Caledonian Sleeper in early August, our first scheduled visit was to The Glenturret Distillery. As Scotland’s oldest working distillery, whisky has been produced here since 1763. 

Self-described as the “newest old kid on the block”, the distillery’s history is vast. Whisky has been produced on site since 1763 but it is, conversely, new to the market with 2020 being the inaugural release from Glenturret’s current guise. Fans of The Famous Grouse may be interested to know that Glenturret had previously produced the backbone of that blend.

Glenturret takes its name from “Glen” meaning “narrow valley” and the river Turret which runs past the distillery. The soothing atmosphere of the riverbank is the perfect place for a deep and cleansing breath – an experience I miss from my native Iceland.

Making whisky in the good, old, traditional way, Glenturret’s core range starts with its Triple Wood, so called as it is matured in Bourbon, American Sherry and European Sherry casks. It also includes a 10-Year-Old Peat Smoke whisky and a 12-Year-Old single malt. Beyond that, much of the range consists of limited and scarce releases such as those in the ethereal Lalique decanters (thanks to the distillery’s part-owners, Lalique Group).  

Due to the abundance of grain stored on site, it had been essential in the past for distilleries to have a resident cat or two to keep the mice at bay. Glenturret’s famous cat, Towser, has become a legend in her own right. A female, long-haired tortoiseshell cat, her residency from 1963 to 1987 was officially recognised as a record-breaker, with her victim count estimated at 28,899 mice. Her victims were laid out on the still house floor each morning to be inspected (and presumably, counted) by the stillman.

So far, so traditional. But Glenturret Distillery is also home to Scotland’s only Lalique boutique and is the only distillery in Scotland with a Michelin starred restaurant.

A new age of Scotch engineering

After the rich history of Glenturret, our next visit of the day was something quite different.

At the end of a long road winding through a Glenrothes industrial estate, we reached Inchdairnie Distillery* – safely tucked away behind similarly industrial-looking gates. There was something very “James Bond” about it.

Not only does Inchdairnie’s infrastructure contrast with Glenturret’s 18th-century buildings but so too do methods in the distillery. Inchdairnie’s team has opted for a hammer mill over the conventional roller mill. The milling process, essentially, extracts the starch from the grain being used for distillation. Hammer mills can process different grains and not just uniform-sized barley. This is especially useful for producing Inchdairnie’s rye-based whiskies as rye grains are inconsistent in their size.

In a nostalgic nod to tradition and perhaps most excitingly, Inchdairnie has installed a Lomond still which has not been seen in the Lowlands since the closure of Dumbarton distillery in 2002. Inchdairnie’s has been designed by its founder, Ian Palmer, and is an engineer’s dream to see. The “geek factor” scale was smashed.

As Inchdairnie only started making spirit in 2015, we must still wait for its malt whisky which is on the horizon, expected 2029. Its first whisky release is RyeLaw. Distilled in 2017 and bottled in 2022, this Scottish rye is a limited release and the outcome of just a single week’s production. Only 200 casks of this vintage were ever bottled, to be released worldwide and it is the first commercial pot still, rye spirit made in Scotland for over 200 years.

While the beautiful traditions of Scotch Whisky distilling are alive and well at Glenturret and the new frontier is being broken at Inchdairnie, there are occasions when the then and now collide. It simply comes down to a matter of taste.

*Inchdairnie will be coming to the range soon.