Production Process

Dartmoor Whisky Distillery produce single malt whisky, using barley grown by Tim Cox at Preston Farm, Dartmoor.

Since Tuckers Maltings in Newton Abbot sadly closed its doors, our barley is now malted at Warminster Maltings in Somerset. Warminster are Britain’s oldest working maltings and malt barley using the traditional techniques of germination floors and good old-fashioned manpower, turning the barley with a malt shovel daily.

Our beer wash is brewed by local cask ale producers to our recipe, which has been specified by our Master Distiller, Frank McHardy.

Our primary distillation takes the beer wash from around 9% to 25% ABV. After three primary distillations, the ‘low wines’ are returned to the still to be distilled again to produce the finished ‘water of life’ at around 70% ABV.

Our spirit is then transferred into barrels for the maturation process to begin.

Dartmoor Whisky is matured in three barrel types; American oak Bourbon barrels, French oak wine barrels, and Spanish sherry barrels.

Each barrel gives a different expression to the finished spirit. Some will be bottled from a single barrel type, some will be bottled according to our master distillers selection of barrels.