Destilerías Acha

History

Destilerías Manuel Acha was founded in 1831 when D. Paul Pomés established a factory for aguardientes, blends, liqueurs and syrups in Bilbao. Since then the distillery has been known as Destilerías Manuel ACHA and has, over five generations, preserved the family's commitment to the art of distillation. Since then the company has developed into one of Europe’s oldest distilleries and has more than 190 years of history and market presence. In Amurrio (Álava), the family has maintained a long tradition and has, among other things, preserved copper alembic stills in Charentaise style, acquired in 1892 for 10,058 pesetas, as well as a museum for distillation processes. The list of more than 200 references and products bears witness to a long-standing tradition and a commitment to quality. Destilerías Acha is also known for pacharán, liqueurs and vermouth and has over the years maintained a strong family-owned structure and a strategy for continuous development and innovation.

Production / Manufacturing

The distillery uses Charentaise-style copper alembic stills (100% copper) in its production, and some of the historic copper pots were acquired in 1892 from Hervé & Moulin. For pacharán, a traditional method is used where juniper berries and sloes macerate in grain alcohol five times distilled, after which anise-type botanicals (coriander, whole anise and star anise) are distilled in copper alembics from 1880 and blended with water, fructose/glucose and alcohol to form crema de anis. Pacharán has a minimum strength of 25% vol and the brand's emblem belongs to Destilerías Acha as one of its oldest products. Karpy is an orange liqueur produced by double distillation of orange peels in copper alembics from 1880 and then blended with water and sugar and left to rest for 15 days. Vermouth is made as a wine-based beverage, where various botanicals (anise, juniper, cardamom, cinnamon, hibiscus, etc.) macerate and are blended, filtered and aged before bottling.

Products / Whisky Series

HARAN (Whisky from Destilerías Acha)

• Haran 21 years – Original Cask Selection

• Haran 18 years – Original Small Batch Reserve

• Haran 12 years – Finished in Cider Casks

• Haran 12 years – Finished in Sherry Casks

• Haran 12 years – Finished in Porto Casks

• Haran 12 years – Traditional
  These products describe a malt-based whisky line under the Haran name, based on a 1909 recipe and developed in recent years into various finish and age variants. The products are highlighted as malt whisky and are part of Destilerías Acha's whisky range.

Visiting / Experiences

Destilerías Acha runs the Museo del Licor, which offers tourist and corporate visits. For tourist visits, contact information is turismo@amurrio.org, and professional tours are available via a contact form. This indicates opportunities for experiences and insights into the distillation history and production.

Philosophy

Tradition, quality and innovation since 1831 are central values at Destilerías Acha. The company speaks of five generations of experience and tradition, ongoing innovation and R&D. It also emphasizes that the distillery is among Europe’s oldest and has more than 190 years in the market, underscoring a strong historical foundation combined with continuous development and high quality standards across all product categories.