Thy Whisky Distillery

About the distillery (briefly)

Thy Whisky is located on the family farm Gyrup in Thy on the Danish west coast, where grain is grown, malting takes place, and the whisky is distilled and bottled on the same property. It is an organic single estate distillery with a strong local rootedness, and its style is shaped by its own fields, heritage grain varieties, and the West Jutland nature around the North Sea.

History

Gyrup has been in the family since 1773 and is a historic farm property in Thy. The whisky story itself begins in 2010, when the first casks were filled with barley from the farm’s own harvest. In the first five years, work proceeded experimentally, and these early casks laid the foundation for the distillery. The first single malt, Thy Whisky No. 1 – Kræn Klit, was bottled in January 2014. In the following years, production was expanded step by step: the family’s next generation returned to Thy, brewing began on the farm in 2017, the farm’s own malting equipment was installed in 2018, and in June 2019 the new 1,000-liter pot still was installed and the distillery was inaugurated. This provided a significant boost in capacity and quality, and since then the maturation, visitor center, and malting capacity have grown. In 2024, Thy Whisky No. 24 – 8 years marked the end of the original numbered series, while new series took over.

Ingredients and production

Thy Whisky makes whisky from grain grown on its own organic fields around Gyrup. The range is built on both modern varieties and old Danish heritage barley types, and the distillery also works with rye, spelt, and oats. Malting takes place in three custom-built drum maltings, where the grain sprouts for nine days, and the final two days the malt is dried and peated with beechwood according to Danish traditional smoking methods. In the brewery, mashing is done in 1,000-liter batches, typically with 240 kg of malt and warm water, and the sweet wort ferments in open stainless steel washbacks for 4–6 days. Distillation is carried out as a single distillation in a 1,000-liter copper pot still with a purifier, which highlights the malt and grain notes. The groundwater comes from Gyrup, and the entire production—from field to bottle—is carried out on the farm.

Maturation and cask types

The whisky matures in a warehouse with natural ventilation, where the westerly winds and seasonal changes leave their mark on the casks. The distillery works with a wide palette of casks, especially bourbon, oloroso sherry, PX sherry, wine casks, and experimental casks. Bourbon casks add vanilla and oak, while oloroso sherry casks are used for both smoked and non-smoked expressions and give darker, vinous, and dried fruit notes. There are also private casks and cask shares, where experiments are carried out with different cask sizes and previous contents such as tawny port, cream sherry, and PX brandy. The interplay between cask type, size, and the individual new make is a clear part of the house’s approach.

Whiskies

The core expression is the new Core Expressions, where Thy Whisky presents its established house whiskies in a more accessible form. These include Thy, Spelt-Rye, and Beech. Alongside these are the Limited Editions & Single Casks, which feature smaller bottlings, vintages, and individual casks. The range includes both smoked and non-smoked whiskies, with a clear line from grain- and terroir-driven expressions to the more experimental ones. Heritage Barley - Imperial Vintage 2020 showcases the character of the old Danish barley variety, while Beech and Vesterhav represent the smoked side of the house. Thy Whisky also works with cask shares, where co-owners follow a cask from filling to bottling.

Style and tasting profile of the whiskies

The house style ranges from fresh, grain-driven, and citrus-led whisky to a gentler, warmer beech-smoke with vinous sweetness. The Imperial barley contributes dusty grain, green and fresh citrus notes, as well as an oily mouthfeel. In the smoked expressions, the beech smoke is described as warm, gentle, and inviting, and it can pair with both dried fruits, nuts, and a rich sherry sweetness. Bourbon-matured whiskies add vanilla, honey, and oak on top of the grain, while the house’s more floral-spiced expressions are especially associated with rye and inspiration from heathland.

Visit the distillery

Thy Whisky welcomes visitors at Gyrupvej 14 in Snedsted, with tours including or excluding tastings. A tour with whisky tasting costs 200 DKK, and a tour without tasting samples costs 100 DKK; children under 15 can participate for free. Booking is via the website, and the distillery is open to visitors Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 15:00. In addition, the house hosts online tastings, cask-share days, open distillery days, and festivals on the farm.

The listed opening hours are Monday–Saturday 11:00–15:00; Sunday and weekends are closed, mentioned for certain event dates.
See times and book a visit.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Thy Whisky is built on organic production, full control from field to bottle, and a clear belief that grain varieties, soil, and harvest conditions can be tasted in the whisky. The distillery grows both modern and old Danish varieties, revitalizes heritage grains such as Imperial, and deliberately works with traditional Danish beech-smoke methods. The official line is also that the whisky should be clearly rooted in Thy and in the farm’s own production, while each cask is treated as a distinct expression.

Sustainability

Organic fields and an organic-certified distillery.
99% of waste products are recirculated and reused.
Own organic operations must keep the water in the wells clean.
Lightweight bottles reduce CO2 footprint from casting and transport.

Prices and awards

• European Whisky of the Year (2020, Winner, Thy Whisky No. 9 - Beech)

• Single Estate Distillery of the Year (2024, Winner, Thy Whisky Distillery)

Latest news

Future bottlings are gathered into two tracks – 2024-04-21

The distillery describes its new direction with Core Expressions as the house whiskies and Limited Editions & Single Casks as the experimental track, while the first numbered series concludes with Thy Whisky No. 24 – 8 years.

Tasting panel will shape the next chapter – 2023-01-13

An online tasting panel was created to provide input for future bottlings, with the first session planned for 9 March and focusing on learning from the first twenty bottlings.