Fary Lochan Distillery A/S

About the distillery

Fary Lochan is located in Farre near Give and is a family-owned Danish whisky distillery with a very distinctive style. Here the malted barley is smoked over fresh nettles, and the distillery works handcrafted according to Scottish traditions. The whiskies are matured, among other places, in the cellar and in the underground tunnels, which can also be experienced on tours.

History

Fary Lochan was founded as a family-owned whisky distillery in Farre, and already in 2009 the first cask was filled and put into maturation in the cellar. Since then the distillery has built its name on an unusual production and on whiskies that have attracted attention both in Denmark and internationally. A clear milestone came on 1 September 2019, when it became official that Fary Lochan had been included in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s prestigious whisky collection. This shows that the distillery’s profile has been noticed far beyond the local area, while still being rooted in the family-owned operation in Farre.

Raw materials and production

Production is based on Danish barley malt whisky, and the distillery itself describes the malted barley as being smoked over fresh nettles. It is a very distinctive signature that sets the house apart from other producers. The whiskies are also handcrafted according to Scottish traditions, and the stills are specially designed in Scotland to deliver the desired flavour. On the documented releases Danish barley malts are used as a starting point, and several whiskies are listed as brewed on unsmoked Danish barley malt or with no smoke. This points to a house where the balance between raw material, smoke and cask influence is central, rather than heavy peat smoke. The tours also provide access behind the scenes, where guests can gain insight into the entire whisky process.

Maturation and cask types

The maturation shows a clear preference for ex-casks with character: 1st fill bourbon barrel, rum barrel and Oloroso sherry hogshead appear on the documented releases. Distillery Edition #05 was first matured in bourbon and later finished in a 1st fill Sauternes cask, while Distillery Edition #08 is double matured in rum barrel and then Oloroso sherry hogshead. Distillery Edition #09 is matured in a 2nd fill Oloroso sherry hogshead. This paints a picture of a distillery that works deliberately with cask maturation and finishing to build sweetness, fruit and depth into the whisky.

Whiskies

The range contains both core series and more limited releases. On the front page Season 1, Season 2 and Season 3 appear as the most visible names in the core range, while the Distillery Edition series shows the distillery’s more experimental and numbered releases. In the shop you can also see other names such as Port & Peat, Sherry & Peat, Bourbon Cask, Virgin Oak, Distiller’s Choice and the collaborative release FARY LOCHAN x VB whisky #01. Overall this points to a range where cask character and batch differences play a major role, and where both clean, peated and sherry-influenced directions are in play.

Style and tasting profile of the whiskies

The documented tasting notes paint a picture of a whisky with a soft texture, pronounced cask sweetness and ripe fruit aromas. Distillery Edition #08 is described as oily with sweetness from the casks and a creamy taste of tropical and dried fruits. Distillery Edition #09 goes in a more classic sweet direction with intense fresh vanilla, toffee, ripe fruit, apricot, salt, fresh grass, dried fruit and butter, finishing with a long, sweet aftertaste with a light tingling from the alcohol. Overall the style appears fruit-driven, vanilla-tinged and rounded, with a focus on cask influence rather than heavy smoke.

Visit the distillery

Fary Lochan can be visited. There are open tours without a minimum number of participants, and the tour must be booked no later than 12:00 on the day before. You can choose between two tasting programmes: Menu 1 with 2 x whisky tastings of 1 cl each and approx. 1½ hours duration, or Menu 2 with 5 x whisky tastings and approx. 2 hours duration. No food is offered during the tours, but you can shop in the store in connection with the visit. The shop is normally open Monday–Friday 09:00–14:00, and in summer there are extended opening hours and tours Wednesday to Saturday at 10:00 and 13:00.

The stated opening hours are Shop: Monday–Friday 09:00–14:00. Saturday, Sunday and public holidays closed. In summer 13 July–8 August: Monday–Saturday 10:00–14:00, Sunday closed. Tours during the summer period: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 10:00 and 13:00. Open tours can also be arranged outside opening hours by appointment.
See times and book a visit.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Fary Lochan emphasizes family ownership, hand-crafted whisky and Scottish-inspired craftsmanship. The distillery also highlights its distinctiveness with smoking over fresh nettles and describes itself as driven by the desire to make high-quality whisky. The combination of local Danish raw materials, specially designed stills and an unusual smoking method is at the core of the house’s identity.

Latest news

Inclusion in the SMWS whisky collection – 2019-09-01

Fary Lochan was officially included in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s prestigious whisky collection on 1 September 2019.