Extreme Distillation – Whisky Distilleries in the Most Dramatic Settings and Surroundings

While people are quick to bash our weather here in the UK, one thing I will say for it is the fact that it’s consistent. It’s just a shame that the consistency comes in the form of grey, breezy, cool temperatures. Sure, we get heatwaves during the summer and a fair bit of snow now and then during the winter, but ‘extreme’ is not a word you’d use to describe our climate.

Even in Scotland, where the weather tends to be harsher, it doesn’t last for long. Oh and by the way, in case you’re wondering why I’m talking like a weatherman today, I haven’t lost the plot just yet, it’s because I want to talk about distilleries located in extreme surroundings.

Whisky is very much a product of its surroundings. That’s why malts produced in coastal regions such as Islay and the Islands, pick up maritime notes like you’d typically find by the sea. While some Scotch distilleries are located in surroundings that can be described as harsh, they’re nothing like the ones I’m going to be looking at today.

Here’s a look at a few distilleries located in some of the world’s most extreme surroundings.

Southern Grace Distillery

Whiskey’s links to the criminal underworld has been well documented in the past, especially when it comes to illegal distillation. This first distillery on our list, however, is located in one of the most secure locations in the world – a literal former prison!

Situated in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, USA, Southern Grace Distillery is housed within a former maximum-security prison, which is now known as ‘whiskey prison’. As you might expect, it’s also the first of its kind.

What were once cells used to house the inmates now serve as aging rooms, fermentation spaces, cask storage rooms, and distillation areas. To say that it’s atmospheric would be a vast understatement. The owners are clearly well aware of this, as the distillery is now a prominent tourist attraction and is especially popular amongst ghost hunters and paranormal investigators. Me personally? I’d rather hunt down a tasty dram or two!

Aurora Spirit Distillery

Well, we’ve just looked at the world’s first ever whiskey distillery housed inside of a former prison, and now it’s time for another history-maker, this time in the form of the world’s northernmost distillery.

Unveiled in 2020, the Aurora Spirit Distillery is located in Norway, within a former coastal fort once used by both NATO, and Germany during the First World War. This particular location was chosen for a number of different reasons. To begin with, there was already plenty of road access for deliveries, along with ventilation, electricity, lighting, and heating already being in place. Perhaps more appealing however, is the location.

Situated a stone’s throw away from the stunning Lyngen Alps, the water here is glacial run off and is packed full of minerals and is amongst the purest on the planet. Amazing quality water means amazing quality whisky. Despite being in one of the coldest parts of the world, the coastal location helps raise temperatures ever-so-slightly, which has an amazing effect on the whisky.

Speaking of the whisky, it is aged just 30-feet from the sea, in an underground bunker. Their Bivrost whisky is both peated and unpeated, and aged and finished in a number of different cask types. It may be reminiscent of Scotch, but make no mistakes, this is Norwegian whisky through and through.

Whiskey Del Bac

You wanted extreme? I’ll give you extreme, in the form of Whiskey Del Bac – formerly Hamilton Distillers.

This distillery is situated in one of the harshest locations on the planet, as it is found in the scorching hot Sonoran Desert in Arizona. Here, during the summer months, temperatures can reach as high as 49 degrees Celsius, with very little rainfall all year round. When it does rain, it’s more like a monsoon!

Whiskey Del Bac produces single malt made from mesquite-smoked grains. Mesquite wood is very popular in BBQ, as it produces a sweet, aromatic, intense, and concentrated smoke flavour that lends itself very well to richer cuts of meat. In whiskey production, it helps impart similar flavours into the grains. Islay has peat, Arizona has mesquite

As it gets so hot here, the water they use has to be industrially cooled before the yeast is pitched and the mashing can occur. Without cooling the water, not only would the grains cook far too quickly, but temps would be too hot for the yeast to survive. Even the fermenting vessels are wrapped in glycol jackets to help keep the temperatures stable. Production is especially tricky as, once the sun goes down, temperatures drop rapidly. There is also a much larger rate of evaporation, which averages around 27%.

This huge contrast in temps between day and night results in some of the most unique-tasting whiskey you could ever imagine. Del Bac Classic American single malt whiskey for example, strikes the perfect balance between Scotch and American whiskey. It offers sweet caramel and fruity notes, with a rich and oaky finish. There’s a lot of work that goes into making it, but the final product makes it more than worthwhile.

S.D Strong Distilling

Having watched The Descent fairly recently, it’s safe to say I’m not in any immediate hurry to visit a cave anytime soon (if you know, you know). It’s a good job, then, that I’m not scheduled to visit S.D Strong Distilling in the immediate future.

Located in Parkville, Missouri, S.D Strong Distilling is a whiskey distillery found entirely underground within a limestone cave, just a stone’s throw away from an active Argentine limestone mine which still blasts regularly. It was founded by Lisa and Steve Strong in 2012 and is situated more than 65-feet beneath the earth’s surface.

The humid, dark, slightly moist conditions underground are perfect for aging their Straight Rye and Big Boom bourbon whiskey, helping it to mature consistently. Incidentally, the whiskey was named ‘Big Boom’ in reference to the blasting that occurs at the nearby mine.

They also produce gin and vodka, and regularly hold guided tours of the underground distillery, which are, not surprisingly, very popular.

Breckenridge Distillery

We’ll conclude what has felt like a tour of the United States with a look at Colorado’s Breckenridge Distillery.

Sited more than 9.600 feet above sea level, in the gorgeous Colorado Rocky Mountains, you will find the Breckenridge Distillery.

The distillery boasts some of the most amazing views you’re ever likely to see and, again, thanks to that pure mountain runoff, the water used to produce the whiskey is of the very highest quality. Add to this, that fresh mountain air and you’re left with a premium quality whiskey.

Unfortunately, because of the high altitude and lack of moisture in the air, there is a great deal of evaporation which takes place, resulting in losses of as much as 28% within the casks. The angels certainly get more than their fair share here.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.

Tags: Extreme Distillationwhisky distilleries

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.