The variation between distillery tours never ceases to amaze us here at The Cask Connoisseur. Not only in the quality of the tour, the information imparted, or the overall experience, but the variation in design between mash tuns, wash backs, stills and warehousing.
Ad Gefrin is worth ticking off your “distilleries to visit list” on several points but might be summarised as an “awesome distillery”. Here are our five reasons to visit Ad Gefrin Distillery:
- It caters for whisky enthusiasts.
- It’s perfect for gin enthusiasts.
- If you’re interested in Anglo-Saxon history then you definitely need to visit.
- It has a lovely Bistro/café providing everything from coffee and cakes to a full meal, with the food complementing the whisky.
- If you are travelling with your dog, there is a heated patio where all can indulge their fancy.
We’d argue that just about everyone is covered.
Key points about Ad Gefrin Distillery
Opened in 2022 and located in the foothills of the Cheviot Hills, the distillery, draws upon the deep sense of place that permeates the area. The founders of Ad Gefrin, the Ferguson family, envisioned a business that celebrates the local area, not only through their single malt whisky but through their commitment to sharing the stories of Northumberland’s past. They have certainly succeeded.
Visitors to the distillery are treated to a journey through the whisky-making process, from the selection of barley and water to fermentation, distillation, and ageing.
The Ad Gefrin Visitor Experience goes beyond just the technicalities of whisky production, offering insights into the region’s deep Anglo-Saxon history and the distillery’s connection to the land. Interactive exhibits, multimedia displays, and the opportunity to see the gleaming copper stills in action make for a compelling visit.
Ad Gefrin’s Meaning and Origins
Ad Gefrin takes its name from the nearby royal summer palace of Anglo-Saxon kings, Yeavering (Old English: Geafron). In the 7th century, Yeavering was a key royal centre of the Northumbrian Kingdom under King Edwin, a place where politics, diplomacy, and culture thrived. It was also where faith and belief systems clashed and converged, marking the region’s transformation from paganism to Christianity.
Whisky and History at Ad Gefrin
What sets Ad Gefrin apart from other distilleries is its fusion of whisky-making with a celebration of the Anglo-Saxon heritage of the region. The distillery’s Visitor Experience includes an immersive exhibit on the Great Hall of Yeavering, where you can step back in time to the early mediaeval period and discover the rituals, politics, and way of life of the Northumbrian royal court.
The Ad Gefrin Tour is Impressive from Start to Finish
It’s hard to avoid sounding over-enthusiastic or waxing lyrical when everything just seemed so good to everyone from The Cask Connoisseur Team. You drive up to a modern building with nods to the Anglo-Saxon past visible in its architecture. Having parked your car, you walk into the atrium built from over seven thousand wooden staves, look up and go “wow”. Moving to stand on the central plaque elicits yet another wow as the acoustics change. Apparently, community concerts have been held here. Clearly much thought went into the design and function of the building. It is more than just a distillery, it is a celebration of heritage, history and craftsmanship and that’s before we try the whisky!
We wander into the shop and meet our guide for the day, Gwen. She was knowledgeable, informative, and friendly (as is everyone at the distillery). We first started in the shop, before Gwen suggested we head into the atrium further. We headed up the stairs which lead to the museum and distillery.
The “behind the scenes” tour included several more wows including:
- The museum with its interactive displays certainly left us feeling we’d gone back in time.
- The distillery floor where all the action happens, with the shining copper stills, the chance to talk to their award-winning distiller and sample some new make spirit (shame it’s not for sale). It reminded us of a speyside whisky! light and fruity. Not surprising since the climate and geology are similar.
- Going past the wall where numerous plaques demonstrate other people’s enthusiasm for this distillery through joining their Corenkyn membership, we enter the modern Cask Warehouse where we learn of the barrels used, the care taken and production information such as the local farms that grow the barley used, malting carried out by Simpsons in Berwick. The aquifer provides the water coming off the Cheviot Hills. Everything (except the barrels and stills) comes from less than fifty miles away.
- The calming environment of the tasting room and the “interactive wall” where the process from farm to bottle is explored and explained. Here we get the chance to try three examples of Ad Gefrin’s produce:
- Thirlings Dry Gin (£39, ABV 43.6%) – This award-winning gin is very smooth and fruity which is easy to drink neat. It was so good, there was no need for tonic. We were reminded of the lightness and fruit of the new make. For the whisky fan this is a gin to try.
- Tácnbora (£42.50, ABV 42.7%) – this is their second blended whisky, the first having sold out. It is a blend of Scottish grain and malt whiskies with Irish grain whisky. Matured in three types of cask, Oloroso, Ex-bourbon and Virgin American Oak. The nose and palate were reminiscent of a speyside. It is a light and fruity whisky with a medium finish that is sweet fruit with vanilla and honey.
- Flýte (£21, ABV 17%) a blend of Tácnbora and double cream. Scrumptious is the summary.
All are available from the distillery shop. All are worth trying even if you can’t visit the distillery first to sample them.
We went for the whisky, enjoyed the history, and took a piece of Northumberland’s spirit home with us in the physical form of several bottles. A distillery to follow their development over the next few years and roll on their first release. One expects you will need to be fastest on those computer buttons to get a bottle. Of course, you could join either of their membership schemes to improve the odds. You will want a bottle.
