Aber Falls Inaugural Release 2021

Aber Falls distillery was founded in 2017 by drinks company Halewood International in a former industrial depot in the village of Abergwyngregyn near the famous Aber Falls waterfall, a popular tourist attraction. Aber Falls was the first distillery to be built in North Wales since the demise of the Frongoch distillery near Bala in 1900, and produces gin and liqueurs as well as whisky.

Aber Falls uses Welsh barley and has a 5000 litre wash still and a 3600 litre spirit still, while the spirit is aged in a mix of ex-bourbon, sherry and virgin oak casks. Aber Falls distillery’s first Welsh single malt whisky was released in May 2021 to extremely positive reviews.

Distillery bottlings are, as the name suggests, bottled by or for the distillery from which the whisky has originated and are thus often referred to as Official Bottlings or OBs. Distillery bottlings are generally more desirable for collectors and usually fetch higher prices at auction than independent bottlings. They are officially-endorsed versions of the whisky from a particular distillery and are therefore considered the truest expression of the distillery’s character.

This ideal of the distillery character is regarded so seriously by the distilleries and brand owners that casks of whisky that are considered to vary too far from the archetype are frequently sold on to whisky brokers and independent bottlers. When this happens, it is often with the proviso that the distillery’s name is not allowed to be used when the cask is bottled for fear of diminishing or damaging the distillery’s character and status.