Dornoch Distillery

The Thompson Brothers

Dornoch sits on the east coast of the north Highlands. It enjoys a sunny climate and extensive golden beaches stretching from Dornoch Point past Embo to Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve. Royal Dornoch’s championship golf course is world-renowned, and ranked 13th in the world. The town features a notable cathedral, founded in 1224 and restored with support from Andrew Carnegie, as well as the Witch’s Stone, marking where Scotland’s last witch was burned in 1722.

It is also home to the Dornoch Castle Hotel, which houses a fine whisky bar and collection. Which is also where brothers Phil and Simon Thompson began their whisky journey. This is a tale of whisky passion and ambition leading to high class single cask bottlings and a crowd-funded distillery.

The Brothers Behind The Story

Phil and Simon Thompson started their whisky journey behind the bar of the Dornoch Castle Hotel. The Hotel was owned by the family and the guys worked there. Phil left to study for a while, and when he came back his brother Simon was responsible for buying the stock. And building his own collection at the same time. The bar is known as one of the best whisky bars in Scotland. And it provided the guys with a platform to meet and mingle with the Scottish whisky community - which has proven so valuable to them over the years.

Not content with establishing a top whisky bar in Dornoch, they upped their ambitions and started making their own whisky and gin on-site at Dornoch Castle Hotel, forming Dornoch’s first whisky distillery.

And to help to fund it, they also have an independent whisky bottling business that is thriving.

Dornoch's First Distillery

They started out in 2016 with a Crowdfunding initiative to establish the distillery. It was subscribed to by whisky enthusiasts around the world. During their first year whilst still putting the distillery together, they began releasing independent bottlings of rum and whisky. Leveraging their industry connections built in the whisky bar. And this has been the mainstay of their business while the casks of Dornoch distillery spirit are maturing.

Success led to a second Crowdfunding in 2018 to expand the capacity. Again, it was a success and plans for expansion started to form.

In 2020 they released an inaugural release via their ballot system and since then have released 16 casks publicly via this system. As most of these are Octave casks, they only give a yield of ~70 bottles which means they are very scarce. The ballot system? Forget it unless you were wired in 2016 and 2018. First dibs go to the funders. And each bottle is numbered and the purchaser recorded. If a bottle appears for sale in an auction, shame on you! You are eliminated from the ballot. The idea is that the Brothers are not wanting flippers as customers. Just serious honest whisky folk like they are.

The distillery is tiny. Really tiny. It is hard to move around inside. But it has everything they need - except capacity for their growing business. 

In 2022 they moved into what they call their “Global Headquarters” building in Station Square, Dornoch, where they have a shop. In the same year they went public with their plans to build a new distillery in Dornoch at a location, straightforwardly named “Dornoch South”. Planning permission was granted in September 2023. And they are building a sustainable, carbon-neutral Distillery. They want to cement Dornoch as a world class whisky destination with the inclusion of a visitor centre and tasting room as well as the new distillery. It is now called Struie and will open in 2026.

Thompson Brothers Whisky

I was lucky enough on a visit to their shop to grab a Dram of their own whisky. Probably the only chance I will get having missed out in 2016 and 2018.. and here is a photo to prove it! I got the Thompson Brothers SRV5 Blended Malt. 

• Nose: Lemongrass, apricot, cucumber, green apples, with a subtle coastal peat note.
• Palate: Subtly waxy, with hints of lemon oil, grapefruit juice, capers, lemongrass, and thyme.
• Finish: Subtle smoke, with suggestions of green peppercorns in brine and thyme.

I did not have time on my trip, but if you want to try their single malts, go to the Dornoch Castle Hotel whisky bar. I will on my next trip.

Thompson Brothers Independent Bottlings

The Thompson Brothers have really done well getting access to distillery casks that are probably as scarce as their own! Time in the whisky bar really paid off. And look what I found! A Torabhaig independent bottling by the brothers. Specially for Germany too!

This one is a 7-year-old, matured in a first-fill bourbon barrel, bottled at 55.7% ABV. It is fabulous. It is a whisky that is enjoyable for experienced peat lovers.  

• Nose: Peat smoke, saltiness, vanilla, apricot, and a hint of firepit smoke. Some notes also mention citrus and honey. 

• Palate: Powerful peat smoke, often accompanied by salinity, vanilla, and spicy black pepper. It's often described as both intense and smooth, with notes of grilled barbecue and a juicy, citrus-like quality. 

• Finish: A long aftertaste with a spicy, peppery kick. 

• Overall: A robust, full-bodied, and coastal single malt that is very smoky. It's a "standout whisky" that revels in its high alcohol content without being overwhelming. 

If you are quick, you can get a bottle of this for around 90€. Not a bad price for something so rare.