Some welcome news hit our inbox today: Kythe Distillery officially began making whisky on 2 July 2026.
The newsletter records this emotional milestone as arriving after a long and “meticulous period of planning, testing, recalibrating, testing again, and occasionally wondering whether every pipe, valve and cable had developed a personality of its own”.
It goes on to say: “What began as an idea, a plan and a considerable amount of determination is now flowing through our stills as real spirit. The first drops of Kythe new make are no longer simply a promise of whisky to come. They are the beginning of it”.
Founders Jonny and Angus looking proud of their work
Meet Kythe Distillery
Kythe was founded by three friends: former Berry Bros. & Rudd spirits buyer Jonny McMillan, whisky writer and Decadent Drinks founder and Whisky Sponge creator Angus MacRaild, and Club Qing founder Aaron Chan. They are joined by industry veteran and the man in the red socks, Ronnie Cox, who brings more than 40 years of Scotch whisky experience. It is funded solely by a group of whisky enthusiasts across the globe.
Everyone behind Kythe is united by an idea, one that is simple in theory: it’s possible to create an ‘old style’ single malt Scotch whisky. An antithesis to whisky that values volume and cost over quality. “Our intention has never been to make an overly polished or anonymous spirit,” the newsletter reads. “In our view, many modern “pretty” new makes remove too much character during distillation in the pursuit of cleanliness and consistency. While this can produce an elegant spirit, it can also leave the eventual matured whisky rather uninteresting”.
Flavour first, simply put. “We want to retain the flavour, texture and personality of the mash, including the slightly untamed notes that can develop into genuine complexity during maturation. This is precisely why we chose a direct wood-fired pot still. It is less convenient, less predictable and undoubtedly more demanding, but we believe it gives us the best chance of creating a whisky with real depth and individuality”.
Kythe Distillery has a directly fired wash still
‘Old style’ single malt Scotch whisky
Kythe’s definition of old-style whisky begins with rejecting the modern distillery obsession with squeezing maximum alcohol from minimum time, grain and effort. Efficiency has its place, but Kythe believes it can also sand away the very character that makes a spirit worth drinking.
There is of course, nothing easy about this process. It’s slow and low-yielding. Flavourful heritage barley is where it starts. Fermentation lasts up to two weeks in wooden washbacks. Traditional brewer’s yeast and the microbial life within the washbacks encourage tropical fruit, acidity and an occasional unruly flavour that may become something far more interesting after years in oak.
The wash is distilled in a directly wood-fired pot still. Kythe plans to concentrate on one house style, allowing natural differences in barley, season and the hands operating the stills to remain visible. Most of the spirit will go into gentle refill casks, giving the distillate room to speak rather than smothering it beneath a duvet of more active casks.
Wooden washbacks, what else?
Beyond flavour
Kythe’s ambitions are not limited to what eventually ends up in the glass. Its wood-fired wash still will provide much of the distillery’s heat, while electricity will power the remaining process, including a directly heated electric spirit still. When operated using renewable power, its engineers estimate the distillery will produce 94% less carbon dioxide than a comparable site fuelled by kerosene.
None of this is cheap or convenient. There was no ready-made design for wood-fired and electric stills on this scale, so much of Kythe’s equipment had to be developed specifically for the distillery. Environmental considerations were part of the engineering brief from the beginning, rather than something bolted on later beside a tastefully photographed sapling.
Kythe is housed in existing agricultural buildings on a working farm and will initially employ a small team under Fair Work First principles. There will be no visitor centre, no gift shop. It is, first and foremost, a place built to make whisky.
Kythe new make spirit is here!
The first flow of spirit
“While it is very obviously new make spirit, it is comfortingly different enough from most modern ‘pretty’ new makes. Quite a lot of cereal and grassy notes, some subtle funky, sweaty characteristics, which I think are a positive sign. Overall, I think that it’s a good start,” says McRaid, assessing the new make. “We will happily accept “funky and sweaty” as praise, particularly at this stage”.
Kythe is still testing yeast strains and fermentation lengths, learning how each adjustment changes the relationship between its barley, washbacks and stills. Production is now underway, future stocks are quietly beginning to build, and a cask programme is planned for 2027.
Should you have friends who may be interested in owning a Kythe cask, or simply in following the development of the distillery, they can join the mailing list.
