What’s next for Daftmill? Francis Cuthbert on the whisky he’s been waiting 21 years for

Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 09:25

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Daftmill is far from your typical Scottish whisky distillery. It wasn’t born out of a grand business plan or an ambition to produce as many bottles as possible, but grew quite literally from the Cuthbert family farm. Around the turn of the millennium, Francis Cuthbert began seriously considering making his own whisky. Not because he thought the whisky world needed reinventing, but because he wanted to know what actually happened to the barley grown on the family farm.

That curiosity eventually led to Daftmill Distillery, where whisky is still produced on a small scale and distillation takes place seasonally. Slow mashing, long fermentations and slow distillation have become so deeply embedded in the way Daftmill operates that significantly increasing production would be far from straightforward. Francis doesn’t seem particularly concerned about that. In fact, when we ask what he would do differently if he were starting again, his thoughts turn mainly to cleaning, larger washbacks, better drainage and that second-hand boiler.

Over the years, Daftmill has developed an almost mythical reputation among whisky enthusiasts. The first single cask releases attracted so much attention that websites even crashed.

Francis Cuthbert (57) himself remains remarkably down-to-earth about it all. In this interview, we talk to him about his earliest memories of whisky, life as a farmer, the decision not to chase scale at Daftmill and the style of whisky he believes suits the distillery best. He also gives us a glimpse of what is waiting in the warehouse, including a 21-year-old Daftmill.

Do you remember when you first really discovered whisky, and what made that moment special for you?

'Not really it was probably stolen from my parents. Or given as a medicine for something like toothache or a cold.'

Was whisky simply part of everyday life in your family, or was it an interest you developed yourself later on?

'Yes everyone in the family and extended family drank whisky especially at family get to get togethers like weddings funerals etcetera.'

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At what point did whisky change from something you enjoyed drinking into something you started thinking about more seriously?

'I wanted to know which distilleries used our barley. As i got more interested in single malts, where they came from and how they were made I developed an interest in production. Which from the outside looked so simple i thought i could do that myself.'

You come from a farming family. What lessons from farming do you still bring with you into the distillery every day?

'Wipe your feet or take your boots of before entering the house/ stillhouse. And you get to go home when the job is finished.'

Daftmill didn’t begin as a large commercial whisky project, but grew out of the farm itself. When did the idea of making whisky here first become a serious possibility?

'From 2000 to 2002 we started to consider the possibility more seriously. Started talking to people in the industry and putting figures together.'

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What was the defining moment when you decided Daftmill shouldn’t remain just an idea, but should actually become a working distillery?

'The day we ordered the stills and mash tun. There was no backing out after that. We sealed the deal with a glass of probably the best Glenfarclas I had ever had.'

What decisions did you deliberately make differently in those early years compared with larger or more traditional distilleries?

'We could never compete on scale of production or effiency so we decided not to try. Now we have locked ourselves into a method with slow mashing , long ferments and slow distilation that makes it hard if we want to ramp up production. We distill seasonally but that wasn’t as much a decision as a practical way to work.'

Looking back at those early years, is there anything you would do completely differently if you were starting Daftmill again today?

'I would install CIP cleaning as i spend most time cleaning. If there had been room I would have put in more washbacks. I would put in bigger wash backs so they can’t foam over, possibly with temp control. I would put a drain underneath them. Also I would buy a new boiler not a second hand one.'

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Daftmill has developed an almost mythical reputation among whisky enthusiasts. When did you first realise that something special was beginning to grow around the distillery beyond the farm itself?

'I am not sure if there is anything special about Daftmill. When we released our first single casks and it caused websites to crash ect was probably when I noticed the buzz. Things have calmed down a lot since then.'

If you had to describe Daftmill whisky without using tasting notes, what kind of character are you ultimately trying to create in the glass?

'Classic Lowland Whisky, Subtle, Elegant.'

How do you decide which casks are best suited to the Daftmill style, and how much room do you allow yourself for experimentation?

'I think bourbon barrels work best. I think bourbon barrel work best. We don’t do many experiments as we don’t have much use for the failed experiments. I tend to stick to what works or I personally like.'

Are there any cask types or maturation techniques you’re personally very curious about but haven’t yet had the opportunity to use?

'As time passes it will be interesting to see how the whisky matures in the refill casks we only started refilling our own casks after we started bottling. A Daftmill in a refill sherry cask has great potential where the cask doesn’t dominate the spirit.'

Which Daftmill release is closest to your heart personally, regardless of its price, age or rarity?

'Normally i would say whichever one was the last release. After it’s bottled I have moved on to thinking about next release. The first 15 yo meant a lot to me at the time although i think the one coming out later this year is better.'

Are there any experiments, new cask types, age statements or projects currently sitting in the warehouse that whisky enthusiasts don’t know about yet, but that you’re already particularly excited about?

'If no one knows about them thats because I don’t want to tell any one. Like I said i don’t do many experiments. Not very exciting perhaps is that we are planning a 10 yo. The next exciting thing for me is the 21 yo coming out early next year. That seems like a coming of age bottling for me. That will be the oldest whisky we bottled thus far.'

If you could give us just one small hint, what should Daftmill fans be keeping a very close eye on in the near future?

'I think the current 2013 Summer release is pretty good. There is a new batch of the 15 yo coming out later this year and early next year we will have the 21 yo.'

What’s next for Daftmill? Francis Cuthbert on the whisky he’s been waiting 21 years for

Read also

Do you remember when you first really discovered whisky, and what made that moment special for you?

Was whisky simply part of everyday life in your family, or was it an interest you developed yourself later on?

At what point did whisky change from something you enjoyed drinking into something you started thinking about more seriously?

You come from a farming family. What lessons from farming do you still bring with you into the distillery every day?

Daftmill didn’t begin as a large commercial whisky project, but grew out of the farm itself. When did the idea of making whisky here first become a serious possibility?

What was the defining moment when you decided Daftmill shouldn’t remain just an idea, but should actually become a working distillery?

What decisions did you deliberately make differently in those early years compared with larger or more traditional distilleries?

Looking back at those early years, is there anything you would do completely differently if you were starting Daftmill again today?

Daftmill has developed an almost mythical reputation among whisky enthusiasts. When did you first realise that something special was beginning to grow around the distillery beyond the farm itself?

If you had to describe Daftmill whisky without using tasting notes, what kind of character are you ultimately trying to create in the glass?

How do you decide which casks are best suited to the Daftmill style, and how much room do you allow yourself for experimentation?

Are there any cask types or maturation techniques you’re personally very curious about but haven’t yet had the opportunity to use?

Which Daftmill release is closest to your heart personally, regardless of its price, age or rarity?

Are there any experiments, new cask types, age statements or projects currently sitting in the warehouse that whisky enthusiasts don’t know about yet, but that you’re already particularly excited about?

If you could give us just one small hint, what should Daftmill fans be keeping a very close eye on in the near future?

Read also

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