What's the Story of the Thy Whisky Distillery?

This week, on Distillery Thursday, we delve deeper into history than ever before as we head to Denmark. Whisky is fast making strides in the industry there, notably by Thy Whisky. It's high time we tell you all about it.

Let's start with the first generation of Danish Gyrup farmers, the Danish landscape, and the unmistakable Danish terroir. Our journey back in time takes us to an era where whisky distilling was yet unknown in Denmark.

In the northwest of Denmark, winding roads weave their way through expansive farmland. A stone's throw from the Thy National Park, just north of Lake Ovesø, lies a vast 500-hectare estate named Gyrup.

For centuries, a farmstead has stood on this ground, dating back to the 1300s. It’s a place steeped in history, marked by ancient burial mounds dotting the landscape. Since 1773, this location is home to an organic farming operation. Livestock grazes on pastures, and various crops including organic grains are cultivated in the numerous fields.

The Gyrup has been calling the family home for eight generations. With the arrival of the seventh generation, a new element was added to Gyrup. In 2010, Nicolaj Nicolajsen, the founder of Thy Whisky Distillery, decided that the grains should not only be used for international breweries and distilleries, but the family itself would start utilizing them more extensively.

How? By distilling whisky.

Nicolajsen's idea was simple. He decided to utilize his own organically grown barley and aimed to encapsulate the flavour and tradition of Denmark in a world-class beverage. Bearing this in mind, he explored possibilities to create a whisky made from malt smoked using Danish methods (using beech wood).

A partnership was established with the local Thisted brewery, the Nordisk Brænderi, and a malting house was commissioned in Germany. Together, these entities produced experimental whisky in the early years, while Nicolajsen perfected his recipe for the organic Thy Whisky. The first whisky was bottled in 2014 by the name Thy Whisky No. 1- Kræn Klit.

In 2015, the family gathered at the Gyrup estate for Christmas. During the festivities, the first Thy whisky was tasted, sparking discussions about the future of Thy Whisky Distillery and the estate.

The topic of a single estate distillery was brought up. It's high time the eighth generation of the Nicolajsen family gradually takes over and elevates Thy Whisky Distillery to a new level.

Members of Nicolajsen's family, Ellen Nicolajsen, Jakos Stjernholm, Marie Stjernholm, and Andreas Poulsen, were living in Copenhagen at the time. They decided to pack their belongings and return to the place where they grew up.

This marked the beginning of an enormous project. The Gyrup manor underwent a massive renovation. An one of a kind open warehouse for barrels was established in the old stalls. This would allow the spirit to mature in the Danish climate, influenced by the changing seasons and the maritime climate of the country.

Additionally, a distilling room was created in the old servants' quarters, and a huge malting drum was built and put into operation in 2018, along with a 1000-litre mash tun. They also created a space where the malted barley could be smoked.

As the work progressed and the Danish single estate whisky distillery slowly took shape, production at the current (external) distillery was ramped up. In 2019, it was time for the icing on the cake.

The 1000-litre pot still arrived at the manor and was placed in one of the wings of the building. The new Thy Whisky Distillery was ready, and the family could begin creating Danish organic single estate whisky.

After the renovation, Thy Whisky Distillery is slightly smaller than the Stauning Distillery. It produces about 50,000 litres of organic spirit per year. The barley used during distilling is grown on the estate in which the Danish distillery is situated and is smoked with beech wood.

Thy's new spirit is created by the distillery through single distillation in the copper pot still equipped with a purifier. This increases reflux of the heavier oils and water vapours. It's a unique method employed by the Danish whisky maker, yielding a purer spirit with a rich flavour. Moreover, this method of distilling brings out the distinct Danish terroir in the beverage.

The core range of Thy Whisky Distillery has now been scheduled for launch in 2024. The selection comprises three distinctive Danish expressions with diverse profiles. Each of these whiskies is a Vintage release, meaning a new batch of the same whisky will be bottled each year.

Below, we list the first releases from the core range with their respective flavour profiles:

This is the 'essence of Thy Distillery' that combines the distinctive characteristics of the distillery's malty farm style with a slight touch of beech wood smoke. This single malt whisky has matured in a mix of ex-bourbon, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximénez casks, resulting in a sweet, fruity, and malty flavor.

For the spirit of the Thy single malt, the distillery has used Odysee Byg and Babushka byg grains. There's also the use of pale malt and malt smoked with beech wood. The expression is bottled at 48 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).

The second of the three expressions in the Thy core range is slightly smokier. The whisky is distilled from Odyssee Barley and malt smoked with beechwood. The liquor has matured entirely in sherry casks, resulting in a rich taste of dried fruits, malt, and warming smoke. The BØG expression is bottled at 50 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).

Thy BØG is also limited. In this case, only 3,100 bottles have been produced which sold for 79.90 euros each.

The third whisky is distilled from a combination of grains. Malted barley, rye, and malted spelt have been used to showcase the diversity of the Gyrup estate. The liquor has matured in American oak barrels and has notes of honey, fruit, oak spices, pepper, and citrus, complemented with floral tones. This whisky has an alcohol volume of 48.5 percent and was limited to 2,900 bottles worldwide.

In the meantime Thy releases a lot more whiskies. You can check their current core range at the distillery's website.

Photos: Thy Whisky Distillery