Distillery Visit: 8 Doors Distillery Guided by Kerry and Derek Campbell

At the edge of the mainland UK, 8 Doors Distillery started its journey in September 2022, making headlines with a visit from King Charles III. Founded by a local couple, Kerry and Derek Campbell, the distillery marked the return of whisky production to the region after a 180-year hiatus. In this article, Kerry and Derek take you inside their distillery, sharing insights into their unwavering passion for crafting exceptional whisky in this region.

About 8 Doors Distillery

What is 8 Doors Distillery?

8 Doors Distillery stands as the northernmost whisky distillery on the UK mainland, nestled in the picturesque town of John O’Groats. This distillery was built in 2022 by a local couple, Kerry and Derek Campbell, who share a profound love for whisky and a deep commitment to their local community.

At the heart of 8 Doors Distillery is Mr. John Ramsay, a seasoned veteran with over four decades of experience in the whisky industry. For the past 17 years, John served as the Master Blender at Edrington, where he was ‘the nose’ crafting some of Scotland’s most renowned brands, including the Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark, The Glenrothes, and Highland Park. His influence was so profound that The Glenrothes paid a special tribute to him upon his retirement in 2009, releasing a limited-edition whisky “The Glenrothes John Ramsay Legacy”.

Despite the ideal whisky-making environment, John O’Groats had not seen a distillery for 180 years until the establishment of 8 Doors Distillery. On its opening ceremony of 2 August 2023, King Charles III toured their visitor centre, distillery, and warehouse, meeting many of the team members of the distillery.

Why 8 Doors Distillery?

Their unique name “8 Doors” draws inspiration from the local legend of Jan De Groot in the 15th century, the very man after whom the region “John O’Groats” took its name. More specifically, it centers around the residence he built on the ground that now marked by a mound, located around the John O’Groats House Hotel, close by 8 Doors Distillery.

So, who is Jan De Groot? He was the Dutchman who arrived in the area during the reign of James IV. Jan operated the ferry service connecting the Scottish mainland and the Orkney island, offering passage for a single Groat (roughly equivalent to 2 pence). He had seven sons, and they frequently argued who would take the seat at the head of the table during family gatherings.

To resolve this family dispute, Jan constructed a house with an octagonal layout, with each of its eight sides having a distinct door and window. There was one door and window for each of his sons, as well as one for himself. By ensuring that no one could exclusively claim the head of the table, he brought an end to the conflicts. This well-known story among local residents has now gave an iconic name to their new distillery.

Promotion Video

For a quick overview of 8 Doors Distillery, check out their official video (Link is cited from 8 Doors Distillery).

Basic Information

Distillery	8 Doors Distillery
Owner	Kerry and Derek Campbell
Location	8 Doors Distillery, John O’Groats, KW1 4YR, Scotland, UK
Year of Establishment	2022
Website	https://www.8doorsdistillery.com/
Social Media	Instagram: @8doorsdistillery Facebook: 8 Doors Distillery X: @8DoorsWhisky

Access

As mentioned, 8 Doors Distillery is situated right on the edge of the UK. The most recommended option to visit them is to travel by car, as you’ll pass through breathtaking views of the Scottish Highlands along the East Coast. The landscape is truly stunning, and the journey is hassle-free, seemingly stretching on forever. However, it’s important to note that it’s quite a lengthy drive – approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes from Inverness or, if you’re up for an adventure like us, a 6-hour drive from Edinburgh.

If you’d prefer not to take a car, which is completely understandable, especially when visiting a whisky distillery, you have the option of taking a train from Inverness to Wick (located just 17 miles away) or Thurso (20 miles away). From there, you can make a transition to a taxi or bus that will take you to John O’Groats. Please note that due to its rural location, public transportation options can be somewhat limited. Wick also has an airport, but currently, it operates only a limited number of flights to and from Aberdeen.

The Seven Sons

The Seven Sons – Blended Scotch Whisky

As a newly-established distillery, 8 Doors has not released its single malt yet. However, the team and John Ramsay launched their signature Blended Scotch Whisky in September 2022 “The Seven Sons” ranges. In addition, Blended Whisky Liqueur “Five Ways” is also available at the distillery shop and online.

For more information, click here.

Inside the 8 Doors Distillery

Whisky Lounge and Gift Shop

8 Doors Distillery offers a cozy whisky lounge with a captivating view of the North Sea. In addition to their fine drams, they serve coffee made from specialty beans sourced from the high lands, and roasted in the Highlands.

This charming space is the perfect spot to enjoy whisky, coffee, delectable cakes, and cocktails. You can also peruse their locally staffed gift shop. The delightful cakes, shortbread, and traybakes are all crafted by local artisans. If you have a taste for mixed drinks, you’ll find a diverse selection of whisky cocktails. And for those who need to drive back, they provide equally delightful mocktail alternatives. 8 Doors Distillerys’ very driver-friendly nature makes it the ideal place to simply come and relax.

According to Kerry and Derek, whisky tastes even better with a captivating landscape like theirs – which we found to be undeniably true after our visit to the 8 Doors Distillery!

Distillery Tour

Currently, there are three options available.

Through the Looking Glass

About	A unique opportunity to have a flight of whisky samples in our dedicated tasting room whilst looking onto our beautiful copper pot stills. Different flights available.
Time Needed	20 mins
Cost	£12
Bookings	Walk-in Bookings Only

Express Tour

About	For those short on time this express version of our tour includes a quick look around our distillery and warehouse followed by 3 samples in our tasting room.
Time Needed	45 – 60 mins
Cost	£15
Bookings	3:00pm and 4:15pm Daily. Book from here.

Tasting Tour

About	A full Distillery Tour where you’ll get an in depth view of how we produce our whisky, spend time in our warehouse and have 5 samples in our tasting room.
Time Needed	1hr 15 – 1hr 30 mins
Cost	£24
Bookings	11:30am Daily. Book from here.

Distillery Visit

Kerry and Derek kindly showed us around their distillery!

Ingredients

Derek：
8 Doors Distillery enjoys a unique advantage in its water sourcing, on account of our remote and naturally abundant location. The water used in whisky production is drawn from an on-site borehole, plunging 60 meters into the earth to access the Aquifer. In John O’Groats, the saying ‘Today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky’ rings especially true.

Kerry：
For the barley, our distillery primarily relies on unpeated traditional Scottish Distilling Malt. As a newly-established distillery, we haven’t yet incorporated an on-site mill. Instead, our barley is milled into grist by an expert, which is then delivered in 25kg bags. This grist blend maintains a golden ratio, comprising 20% husks, 70% grits, and 10% flour, skillfully balancing the sugar extraction and filtration process.

Mashing

Derek：
Our stainless steel mash tun was procured from a closed Edinburgh brewery, originally used for brewing beer. Each mashing process utilizes 400 kg of barley.
What distinguishes our Distillery’s approach is the specialized equipment called the Mash Conversion Vessel and Semi-Lauter Tun. These unique tools enable us to execute diverse cooking profiles, affording precise temperature control within the tank. They also provide flexibility for future experiments with various grains, such as local oats, although our primary focus remains on single malt.

Fermentation

Derek：
Once the mashing is over, wort gets transferred to the washback, which we also sourced from the Edinburgh brewery. We try to maintain a temperature window of roughly 20 to 28 degrees. The fermentation process continues for a total of 98 hours, which is about four days. By the end of this process, ABV reaches 9.2-4%.
Although no additional alcohol is produced after the initial 70 hours, this long fermentation, lasting an additional 20 to 30 hours, plays a key role in infusing a fruity flavor. When you sample the new make, you’ll notice its rich and complex flavor profile, due to our nearly 100-hour fermentation process.
Our core recipe employs Fermentis M-1 yeast, which also contributes to creating the light fruity flavors. The yeast is manually added into our washback.

Distillation

Derek：
Now, let’s move to the distillation process. We’ve chosen traditional pot stills, meticulously crafted to our specifications by Speyside Copper Works. During our visit to their factory, we saw real craftsmanship there. Their skilled craftsmen painstakingly hand-hammer flat copper sheets into the stills, using same old techniques since the nineteenth century. If you look at the surface of these stills closely, you’ll find the marks left by the hand-hammering process.

Derek：
Our Wash Still has a 1,700-liter capacity, while the Spirit Still can hold up to 1,300 liters. These stills are designed in a classic style, custom-fitted for our compact distillery. Notably, their slightly sloping line arms are configured to allow only lighter oils to pass through, resulting in a light and fruity character with an exceptionally satisfying mouthfeel.

Derek：
Within our distillery, every step is carried out manually. Our distillery team, led by John Ramsay, uses traditional methods to control the steam, all the while carefully monitoring the temperature panel and sight glass. As they observe foam through the glass, they know when the boiling has started, typically taking place at around 90 to 92 degrees.
The middle cut is also a hands-on operation, with exact adjustments based on temperature, nosing, and ABV, cutting it from 74% to 64%.

Our stills are intentionally operated at a slow pace, with one wash distillation and one spirit distillation every day. This approach, combined with the design of the pot stills, ensures maximum copper contact throughout the distillation, creating the light and fruity character of our spirits.

Maturation

Derek：
The maturation process takes place at a warehouse right next to the distillery. Here, the cold, damp, sea air exerts its influence on the casks as they mature. Situated by the coast, this environment, especially the sea mist, ocean spray, and cool temperatures, all play a role in shaping the complex characteristics of our whisky.

Derek：
For our first-fill sherry seasoned casks, we’re partnered with Casknolia, a small, family-run cooperage in Southern Spain. These cooperage experts create tailor-made casks for us by crafting air-dried American, European, and Spanish Oak staves into casks. These casks are then seasoned for up to 2 years in their partner wineries.
Our range of cask sizes encompasses 50L Octave casks, 130L Quarter casks, 250L Hogsheads, and 500L Sherry Butts.

At Last

Kerry and Derek Campbell, a couple driven by their love for whisky and a profound commitment to their local community, turned their grand dream of establishing a distillery into a reality. Located in John O’Groats, the northernmost point of mainland UK, 8 Doors Distillery is where a skilled local team crafts amazing whisky that matures in the benefit of refreshing sea breeze from north sea.

Enveloped by the natural splendor of the Scottish Highlands, a visit to this distillery is a journey you won’t want to miss. While we patiently await for the release of their single malt, the craftsmanship of 8 Doors Distillery already appears in their blended whisky ranges, The Seven Sons and Five Ways.

With deep appreciation to Kerry and Derrek, don’t forget to explore another article on the interview with them behind the scenes of realizing their dreams!