Our story
A whisky that embodies its surroundings
This is the English whisky renaissance, and Dartmoor is its beating heart.
The distillery
The highest distillery in the British Isles
It took a four-year quest to find the right spot. In the end we settled on Princetown, among the granite tors of Dartmoor – higher than any other distillery in the British Isles.
Altitude matters. Up here air pressure is lower, so liquids boil at a lower temperature and spirit separates more easily from the heavier compounds known as congeners. Distilling in thin, cool air lets the delicate aromas survive the still. It's an approach long used by high-altitude distilleries in Japan, now brought to the English moor.
The same principle makes the distillery remarkably efficient. Distilling at a lower temperature requires far less energy, which makes Dartmoor Princetown Whisky one of the most sustainable whiskies produced anywhere.
What goes in
Three things – and the moor
Pure moorland water
Drawn from the source of the River Dart, filtered by granite.
English distilling barley
Exceptional barley grown in England and malted for flavour.
Secret & wild yeasts
A closely guarded blend, including wild yeasts, that shapes our fruity, floral character.
Our vision
Bringing English whisky back to the front
Whisky was once made across England at scale – Bristol's Cheese Lane Distillery is just one example from the 1700s and 1800s. That industry faded; its heritage didn't.
Our vision is to revive it: to bring commercial-scale English whisky back to the forefront of the world stage, made with ingredients grown and drawn from the land around us, distilled with respect for the environment, and enjoyed by people everywhere.
Timeline
How we got here
1700s – 1800s
English whisky thrives
In cities like Bristol, distilleries such as the Cheese Lane Distillery make whisky at commercial scale.
A four-year quest
Finding the place
We searched for the perfect location – and found it among the granite tors of Dartmoor, the highest distillery site in the British Isles.
Building
Copper stills on the moor
Copper stills are installed in the cool, rarified atmosphere where low air pressure lowers the boiling point of the spirit.
Today
The first bottles
Dartmoor Princetown Whisky begins to sell its whisky – the start of the English whisky renaissance.
Sustainability
Lighter on the land
Distilling at altitude uses far less energy – and we think that's how whisky should be made.
Princetown Distillers Ltd is committed to carrying out the whole process – from the water to the final bottle – with as small a footprint as possible. We'll share our progress openly as we grow.
Come and see for yourself
Book a distillery experience and taste the difference altitude makes.