Daftmill - Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Daftmill is a family business based in Howe of Fife. The main businesses are the cultivation of cereals, especially malting barley, the rearing of cattle and the cultivation of potatoes. Carrots and broccoli are also grown on the farm.

In June 2003, Daftmill applied for planning permission to convert the old mill building into a distillery. It took most of 2004 and 2005 to repair the buildings and install all the equipment. On St. Andrews Day 2005, when the license was granted by the UK Revenue Commissioners, Daftmill was ready to start distillation.

Apart from the stills and mash tun, which were made by Forsyths Coppersmiths in Rothes, all the other equipment and work to convert the buildings and erect the distillery was supplied by local craftsmen from around Cupar.

At the distillery, Daftmill uses the barley grown on the farm and water from their own artesian well to make whiskey.

The distillery works in harmony with the farm. The barley is grown on the farm and after it has been mashed, the draff is used as nutritious, protein-rich fodder for the cattle. The pot ale and draff, ie the leftovers from the distillation, are stored in a large tank on the farm and then sprayed onto the grass or barley stubble as fertilizer. The warm water used to cool the stills is either saved for the next mash or pumped into the duck pond where the heat is lost. It also helps keep the pond from freezing over in winter.

The distillery must work seasonally according to the agricultural calendar. Daftmill makes whiskey in the winter months when the farm is not as busy, but in the spring the barley needs to be sown, the potatoes planted and the cattle grazed so the distillery is idle. In the middle of summer, work on the farm rests again and distillation takes place in June and July before the distillery closes again for harvest time. Such workflows used to be the norm but have not been seen in Scotland for over 100 years.