Oz and I are followers of everything Anglo Saxon and Viking,

We have come to realise on our consumer Journey that Whisky is flavoured from the very beginnings by the ground the grain is frown in, the water used and lastly the wood it ages in.

The opportunity arose for us to learn more about the process and we grasped it, from striking temperatures to sweet wines for finishing, we learn every day, for this, we needed good partners and friends who we could turn to for help and advice and we have found many over the last 12 years of our friendship.

It was to one of these we turned imparticular Alex and Ellen of in the Welsh wind, Alex and I have been friends for over 16 years and ever since he started his Gin from the Barn on his fathers land, Erhard (the Farther) is a long time friend and business partner in two companies that I own.

His passion for the creative and his narrative have inspired me, Alex and Ellen are mavericks in a world of process-driven rules, Rules, they are there to be Broken and They do that with educated perfection creating the most magnificent Award-winning gins for some world-renowned names ( sir Geoff Hurst to name one).

Creating my favourite yet to be released, I hasten to mention, seaweed sipping Gin, a smooth fragrant high strength brew to be enjoyed over ice with zero added!

Whilst on one of our many Visits to Wales, my wife and I visited the new Distillery, Ā at the Gogerddan Arms, Tan-y-groes, a move that has proved popular and is in itself so Alex and Ellen, we went in September 2020 right in the middle of a break from Covid 19 restrictions, Alex and Ellen were busy producing hand sanitiser (remember I told you about there resilience) for the local community and Alex had just laid down 10 x 50litre recoopered casks of Single malt as a test of an idea he and Ellen were playing with, to bring to the world a truly Magnificent all Welsh Single Malt Whisky.Ā 

We sat in the new tasting area with a small Jug a pipette and a glass, little did I know what was coming. I bought one of those first casks and my heart was set, as always is the way with me and my friends we set about taking over the fine new make spirit, and it was there we decided to join with them in Making Our first fantastic Rye, Mercia Whisky was Born.

it would be with their help and guidance that we set about our plan to bring our Distillery back to the midlands, but first, we set about how this journey was to start.

The First Steps.

I Met with Oz on His 50th Birthday to say I had bought a cask and 50% was his, he was of course over the moon and Oz being Oz very humbled, I explained that I needed a level headed partner to join me in an idea and he was all ears, I got to I am going to produce Whisky and Oz exclaimed ‘ I’m in’, see that is what I love and respect about Oz he knows when something is good and is not afraid to tell me otherwise.

So a friendship became a partnership we shook hands, old school we are, Oz and I started looking at everything, see my last blog for that part of the journey ………….

Why Mercia?

The ancient Kingdom of Mercia gives us the Opportunity to take key elements in the production of the whisky and choose the best the land has to offer to create a Mighty Whisky from any grain, water source and Oaks in a huge area of land that once was Mercia, this would give us exciting opportunities to meet new people, form great friendships and partnerships with farmers and land owner, malting houses, places to gain some magnificent water.

It is our ambition to create a Distillery linked to it own coopers yard, a place to come and eat and taste our Whisky, to Listen to music, most importantly to talk and meet new people as me and Oz have always done welcomed new people around the fire with smiles and warmth and great whisky.

What is next I hear you cry, well wait for the next post and we will explain the journey further….