Whisky lovers who spent thousands on casks from a Stirling distillery will instead receive “unbranded” spirit made in an unnamed Highland location.
Wolfcraig Distillers hoped to open a distillery and visitor centre at Stirling’s Craigforth campus, but planning permission was refused in March 2022.
But the company had already sold whisky casks to private individuals, priced between £4,000 and £6,000, paid for upfront.
Presented as an exclusive opportunity, a maximum of 1,000 casks were advertised for sale, meaning a total of around £5 million was potentially paid to the firm.
Wolfcraig Distillers says it will fulfil its cask orders at an alternative distillery within the agreed timeframe and with no impact on the quality of the whisky produced.
But investors are angry that they will not be given whisky distilled in Stirling, as they paid for a product with this particular provenance.
One buyer, Howard Downey, who spent about £5,000 on a cask, is from Stirling and says he was excited to invest in a local distillery.
But uncertainty about the distillery’s future and poor communication left Mr Downey unhappy with the situation.
He contacted Wolfcraig Distillers in November 2023 to ask for a refund for his order and received a personal phone call from co-founder and director Jamie Lunn.
Mr Downey says Mr Lunn encouraged him to remain a customer and talked him out of his refund request.
In September, the whisky company informed customers that their casks would be filled before the end of 2024 – not in Stirling but in the Highlands.
In an email seen by The Courier, Jamie Lunn wrote: “In order to accelerate the filling of the much-awaited casks, we have leased a production facility in an existing Highland malt distillery, to create our Wolfcraig Single Malt.”
Who are Wolfcraig Distillers?
Wolfcraig Distillers currently sells several branded whisky blends (a combination of whiskies made at other distilleries), but has not yet released its own single malt expression.
The firm is headed up by Jamie Lunn and Richard Paterson, a master blender and distiller who is a well-known figure in the whisky world.
Former Whyte & Mackay CEO Michael Lunn, Jamie Lunn’s father, was a founding director of Wolfcraig until his death in January 2023.
The Wolfcraig Distillers brand is intentionally linked to Stirling and its history; its name is a reference to a famous local legend of the city being protected by a wolf.
‘Lack of provenance is unacceptable’
Mr Downey is opposed to the casks being filled outside Stirling, arguing that the distilling location is key to any whisky’s heritage and taste.
He says the “lack of provenance is unacceptable”, and feels Wolfcraig is not honouring its commitment to customers, giving them no choice but to accept “unbranded” whisky.
Another Wolfcraig cask buyer, Iain Smith, shares the concerns.
He said: “My fear is loss of value in a cask for all, as there will be no provenance associated with the cask – a cask that a person has bought at a premium price due to provenance.”
Wolfcraig tried various alternative options for opening its distillery, but eventually informed investors – referred to as “Wolfpack” members – of its intention to fill its casks in the Highlands by the end of December 2024.
Buyers say ‘arrogant’ company should give more choice
Mr Downey and Mr Smith both say communication from Wolfcraig Distillers regarding the casks has been lacking.
Mr Downey calls the company’s lack of engagement “arrogant”. He has again contacted the firm this month to ask for a full refund and is awaiting a response.
He thinks Wolfcraig should have given its cask buyers the option to either get their money back, accept the offer of their cask being filled at a different distillery, or wait for the Stirling Wolfcraig distillery to open and have the cask filled there.
“I would have been perfectly happy to have waited until they’d got their distillery in place under the terms that they offered, which is 12 years of maturation in the cask,” he says.
No impact on quality, argues Wolfcraig
But Wolfcraig Distillers co-founder Jamie Lunn said all plans meet the terms and conditions agreed at the time of sale.
“We remain fully committed to fulfilling our cask agreements with our members,” he said.
“Due to our plans for a whisky distillery in Stirling being rejected, we have secured an alternative distillery to produce the New Make Spirit under the close supervision of our master blenders, Richard Paterson and Ian Macmillan, ensuring it meets the high standards expected from our brand.
“All casks will be filled within the original timeframe, with no impact on quality.
“We have communicated these changes transparently, and this arrangement aligns with the terms and conditions outlined in the original agreements.
“We are excited for people to experience the new make spirit, which will reflect the quality and craftsmanship that Richard and Ian are renowned for.”
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