We produce high quality artisanal spirits and liqueurs on our organic farm
Glynhynod Farm (meaning Remarkable Valley in Welsh), the home of Dà Mhìle distillery, has been owned and run by the Savage-Onstwedders since July 1981.
John, Patrice and Paula came to Wales from their native Holland with dreams of setting up a centre for organic farming and self-sufficiency. Their first venture was using Patrice’s cheese making skills to make wonderful raw milk Caws Teifi Cheese, which is still made on the farm to this day.
In 1992, 10 years after establishing Caws Teifi Cheese, John went looking for a bottle of organic whisky to celebrate with but there was no such thing. This gave him an idea and in 1992 after contacting Springbank distillery to commission a whisky, Dà Mhìle was established and organic whisky was born! Our name was inspired by the initial bottling which was done to celebrate the millennium, (Dà Mhìle translates to ‘two thousand’ in Scots-Galic/Dwy Fil yn Cymreig).
One further batch of organic whisky was commissioned at Loch Lomond distillery in the year 2000 and in 2012 our vision was realised and we opened the doors to our very own distillery on the farm.
Since then we’ve not only continued making whisky but also other organic spirits, from Apple Brandy to Seaweed Gin, all inspired by our history and surroundings.
Today the farm and family businesses are run by Patrice and John’s two sons; John-James and Robert, who are actively ensuring Dà Mhìle continues making the wonderful organic spirits we’ve become known for. Our spirits are sold at local farmer’s markets, local shops, wine & spirits merchants, and online. We also sell our products here on our online shop.
Come and visit our small farm shop or attend one of our events on the farm where we are passionate about reviving the original mission of education of all things organic, artisan food, drink and farming – so keep an eye on our website and social media for news and updates!
Our choice to farm organically and use organic ingredients is based on sound ecological principles.
Regenerative, organic farming practices create healthy, living soils which produce nutrient-dense food and drink.
They are less dependent on fossil fuels and more resilient in a rapidly changing global climate.
They protect the environment, diversity and are less polluting, resulting in insect and bird life being more abundant.
Organic principles form the foundation of how we farm at Glynhynod and how we operate at Dà Mhìle Distillery.
All of our ingredients are organic. Our organic barley, apples, juniper berries, molasses, oranges and more are free from toxic chemical herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.
Our Dà Mhìle Distillery spirits are certified by the Soil Association which ensures full traceability from farm to fork and grain to glass.
Our still Ceridwen, named after the Welsh goddess of the cauldron, is where we make all our spirits. She is a more European style still, with a rectification column which allows us to distil the spirit multiple times in one go.
We power Ceridwen exclusively with wood that has been felled on our land. Whenever a tree falls, we plant a new one, thus creating an almost carbon-neutral way of heating our still.
The distillation process starts by filling the still with the specific alcohol for the spirit we’re producing. We then add any herbs/spices/flavourings (every one of our products has its own unique recipe) and leave it all to macerate overnight. The next morning the fire is lit, heating up the jacket around the still and starting the distillation process.
Alcohol vapour is the first to rise, filling up the dome at the top of the still and eventually creating enough pressure to push itself down and through the pipe into the rectification column. Each window is like a separate still or distillation process, forcing the alcohol through the water and defining how vigorously we distil the spirit. More refined spirits are ideal for vodka or gin bases, less refined spirits retain much of the original flavours and are ideal for oak-aging such as whisky, rum and brandy; these flavours once aged, are more deep, rich and hinting of umami.
Once through the tower, the alcohol travels through a pipe and into the condenser where it is cooled and turns back into liquid, coming out of the spout, or parrot to give it its correct name, at around 94% and completely clear, whatever the spirit.
Throughout each distillation the still is run gently, allowing full extraction of flavour, resulting in the finest spirit possible.