North Point Distillery

Gin/ Rum Intro

How amazing to go to the end of the country and be rewarded with this fabulous distillery. Located in an old US navy base, surrounded by wind turbines and the wild northern coast with fabulous views of Dunnett Head.

It’s funny to think it started 675 miles away in London. Two friends Alex and Struan over a few drinks discussing their passion for rum and spirits decided to leave the city and move to Struan’s home town and make rum. North Point is the newest rum distillery in Scotland with them celebrating their first birthday in this coming September. On this occasion- age has no bearing as these guys are very clear on their vision.

Community, heritage and authentic sustainability is what North Point is all about. Maintaining sustainable practices and ethics are a hard task in the world of rum – with the source of sugar cane and vanilla coming from some of the most corrupt parts of the world. North Point however, make sure that throughout the whole supply chain their ethos is followed- and if it isn’t well they just won’t make it – and I believe them. Authentic sustainability is all about not just offsetting but living and breathing sustainable practices read more.

With two rums and a gin – what’s next ? Greg the head distiller has great plans and as well as some pretty special rums already in the barrel, other white spirits might be on the way.

The Tour 5⭐️

You arrive at the base with rum barrels outside leading the way. Inside, the tasting is held in the thick of the distillery with barrels and vats surrounding you and a huge still front and centre.

The still is an ingenious bespoke design that offers full flexibility, think of it as a meccano set designed by Willy Wonka. It’s also an electric still with all the power coming from the wind turbines – great to know my gin comes from wind power!

Sitting around rum barrels as tables on swinging leather stools we are served our choice of rum or gin with various mixers (drivers are rewarded with samples to take home – first one we have visited that offered this). Two impressive vats surround us, called Angus and Duncan (named after the owners grandfathers) these were repurposed from Johnny Walker and profiled down.

It’s the little details I love, like the botanicals on the shelves, and the vats and barrels in use, it really makes you feel like you are part of a working distillery.

We are handed around the botanicals and Alex tells us stories about the botanicals and their origins, also regaling us with history of rum in Scotland. As a rum tour we also talk about the barrels and their crucial part ( fascinating how they are all traded and the types and flavours they give etc).

So much to share, but highlight for me was Alex himself – you can tell that what he doesn’t know about rum and it’s history isn’t worth knowing, he strikes me as a man who if he doesn’t know he either finds an expert who does or goes and reads up on it. For example I loved hearing the stories and history of the Pilots (which they named Pilot rum after) the explanation of what a Pilot is, Alex told the story like a comedian and had us all laughing throughout the tour. Read more here.