Spirit from Suntory Global Spirits' (SGS) WhiskHy project has been laid down at Glen Garioch Distillery, in the latest milestone for the sustainability project.
The spirit was produced at Yamazaki Distillery's pilot distillery in Japan, using 100 per cent hydrogen to power direct-fired stills. The distillation earlier this year proved the viability of using hydrogen as a fuel source for direct-fired stills.
The hydrogen-distilled spirit has been split into two portions; some remains to mature in Japan, while a portion has been sent to Aberdeenshire's Glen Garioch Distillery. The next stage of the project will be to monitor both portions of the spirit and compare the results of maturing under Japanese and Scottish conditions.
SGS has partnered with Supercritical Solutions for the project, focusing on using Supercritical's technology to commercialise hydrogen direct firing for SGS's Scotch portfolio. The partnership will look to expand trials to SGS's other Scotch distilleries while initial casks mature at Glen Garioch.
Glen Garioch was the subject for a £6-million renovation project by SGS, during which traditional malting floors were reinstalled and a direct-fired still installed. It was also the venue for a casking ceremony on 25 November 2024, at which delegates from SWS, Supercritical Solutions, and the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero watched the hydrogen-distilled spirit enter casks.
Alistair Longwell, head of distilling and environment at Suntory Global Spirits, said: "As a company, we are committed to taking bold steps to advance green solutions and decarbonise our distilleries, while always ensuring that the quality of our spirits reach the highest possible standard.
"It is through unique collaborative projects such as WhiskHy that we are making significant steps towards our ambition of net-zero emissions across our entire value chain by 2040 while closely monitoring how our spirits age and mature under more sustainable distilling processes."
Matt Bird, CEO of Supercritical Solutions, added: "At Supercritical, we’re proving that even centuries-old traditions like whisky distilling can embrace cutting-edge, zero-emission hydrogen technology. Our electrolyser’s unique ability to deliver high-purity hydrogen at 220 bar is rewriting the rules of sustainability — preserving the art of whisky-making while powering a net zero future. This partnership is a toast to innovation and the possibilities of a net-zero world."
