History

Irten’ge – Gurten Farmhouse Distillery was founded in 2019 with the vision of creating exceptional whisky in a unique environment. After the completion of the construction, the first test production was carried out on December 28, 2020 to check the facility's functionality, and the actual start followed on January 20, 2021 with the first official distillation. Since then they have passionately and with craft united tradition and innovation into a harmonious whole. The distillery is based at Gurten, Bern, 802 meters above sea level, where they regularly distill their Single Malt Whisky in a specially crafted Pot Still with a capacity of 1,750 liters – one of the largest in Switzerland. Since winter 2020/2021 they have housed themselves at the famous Bernese vantage point and plan from 2026/2027 to release several series of standard and single-cask bottlings. In April 2022 they also opened another Whisky warehouse in a historic cellar from World War I, with three chambers and Warehouse No. 1, housing about 150 casks and providing a constant temperature and humidity.

Production/Manufacturing

Their production follows the classic steps in whisky production: 1) Malting, 2) Drying, 3) Mashing, 4) Fermentation, 5) Distillation, 6) Maturation, 7) Bottling. The malt is mashed and dried to stop germination, after which it is mixed with hot water and converted to sugar in the mashing process. Yeast converts sugar to alcohol and CO2 and forms a low-alcohol wash. Distillation occurs in copper stills or columns and is normally carried out twice to achieve a stronger spirit. The finished spirit is aged in oak barrels, where it develops flavor and character over the years. Finally the whisky is bottled and, if desired, adjusted with water to the desired alcohol strength.

Products/Whisky Series

Irten’ge Project is a Bernese single malt whisky. In 2020 and 2021 limited Irten’ge Project bottlings were sold, where the whisky was distilled by a third-party distiller and matured in different casks. No. 1 was produced from Scottish Golden Promise barley and aged about 8 years in two First Fill Bourbon Hogheads. No. 2 was distilled on the same basis and aged about 6.5 years in a heavy toasted Bourbon cask and finished about 6 months in a Sherry cask. In addition, they plan to launch their own whiskies from 2026/2027. A special offer is Private-Cask (up to 90 casks), where the owner receives a certificate and the opportunity to participate in Cask Keeper Day as well as receive personalized labels and optimal storage in Warehouse No. 1. Additionally, with bottle sales you can have the opportunity to get personalized labels, and you can choose the size and type of cask for maturing your whisky.

Visits/Experiences

A special offer is the possibility to become a Cask Keeper and own a private cask. This includes annual participation opportunities in Cask Keeper Day, where the owner gets a tasting of the current cask and can determine the cask size and type as well as receive personalized labels at bottle release. The duration and storage take place in Warehouse No. 1 and there is the possibility to arrange specialized bottling.

Philosophy

With passion, Irten’ge – Gurten Farmhouse Distillery distills, inspired by the Scottish tradition, to deliver a whisky experience in its purest form and bring whisky lovers around the world closer. The aim is to produce traditional Scottish Single Malt Whisky to the highest quality standard by combining tradition and innovation in harmony. The founders Rüedu (Rudolf Balsiger), Steff (Stefan Dürig) and Dänu (Daniel Kissling) were brought together by a common interest and a week of whisky distilling at Echlinville Distillery in Northern Ireland, which laid the groundwork for the Irten’ge project. The whisky is distilled in a Pot Still designed after Scottish tradition and the goal is to preserve and express the nuances and craftsmanship behind whisky as an art.