History

Lihnell’s Distillery, formerly Bergslagens Destilleri, is a small family-owned distillery located in Örebro. They combine tradition with innovation and produce whisky, gin, rum and snaps. The distillery was referred to as Bergslagens Destilleri before moving to Hjälmarsberg in Örebro, where the company describes itself as a family that has been active in the industry since 2012. A central part of the story is to follow the creation of the products from the distillate to the final bottle, and to open the doors for cask owners, visits and tastings as part of a transparent journey.

Production and distillation

Their approach is to combine tradition and craftsmanship with modern expertise. The main distillation equipment consists of two still types: Denise, a 300-liter Alembic with a side-column, and Ginny, a 200-liter pot still for gin production. Raw materials include Swedish malted barley and a new make that is distilled with a focus on purity and fruity notes. The gin is distilled in a single run with carefully selected botanicals, and Swedish and Danish ingredients are prioritized.

The whisky process involves mash tuns, fermentation for about 72 hours and then distillation in a 300-liter pot still, used for both low wines and newmake. During the new make distillation the heads are cut early to preserve fresh notes, and the tails are not cut below 67% ABV to preserve quality and body. Maturation typically takes place in a combination of Swedish oak, bourbon and sherry casks, and the angel’s share is described as a natural part of the process that concentrates flavors and gives a fuller sense of the final product. Their aim is to let customers experience the process through annual cask meetups and the possibility to determine the final label for the cask.

Products and Whisky Series

Whisky: Single Malt and Blended Whisky

Lihnell’s produces both single malt whisky and Swedish premium blended whisky. Their product range includes classic single malts such as Audhumbla, Jörmungand, Gulltopp, Gullinkambe, Hugin & Munin, Särimner, Eiktyrner, Sleipner, Fenrir and several in the The Norse Saga series. Their blended whiskies include Lihnell’s Swedish Premium Blended Whisky and Bergslagens Blended Whisky, described as the country’s unique Swedish blended whisky based on a combination of oloroso sherry, bourbon and Swedish oak fibre. Additionally, they often age in various types of casks such as bourbon-, sherry-, port-, madeira- and other French or cognac casks. Some releases are single cask and display pieces like The Art Collection and The Rare Collection, where each bottle is described with distillate, cask and year.

Examples of Specific Whiskies

• Audhumbla: Swedish single malt whisky, 12 years, 48% ABV, aged in Bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks; notes of marzipan, browned butter, dark grapes and vanilla.
• Jörmungand: 12 years, smoky notes with a blend of French and American oak casks and a clean malt- and vanilla-profile.
• Gulltopp/Vollk AMble: Part of The Norse Saga III with Swedish and various oak casks, notes of vanilla, fruit and light smoke.
• Hugin & Munin, Särimner, Eiktyrner, Sleipner and Fenrir: Nordic themes with combinations of bourbon-, sherry- and port-fats and varying smokiness and sweetness.
• Santa-25: Swedish single malt at 53.3% ABV, 13 years old, triple-fats (bourbon, sauternes and sherry) with fruity and lightly smoky profile.
• Dolomit, Granit and Engelbrekt Malt Whisky: other variants with special cask combinations and smoky or malty characters.

The Art Collection and The Rare Collection

The Art Collection includes single-cask whiskies with labels painted by Pär Strömberg, including for example The Art Collection: Sauternes Cask, Port Cask and Madeira Cask (each 8 years). These are single-cask, 500 ml, 54–55% ABV, and finished with a unique label and name. The Rare Collection consists of No. I–III, all single-cask whiskies, where No. I is an Oloroso cask of 50 liters at 65% ABV (November 2010), No. II Imperial Stout Cask Finish (60.2% ABV), No. III Coffee Cask Finish (58% ABV), and all are sold.

Other range

Their extensive range also includes Santa-25 (ninth edition in the Santa series), a aged whisky with fruity notes, tobacco and Christmas spice, and a number of other seasonal releases such as Bergslagens Blended Whisky and Engelbrekt Malt Whisky, all highlighting Swedish casks and techniques.

Visits and Experiences

Lihnell’s Distillery offers tours and on-site tastings, and there is the possibility of exclusive tastings and cask ownership, where you follow the process from distillate to finished bottle. Cask owners meet annually at the distillery, where you can taste and follow the products’ development, and you can choose the desired aging period (typically 3–4 years for whisky, 3 years for rum and 6–12 months for gin). The distillery also describes the aging system, where you opt to bottle at the desired alcohol strength (minimum 40% ABV) and where full bottles are only bottled. There is also information about the life of the cask and the possibility to refill a 40-liter cask up to two times.

Philosophy

The philosophy at Lihnell’s Distillery is to unite craftsmanship and high quality in every drop, and that each product tells a story. They focus on carefully selected ingredients, various cask programs and an uncompromising approach to detail to create a unique tasting experience. Their mission emphasizes craftsmanship, imagination and passion as the foundation for Swedish premium quality.