Thornæs Distillery A/S

About the distillery

Thornæs Distillery is located in Kagerup in North Zealand and works with Danish organic single malt whisky from a clear single estate standpoint. Both small and larger casks are filled with New Make from a distillery closely tied to the farm, raw materials and on-site maturation. This makes the house interesting for whisky lovers who want to follow the whisky's path from grain to finished bottle.

History

The story begins as a personal whisky dream of Torben Thornæs Andersen. At the end of 2017 he got the idea of tasting his own 12-year-old whisky before he turned 60, and that thought became the starting signal for the project. Thornæs Distillery was founded in 2018, and by the end of 2019 the company was operational after the restoration of an old horse stable at Falkendal, where the distillery would be located. In 2020 the first casks were filled with organic malt spirit, and the year after the first local organic barley arrived from fields in the region. The same development continued with new warehouses, more stills and larger production; in 2023 a third whisky still was put into use, so the annual capacity reached 40,000 liters of New Make, and in October that year the first Thornæs Danish Single Malt Whisky matured in Danish oak hit the market. By the end of 2024 the distillery received its first delivery of grain from its own farm after a multi-year conversion to organic farming, and in 2025 Thornæs Danish Whisky received both Gold at the World Whisky Awards and the title Best Small Batch in Denmark.

Raw materials and production

Thornæs works with organic barley and rye malt and describes its whisky basis as Danish, organic and closely connected to the farm's own raw materials. The grain is malted so the starch can be converted to sugar during mashing, and then the malt is brewed to an over-fermented beer. Fermentation lasts up to 140 hours because the goal is to cultivate as much fruit and complexity as possible. The beer is then double-distilled in traditional pot stills, producing a clear New Spirit that will then develop in wood. The distillery emphasizes small casks as a deliberate craft choice, because smaller casks increase the contact between spirit and wood and thereby accelerate maturation. They also work with casks of different sizes for full maturation, finishing and pre-maturation, and the overall expression is shaped by cask, wood type and maturation time.

Maturation and cask types

Maturation is a central part of the house style. Thornæs uses, among other things, 200-liter bourbon barrels of American white oak, which contribute vanilla, caramel and mocha, as well as STR wine casks where fresh wood is exposed through shaving, toasting and re-char. In addition, they work with sherry casks and small 30-liter finishing casks for Madeira, Pedro Ximenez, Sauternes and Oloroso. The small casks are filled with already matured whisky and are used to impart an intensive flavor in a relatively short time. The distillery emphasizes that maturation time can vary and depends on cask size, previous contents, the origin of the wood and the warehouse climate.

Whiskies

The range spans from the core series Thornæs Danish Whisky to single cask and special expressions. In the core line are among others 1st Release, 2nd Release and Sonoma Peat, while newer and more experimental releases include Balkan Peat – Double Cask, Chestnut – Double Cask, When in Stout and The 5 Pedros in single cask editions. Several bottles are currently marked as sold out, but the range clearly shows that the distillery works both with classic single malt expressions and more pronounced cask influence. It is a range where small series and individual casks play a large role, and where the same base whisky can take on very different expressions depending on maturation.

Whisky	Type / series	Cask and style	Status
Thornæs Danish Whisky, Single Malt - 1st Release	Single Malt Whisky		Current; Core range
Thornæs Danish Whisky, Single Malt - 2nd Release	Single Malt Whisky		Discontinued; Core range; Sold out
Thornæs Danish Whisky, Single Malt - Sonoma Peat	Single Malt Whisky	peated/smoked	Current; Core range
Thornæs Danish Whisky: Balkan Peat – Double Cask	Single Malt Whisky	peated/smoked	Discontinued; Sold out
Thornæs Danish Whisky: Chestnut - Double Cask	Single Malt Whisky		Current
Thornæs Danish Whisky: The 5 Pedros - Single Cask #064	Single Malt Whisky		Current
Thornæs Danish Whisky: The 5 Pedros - Single Cask #066	Single Malt Whisky		Current
Thornæs Danish Whisky: When in Stout	Single Malt Whisky		Current

Style and flavor profile of the whiskies

The prevailing style is sweet and wood-driven with vanilla and caramel as fixed anchor points. The bourbon casks point to classic single malt character with mocha and sweetness, while sherry and finishing casks add dark fruit, raisins, nuts, chocolate, burnt sugar, honey and spices. In the peated expressions a more pronounced peat or smoky profile emerges, but the overall signature lies in the balance between malt, oak and sweet cask influence.

Visit the distillery

Thornæs Distillery is open to visitors through tours, private events and tastings. On tours you get an insight into spirit production up close, and samples are served depending on the type of event. Private events are arranged for associations, companies and whisky clubs, and there is the option to order food from KØKKENET | gastrominoen for events. The distillery's farm shop is open Monday–Friday 10:00–17:00 and Saturday and Sunday 11:00–15:00, with special opening hours in weeks 29 and 30 and closed on public holidays, unless otherwise announced.

The stated opening hours are The farm shop is open Monday–Friday 10:00–17:00 and Saturday and Sunday 11:00–15:00. There are special opening hours in weeks 29 and 30, and the shop is closed on all public holidays unless otherwise stated.
See times and book a visit.

Philosophy and craft

The distillery adheres to Danish raw materials, organic cultivation and traditional craftsmanship. At the same time the single estate idea is clear: grain from the distillery's own farm, maturation on site and a deliberate use of different casks to control style and pace. The craft is also linked to community, because cask customers and visitors are invited closer to the process and given the opportunity to follow the maturation along the way.

Sustainability

The distillery is working toward organic single estate whisky.
There is mention of deliveries of grain from the home farm after a multi-year conversion to organic farming.

Awards and recognitions

Gin of the Month (2021, Named, Mad Owl Gin Citrus)
Best tasting gin (2021, Awarded, Mad Owl Gin Citrus)
Best Danish London Dry Gin (2023, Winner, Mad Owl Gin - London Dry)
Best Danish Classic Gin (2023, Winner, Mad Owl Gin - Citrus)
Gold (2023, Gold, Year Zero)
Gold (2025, Gold, Thornæs Danish Whisky)
Best Small Batch in Denmark (2025, Named, Thornæs Danish Whisky)

Latest news

New emission is helping us take the next step – 2022-12-04

The company describes how a share issue will finance further development of the whisky production line and strengthen sales and marketing efforts with a focus on export and the growing portfolio of Thornæs Danish Whisky.