Stillhouse sessions: From thatched pub to spaceship still!
Nestled in Llanddarog, the Coles family have created one of the most unique distillery setups in Wales, combining a 600-year-old thatched pub with a purpose-built distillery that is a testament to family ingenuity. Brothers Marcus and Kane Coles are at the heart of this operation, driven by a passion for creating quality, handcrafted spirits without compromise.
Highlights
The Coles Distillery journey began with the accidental purchase of the White Hart pub in 1993, which led to craft brewing and a memorable visit from the-then Prince Charles, who mixed a mash for them.
The distillery features a unique 3,000-litre still, designed by the family and built from stainless steel by a small fabricator in Oxford, earning it the nickname "Sputnik".
Their core whisky range includes an ex-bourbon cask expression, an "accidental" organic single malt finished in their own homemade red wine casks, and a fruity whisky-brandy hybrid called Applejack.
The entire distillery was self-funded with an investment of around £1.3 million, with no external loans or investors, and much of the construction was done by the family themselves.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the distillery produced approximately 60,000 litres of alcohol for Swansea University to make hand sanitizer for the NHS.
An accidental purchase and a Royal Visit
The story begins not with a plan for a distillery, but with a pub. In 1993, while looking for inspiration for a thatched roof for a house they were building, the family visited the White Hart pub. They had no intention of buying it, but they "realised that it was something special" and decided to purchase it.
After a few years, with craft brewing gaining popularity, they started making their own beer on a tiny nine-gallon brewery. This humble setup grew, eventually leading to a visit from Prince Charles in 2003. During the visit, the future king expressed an interest in their brewery and, after a brief security panic, was led out back where he personally mixed a mash for them. This encounter, where he shared his own knowledge of whisky making, sparked an idea.
Designing the 'Sputnik' still
The family’s ambition grew from beer to cider, and then to spirits. Unimpressed with the traditional brandy-style stills available, they decided to design their own. Kane, with his engineering knowledge, took the lead. They opted for stainless steel over traditional copper, mainly because "none of us were going to clean it."
They worked with a small family fabricator in Oxford who was willing to build their unconventional design. Marcus recalls how they "would send him sort of a sketch on the back of a piece of paper," which the fabricator would then turn into an engineering drawing. The result is a spectacular 3,000-litre column still with a pot on the side, over-engineered for safety and efficiency, and looking for all the world like a spaceship. To ensure the spirit is properly cleaned of sulphates, copper trays and a catalyst are cleverly integrated within the stainless-steel structure.
Accidental whisky and Applejack
This spirit of innovation runs through their products. Their organic single malt came about entirely by accident after a supplier mistakenly sent them organic malt. Rather than return it, they got it at a good price and later bought another 16 tons that nobody else wanted. They finish this whisky in red wine casks that they first use to make their own wine on-site, using grapes imported from Italy.
Another standout product is their Applejack. Inspired by the American tradition of freeze-distilling cider, the Coles family instead distil their own cider and age it in bourbon casks. The result is a wonderfully fruity and accessible spirit, perfect for those who might find traditional whisky a bit harsh.
A family affair with community spirit
The distillery is truly a family affair. Seven family members are involved in the business, and the succession plan is already in motion, with one of the daughters' boyfriends, Tom, learning the ropes. This close-knit, independent approach is their core philosophy. They have no shareholders and are not driven by supermarket price points, allowing them to focus purely on quality. "We're not sold by price. It's the quality of the product we want," Kane explains.
This commitment extends to the community. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a chance encounter on a dog walk led to the distillery stepping up to produce alcohol for Swansea University's hand sanitizer project. What started as a request for 1,000 litres a week quickly became 1,000 litres a day. Over six weeks, they produced around 60,000 litres of alcohol, playing a crucial, if unsung, role in the local pandemic response.
With plans for a peated whisky to mark the King's coronation and a long-term project to build a continuous stripping still from parts stored in their garage, the Coles family show no signs of slowing down. Their journey is a remarkable tale of happy accidents, bold innovation, and a fierce dedication to family and quality.
To hear the full story from the team themselves, listen to the complete interview with Marcus and Kane on the Whisky Wales Podcast here: creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/whisgi-wales/episodes/Episode-2-Coles-Distillery-at-the-White-Heart-Inn
