Support Silver Circle Whisky Project

Aim

Help us raise the £30,000 we need to produce the first Single Malt Welsh Whisky in Monmouthshire.

At Silver Circle Distillery, we’re setting out to do something that, as far as we know, has never been done before: distil and mature whisky in Monmouthshire. 

We've been making award winning spirits in the Wye Valley since 2019, and now we need your help to make our first Single Malt Welsh Whisky. By supporting this Crowdfunder, you can help us fill our first cask, pre-order a first release bottle and join us on our journey from grain to glass.

The Challenge

There’s an old joke in distilling that goes, “the best way to make a small fortune in whisky is to start with a large one”. We don’t have a large fortune, which is why we’re doing things a little differently in our quest to to help bring our Monmouthshire single malt to life.

Making whisky is expensive. It’s a multi-step process that requires a lot of specialist equipment, and it takes a long time. To be classed as whisky, the spirit needs to be aged in casks for a minimum of three years. That means significant upfront costs followed by a long wait before a single bottle can be sold.

For most small distilleries, that makes whisky almost impossible to produce. Gin and vodka, on the other hand, can be distilled, blended, bottled and sold in a matter of days. It’s one of the reasons small distilleries like ours tend to focus on these categories rather than whisky.

But this kind of challenge naturally plays on our curiosity and poses the question: 

How could we make a small-batch craft whisky?

We started down that road several years ago, and the idea has been bubbling away ever since. We’ve visited whisky distilleries in Wales, Scotland, England and America, met with distillers and brewers, and done a lot of reading and research into how a distillery our size could actually do this. Now, finally, we’re ready to start making it a reality.

Why Are We Crowdfunding?

We’ve worked out how we can produce whisky on a small scale, using the equipment we already have, adding what we need to get started and growing from there. But there’s no getting around the upfront investment or the minimum three-year wait before the first whisky is ready.

That’s where the Crowdfunder comes in.

We need your help to raise £30,000 to pay for the equipment, raw materials and other costs involved in producing our first cask and getting our whisky project off the ground.

In return, you can reserve a bottle from our first cask, join the Silver Circle Whisky Club and follow the whisky as it matures, or simply make a contribution to help us get started.

There will only ever be one first cask, and we’d love you to help us fill it.

What's In It For You?

We have a range of rewards available to suit all budgets. Choose from the following..

Whisky Project Supporter - £25

Help us get Welsh single malt whisky production underway at Silver Circle and follow the project as it develops.

Includes:

• A thank-you email from the team.
• Regular digital updates as we make our spirit, fill our casks and follow its maturation.

This is a digital-only reward, with no physical items included.

Welsh Whisky Experience (Ticket) - £30

Be among the first to join our new Welsh Whisky Experience, launching in April 2027. Discover our single malt project and explore Welsh whisky through a guided visit and tasting.

Includes:

• A one hour experience at Silver Circle Distillery for one person.
• An introduction to our whisky project and a visit to see our maturing casks.
• A tasting of our new make spirit, a sample of our maturing spirit and two other Welsh whiskies.
• A digital gift voucher.

Weekly sessions from April 2027, booked in advance and subject to availability. Your voucher is valid for visits between April 2027 and March 2028. Ages 18+.

Limited Edition Print & Donation - £50

Support the project by purchasing an A4 limited-edition art print, commissioned for the project.

Includes:

• One limited-edition A4 art print commissioned for the project. UK or international delivery before Christmas 2026.
• Regular digital updates on the whisky’s progress.

First Release Bottle & Limited-Edition Print - £100

Reserve a bottle of our first Welsh single malt release, with a limited-edition art print and a welcome pack to enjoy while the whisky matures.

Includes:

• One 70cl bottle from our first Welsh single malt release.
• One limited-edition A4 art print commissioned for the project.
• A printed welcome letter and certificate confirming your bottle reservation.
• Regular digital updates on the whisky’s progress.
• UK delivery of your welcome pack, print and whisky.

Your welcome pack and print will be sent before Christmas 2026. We currently expect the whisky to be released in autumn 2030, subject to its progress in the cask.

Whisky Club Member & First Release Bottle - £150

Get to know our whisky as it develops. Join us each year at the distillery to taste the maturing spirit, hear about its progress and spend time with the people making it.

Includes:

• One 70cl bottle from our first Welsh single malt release.
• Three annual members’ gatherings at the distillery, in 2027, 2028 and 2029, each including a guided maturation tasting, a project update and time for questions with the team.
• A place at our first whisky release celebration.
• One branded whisky tasting glass.
• One limited-edition A4 art print commissioned for the project.
• A printed welcome letter and certificate confirming your bottle reservation.
• Regular digital updates on the whisky’s progress.
• UK delivery of your welcome pack, print and whisky.

Your welcome pack and print will be sent before Christmas 2026. Your glass will be available to collect at your first club gathering; if you cannot attend, we’ll arrange UK delivery at no extra charge.

We currently expect the whisky to be released in autumn 2030, subject to its progress in the cask.

Whisky Club Member x2 - £275

Follow the making of our Welsh single malt together, with a bottle each and two places at our annual distillery gatherings.

Includes:

• Two 70cl bottles from our first Welsh single malt release.
• Membership for two people, with places at the 2027, 2028 and 2029 gatherings. Each includes a guided maturation tasting, a project update and time for questions with the team.
• Two places at our first whisky release celebration.
• Two branded whisky tasting glasses.
• Two limited edition A4 art prints commissioned for the project.
• A printed welcome letter and certificate confirming your reserved bottles.
• Regular digital updates on the whisky’s progress.
• UK delivery of your welcome pack, print and whisky (to one address).

Your welcome pack and print will be sent before Christmas 2026. Your glasses will be available to collect at your first club gathering; if you cannot attend, we’ll arrange UK delivery at no extra charge.

We currently expect the whisky to be released in autumn 2030, subject to its progress in the cask.

Distiller's Circle - £500

Join our distilling team for an intimate production day with the other founding members of the Distiller's Circle, exploring the decisions that shape our single malt - from the wash and distillation to spirit cuts, filling strength and cask selection. Around a year later, return for a maturation tasting and discover how the spirit is developing in cask.

Includes:

• A small-group production experience, lasting approximately four hours and limited to Distiller's Circle members.
• An in-depth introduction to the wash, distillation, spirit cuts, filling strength and cask selection.
• Guided nosing and tasting of selected samples during the experience.
• A relaxed seasonal lunch during the production day.
• A second 90-minute maturation tasting, approximately one year later.
• One 70cl bottle from our first single malt whisky release.
• Whisky Club membership, including the 2027, 2028 and 2029 gatherings, with guided maturation tastings, project updates and time with the distilling team.
• A place at our first whisky release celebration.
• A branded whisky tasting glass.
• One limited-edition A4 art print, printed welcome letter and certificate confirming your bottle reservation.
• Regular digital updates on the whisky’s progress.
• UK delivery of your welcome pack, print and whisky.

Limited to just eight packages.

Social Patron — £850

Bring your friends to Silver Circle for a fully private evening of cocktails, tasting and whisky, with the distillery to yourselves.

Designed for groups of up to eight, the evening is personally hosted by our team and includes a guided tasting, a behind-the-scenes look at the distillery and plenty of time to talk through the whisky project, the production process and the thinking behind what we are creating.

Includes:

• Exclusive use of the distillery for your group for a private, two-hour evening for up to eight people.
• A welcome cocktail for each guest, with an alcohol-free alternative available.
• A personally hosted distillery tour and introduction to our whisky project.
• A guided tasting of four Silver Circle spirits, with time to discuss the production methods, ingredients and stories behind them.
• A closer look at the whisky project, including the decisions around distillation, maturation and cask selection.
• A generous selection of sharing food served during the evening.
• One 70cl bottle from our first single malt whisky release.
• Whisky Club membership for one nominated person, including the 2027, 2028 and 2029 gatherings, with guided maturation tastings, project updates and time with the distilling team.
• One place at our first whisky release celebration.
• One branded whisky tasting glass.
• One limited-edition A4 art print, printed welcome letter and certificate confirming your bottle reservation.
• Regular digital updates on the whisky’s progress.
• UK delivery of your welcome pack, print and whisky.

Private evenings are available on selected dates between April 2027 and March 2030, arranged with us in advance and subject to availability.

Your welcome pack and print will be sent before Christmas 2026. Your glass can be collected during your visit or delivered to a UK address during 2027 at no extra charge.

We currently expect the whisky to be released in autumn 2030, subject to maturation.

Limited to ten packages.

Founding Patron - £1,500

Leave your mark on whisky-making at Silver Circle. As a Founding Patron, you’ll name our whisky fermenter and make a significant contribution to bringing our first Welsh single malt to life.

Your chosen name will appear on the vessel as it becomes part of everyday production at the distillery. It could be your own name, a dedication to someone important to you, or something with a personal story.

We’ll send you a photograph and a personal video introduction when it goes into use, so you can see what you’ve helped make possible wherever you are.

Includes:

• The opportunity to name our whisky fermenter, with a professionally made nameplate.
• A photograph and personal video from the founders introducing the named fermenter.
• Six 70cl bottles from our first Welsh single malt release.
• A Founding Patron certificate and personal letter of thanks, signed by Nina, Joe and Duncan.
• One limited-edition A4 art print commissioned for the project.
• Two branded whisky tasting glasses.
• Whisky Club membership for two people, including the 2027, 2028 and 2029 gatherings, with guided maturation tastings, project updates and time for questions.
• Two places at our first whisky release celebration.
• Regular digital updates on the whisky’s progress.
• An optional private distillery tour and tasting for you and a guest, available between April 2027 and December 2029 on a mutually agreed date.
• UK delivery of your welcome pack, print, glasses and whisky.

Your certificate, letter and print will be sent before Christmas 2026, with your glasses following in 2027. We currently expect the whisky to be released in autumn 2030, subject to maturation.

The fermenter’s name will be agreed with you and remain for its working life at Silver Circle. Naming recognises your support and does not confer ownership of the equipment or spirit.

Limited to one package.

Giving a reward as a gift

A bottle reservation or Whisky Club membership makes a thoughtful gift for a whisky lover, with a printed welcome pack to unwrap at Christmas and plenty to look forward to as the whisky develops.

Rewards can be purchased for another adult. We’ll contact you after the campaign to confirm their name and whether you’d like the welcome pack sent to you or directly to them.

Supporting from abroad

You’re welcome to support the project wherever you live. We can send the limited-edition art print and paper welcome pack internationally. Whisky and tasting glasses are only available for UK delivery or collection from the distillery.

If you live abroad, you can still reserve a bottle and collect it when you’re next in the UK after its release.

The New Era Of Welsh Whisky

After disappearing for almost a century, commercial whisky production returned to Wales at the beginning of the 2000s, thanks to Penderyn Distillery in the Brecon Beacons. Since then, a new generation of Welsh whisky producing distilleries has begun to emerge.

In 2023, Single Malt Welsh Whisky gained Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, recognising its provenance and establishing a protected category for single malt produced in Wales.

Today, just five distilleries produce whisky under that protected status: Penderyn, Aber Falls, Dà Mhìle, Coles and In the Welsh Wind. Together, they represent a small but growing new chapter in the story of Welsh whisky.

We want Silver Circle to join them, and put Monmouthshire on the Welsh whisky map for the first time.

By producing our own Single Malt Welsh Whisky here in the Wye Valley, we can add our distillery, our part of Wales and our own approach to a growing story that is still being written.

Who Are We?

Silver Circle is an independent distillery and spirits producer based on a farm in Penallt, Monmouthshire. Since 2019, we’ve been making award-winning spirits and cocktails including Wye Valley Gin, Silver Circle Aquavit, the Ultimate Bloody Mary, Damson Negroni and Black Garlic Vodka. Along the way, our products have picked up awards from the IWSC, London Spirits Competition, Great Taste and Great British Food Awards.

In 2024, we successfully crowdfunded our move from our original premises to our current home in the Wye Valley, raising more than £22,000 towards the move and refurbishment.

Since then, we’ve continued to develop the distillery, improving our indoor bar and adding a covered outdoor terrace where we can welcome more people for drinks, events and visits throughout the year.

Innovation and experimentation have been central to what we do from day one, from creating Wales’s first aquavit to putting our Ultimate Bloody Mary in a soup can. Making our first craft whisky will be our biggest step yet and, with your help, we’re ready to take it.

Join us on the journey!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th October 2026 at 4:25pm