The Crǣft Series - Single Cask Whisky
Series 1 sold out within 4 hours. Watch this space for the next one.
The Crǣft Series
Old English for art or skill
First Released on 1st August 2026
Before the arrival of our Signature Ad Gefrin Single Malt Whisky, there is an unexpected and exciting story to be told.
We call it Crǣft, from the Old English word for art or skill. Crǣft is rooted in the act of making, of noticing, of choosing, of revealing. It draws together the hands and minds behind each release, from cask to canvas, to present spirit at a moment in time. This is whisky not yet defined, but discovered.
A Spirit of Discovery
In October 2025, as casks were sampled and assessed, a handful stood apart. They were different, unexpected in character, distinct in personality. Not better suited to blending, but almost resisting it. Individual, expressive, complete in themselves.
Director of Distilling Ben Murphy recognised in these casks something worth celebrating. Not as components of a future whole, but as singular moments, each one telling its own story of wood, spirit, and time.
Crǣft is born from these moments.
Each release is a decision to pause. To draw a line around a single cask and say: this is worth sharing, just as it is.
Every bottle from this release is sealed in a box, and which cask it holds remains a surprise, even to us, until the seal is broken.
Over the next two years, a small number of casks, will be released in quiet succession. Not to overwhelm, but to invite discovery.
They will appear in small groups, each one individually numbered, each one chosen only when it feels ready. Each release is bottled without chill filtration, in quantities of just a few hundred bottles. Fleeting by design.
Once a cask is gone, it becomes part of the story, never to be repeated, only remembered.
Series 1 sold out within four hours.
A Canvas for Creativity
Crǣft is not only about what is in the glass, but how it is seen, felt, and understood.
For each release, we invite an emerging artist from North East England to respond to the whisky. Not with instruction, but with intuition. Given the character of the spirit, they create something that reflects it, an interpretation rather than an illustration.
The result is a series of labels that do not seek uniformity, but individuality. Each bottle becomes not just a whisky, but a meeting of disciplines, a collaboration between maker and artist.
Meet the Artists
At the heart of Crǣft are the people who shape it.
Luke McTaggart is an artist based in Amble, Northumberland. His work deals with landscape and a sense of place. All of his work is informed by a strong interest in art history. He has exhibited work at the Royal Scottish Academy, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Woodhorn Museum.
Tasting notes
Cask Number 23-170 - ex-American Single Malt (ASM) cask
Nose - Ripe fruit, sweet malt, sandalwood
Palate - Spearmint, honey blossom, lemon sherbet, candied ginger
Finish - Nutty, banana, minty spice, tart
Voirrey Taylor is a member of our Bistro team here at Ad Gefrin. When she is not working she can be found painting in her studio in Yetholm. Voirrey is inspired by a deep fascination with the human experience and creates expressive, colourful paintings that explore emotion, connection and identity. Through layered mark-making, each piece explores the beauty and complexity of being human, creating something alive, honest and recognisable in ourselves.
Tasting notes
Cask Number 23-215 - ex-Bourbon cask
Nose - Mango, pineapple cubes, spiced peach, wax polish
Palate - Creamy vanilla, pipe tobacco, overripe banana, sweet cinnamon spice
Finish - Honeyed, rich, malt biscuit
Sarah Calavera is a County Durham based graphic artist and printmaker blending a bold fusion of gothic aesthetics, neon palettes, and retro pop culture. Through a philosophy of "Process Over Perfection" her distinctive style and DIY hands‑on approach position her as a leading voice for alternative art and creative accessibility across the UK.
Tasting notes
Cask Number 24-492 - 18 months ex-ASM, finished in Oloroso hogshead
Nose - Resin, cigars, honey, cereal, dried fruit, new leather
Palate - Sticky toffee pudding, vanilla, mulled wine spice mix, cedar
Finish - Sawdust, sultanas, fig newtons, dry
Crǣft Youtube
Playlist
Rooted in Community
Crǣft is grounded in the place we call home.
By working with local artists, we continue a long tradition of craft not as a solitary act, but as something shared, passed between people, shaped by community, and enriched by collaboration.
This is whisky as part of a wider cultural story. One that belongs as much to the region as it does to the distillery.
