distillery

The first company of the Arrière-Base project in Bordeaux.

Luckily the days when German submarines were housed there are long gone! In this port area a new district is beginning to emerge. And saying that the company MOON HARBOUR, created in 2014 in a dynamic market is the driving force behind this is something of an understatement. By choosing a former bunker for its head office and distillery in which the whisky will be finished after ageing, it not only boosts the economy of these premises which are being renovated bit by bit, but also contributes to their cultural exposure.

And so the architectural project of the future distillery with work due to start in 2016 has been validated by the Bassin à Flots workshops. But it also has backing from the Aquitaine Region, the Bordeaux Grand Port, the town of Bordeaux, BPI France and the Société Générale among others. Something to give these premises a fresh boost and carry on the tradition of exchange dear to Bordeaux, a town both steeped in history and still open to other horizons.

Fabrication

1 – Raw materials

The main cereals used to create Whisky are barley and corn that each give it its distinctive flavour. 25% of the quality of the end product is due to cereal. To make Moon Harbour Malt, cereals are farmed in the Aquitaine region.

2 - Malting

Barley is transformed into malt in two stages: germination, the barley is dampened to release the starch, and drying, which stops germination. Once dried, the malt is ground and called grist.

3 - Mashing

The grist is mixed with water heated at a high temperature in the "mash tun" to transform the starch into sugar. The must finally obtained is a clear liquid, scented, sweetish and slightly sticky.

4 - Fermentation

The must is then added to yeast to transform the sugar into alcohol. Fermented must is then called the wash. 25% of the quality of the whisky is due to fermentation.

5 - Distillation

The wash is heated in the still to separate the alcohol and the water. The alcohol turns to steam before the water has time to evaporate. The very form of the still is important for creating flavours (Stupfler system). The STUPFLER still, used to make Moon Harbour Malt, is specific and guarantees a unique result from the first distillation. By only distilling the wash once, you obtain an exceptional alcohol whose body is of the highest quality.

6 – Ageing

To obtain the “whisky” designation, the alcohol will age for at least 3 years and 1 day in Bordeaux 225 litre barrels that previously contained great vintages. It is at this stage that it takes on its colour and flavours. 50% of the quality of the whisky are due to ageing and the barrels used. The Bordeaux barrel is smaller than most barrels usually used to age whisky. Unlike some, our whisky is not filtered cold and keeps all its rich aromas.

7 – Bottling

Bottling is the last operation before marketing. Once bottled, the whisky no longer ages, unlike wine.