Isle of Cider to begin distilling bourbon-style spirit from Manx grain

Isle of Cider is set to start producing a bourbon-style spirit made mostly from ingredients grown on the island, with the first distillation scheduled for Tuesday 13 October, according to Isle of Man Today.

The spirit, named Mr Jolley’s Amaizeing Manx Liquor, uses Manx wheat and maize and water from Green Mann Spring. Owner Phil Jolley told the paper the recipe is based on more than 51 per cent corn. He said he put his own name in the title because finding an unused name was difficult, and the spelling nods to the maize.

Mr Jolley, who has held a licence to distil for around a year, said spirits had always been “the ultimate goal” for the business. Isle of Cider began by blending neutral grain spirit with spring water to make a vodka base, later adding flavoured vodkas and Manx Moonshine.

Rather than buy a still, he built one himself: a 38-litre pot still with a 50-litre condenser. He believes it may be the smallest on the island, suited to limited batches for collectors.

Allansons Farm is supplying the maize, Laxey Glen Mills is cracking the wheat and Kaneen’s Brewery has provided dark malt barley. Mr Jolley said the spirit cannot be wholly Manx until he finds malted barley produced on the island.

Bottling and ageing are expected to follow soon after the first run. Customers will be able to reserve bottles from a particular batch and decide how long the spirit ages before they collect it. Pricing will depend on each batch’s yield.