PRESS RELEASE June 4, 2024: The first releases of Thornæs Danish Whisky score highly at this year's IWSC 2024 in London

Published June 4, 2024

The results of this year's International Wine & Spirits Competition in London have just come in, and they are causing great joy among the people at Thornæs Distillery in Kagerup. With scores of 91, 90 and 89 points, the distillery's first three releases help position Thornæs Danish Whisky as an organic whiskey with international potential.

Great score brings Thornæs one step closer to the big stage

If you, as a whiskey distillery, hope to compete with other brands, you will have to deliver on an international level, and that is precisely what Thornæs Destilleri has managed with its first three releases.

"I am incredibly happy with the reception that our first publications have received from the international panel of judges in London. It is always associated with a certain nervousness to come forward with your firstborn, because you tend to crush them, regardless of what others think. Fortunately, the assessment shows that we have managed to create a high-quality product from day one. A score close to or above 90 points shows an international potential", says founder and director Torben Thornæs Andersen.

Capital raising must ensure the production of Thornæs Whisky

The points harvest for Thornæs Danish Whiskey comes at an opportune time for the distillery, which has just started a capital raising with the issue of new shares. The distillery seeks to raise up to four million kroner to ensure production 1½-2 years into the future. It costs a lot of money to produce a whiskey that must lie and mature for many years, so reaching out to investors with a taste for Danish whiskey is part of the recipe.

"We raise capital to be able to produce and market our whisky. Therefore, it is of course fantastic that we can now also say that there are people other than ourselves who appreciate the product – experienced people with a very large basis for comparison. It strengthens self-confidence and belief that we make a whiskey that can also cope on the big stage", says Torben Thornæs Andersen.

The capital raising will run for a few more months, and the founder hopes that both existing and new investors will take the points harvest as a sign that Thornæs is moving in the right direction.

"A capital raise can be extremely demanding, because you and your company are being scrutinized by a whole lot of people. But it is also a kind of self-imposed due diligence, where you are forced to be self-critical and constantly document your claims. With the great scores from London, we have had others do a quality check on our whisky, and it at least seems to be in order", says Torben Thornæs Andersen.

Rating and scores from IWSC 2024

• Thornæs Danish Whiskey – 1 ^st Release
  91 points: Lush orchard fruit, old woods and yellow plum, toasted cedar, balanced spice, sweet orchard fruit, and a warming spicy finish.
• Thornæs Danish Whiskey – ^2nd Release
  89 points: Caramel, cinnamon, nutty, vanilla, chocolate, dried fruit aroma and flavor characteristics, woody and toasted finish.
• Thornæs Danish Whiskey – ^3rd Release
  90 points: Soft, sweet peat complements orchard fruits and honey, a harmonious blend of peat, esters, and cereals on the palate. Bright notes of furniture polish and mealy peat lead to a smooth, dry finish.

Suggestion for caption:

The first editions of Thornæs Danish Whiskey garnered distinguished scores at this year's International Wine & Spirits Competition in London.

For further questions please contact

Torben Thornæs Andersen
Founder, CEO Director & Head Distiller
Thornæs Distillery A/S
Mob. +45 5091 5890
Email torben@thornaes.com

or

Jesper E. Moller
Chairman of the board
Thornæs Distillery A/S
Mob. +45 2440 1414
jesper@emoeller.dk

 

Facts about Thornæ's capital raising 2024

• The distillery wants to raise approximately DKK 4 million.
• The invested capital will primarily go to the production and maturation of the distillery's Danish organic whiskey as well as marketing and optimization of the production line
• The capital raising is an extension of a growth strategy which has an IPO as its ultimate goal
• The distillery expects to be able to complete the round before the end of August 2024

Facts about Thornæs Destilleri A/S

Address: Kagerup Byvej 20B, 3200 Helsinge

Website: https://thornaes.com/

SoMe: https://www.instagram.com/thornaesdestilleri/ , https://www.facebook.com/thornaesdestilleri and https://dk.linkedin.com/company/thorn%C3%A6s-destilleri

Contacts:

• Torben Thornæs Andersen, founder and director of Thornæs Distillery, torben@thornaes.com , Mob. 5091 5890.
• Jesper E. Møller, chairman of the board at Thornæs Destilleri,jesper@emoeller.dk , 2440 1414

History and organization

Thornæs Destilleri was founded in 2018 by Torben Thornæs Andersen as North Zealand's first whiskey distillery. From 2024, the distillery will produce approx. 30,000 liters of organic New Make per year with expected maturation from 4-12 years. The goal is to produce all whiskey with grain products from own fields around the farm Falkendal in Kagerup. The distillery is a limited company with 137 shareholders.

The management consists of founder and director, Torben Thornæs Andersen.

The board consists of chairman Jesper E. Møller, Non-executive board member and Senior Advisor, as well as the members Povl-André Bendz, CEO of Seahouse Capital, Martin Riis, CCO of Hamonoya, Flemming Pedersen, CFO, Better Collective and Annemette V. Thomsen, Chief consultant in AVT Advisory.

Milestones

• In 2020, the first wooden casks were filled with organic grain spirit (New Make) from the distillery – the first step to Thornæs Whiskey
• In 2021, the distillery harvested its first self-produced organic barley in North Zealand
• In 2021, the distillery received an order for Mad Owl Gin equivalent to over 100,000 bottles from the UK's largest gin club, the Craft Gin Club.
• In 2022, the distillery put a new cask warehouse into use of 1000 m2, which has future-proofed the storage capacity
• In 2022, the company was transformed from ApS to A/S to meet the requirements for a future IPO. The company's ownership was simultaneously expanded to 137 shareholders.
• In 2023, Mad Owl Gin won gold medals at the World Drinks Awards for Denmark's best London Dry and Classic gin.
• In 2023, Year Zero – the distillery's organic grain spirit for whiskey production – won gold at this year's World Drinks Awards as Denmark's best New Make.
• In 2023, the distillery commissioned its third whiskey still. The distillery thus has 3 x 1000 liter stills, which gives an annual production capacity of 40,000 liters of New Make.
• In October 2023, the distillery released its very first Single Malt Whisky, produced in Kagerup, North Zealand. The distillery has since released two more versions of Thornæs Danish Whisky.
• In 2024, the distillery scores over 90 points for its first releases of Thornæs Danish Whiskey at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London.