Scottish firm behind whisky matured in Loch Ness to target ocean ‘abyss’ in new spirits experiment
A Scottish drinks innovator is taking its next bold step after successfully maturing spirits beneath the waters of Loch Ness.
A Scottish drinks innovator is taking its next bold step after successfully maturing spirits beneath the waters of Loch Ness - and is now pushing deeper into unchartered territory for their next experiment.
Domhayn, derived from the Gaelic word for deep, has already proven that submerging oak casks at 200 metres below the surface Scotland’s largest loch can transform flavour, producing smoother, more integrated rum and whisky.
Their Loch Ness-matured releases have earned international attention and industry recognition.
Now, the company is aiming to expose a spirit-filled cask to pressures equivalent to 1,000 fathoms reached at depths of 1,830m or 6,003 ft - just the deep-sea “abyss” once explored by pioneers like James Clark Ross, a British naval officer who carried out important magnetic surveys in the Arctic and Antarctic.
The goal is to test how extreme hydrostatic pressure can further evolve flavour beyond what’s possible through traditional ageing, or even by the firm’s own Loch Ness trials.
Founder James Patterson, a qualified engineer, said: “Submerging casks into Loch Ness started as a bit of curiosity, just wanting to see if pressure would actually change anything. It did.
“This next step is really about understanding how far that effect goes, and whether we’re only just scratching the surface.
“It’s part science experiment, part modern Scottish innovation story, and we’re inviting supporters from around the world to back our journey and maybe even taste the results for themselves.”
Domhayn will launch a 30-day Kickstarter campaign to fund the world-first experiment. The experiment will take a phased approach. The first trials will be carried out on land using a controlled hydrostatic pressure chamber.
Mr Patterson explained: “These initial tests will let us recreate deep-sea conditions in a controlled environment, so we can see exactly how the casks respond as pressure builds.
“If that goes well, we’ll move on to a full ocean experiment and try to reach those abyss-level depths for real.”
The process builds on established principles of physics involved in traditional cask maturation, introducing pressure as an additional variable.
Domhayn has discovered increased pressure compresses the oak structure of the cask; air pockets within the wood and liquid contract and expand during pressure cycles. This movement drives the spirit deeper into the wood and back out again. The result is a different pattern of interaction between the spirit and oak, leading to measurable changes in chemical composition.
The 1,000 fathom mark has historical significance in ocean exploration.
In the 19th century, expeditions led by figures such as James Clark Ross recorded some of the first measurements beyond this depth, an area often referred to at the time as “the abyss”.
Mr Patterson added: “The project is not just a technical experiment, it’s also a nod to the early pioneers of ocean exploration. We’re curious to see how far we can push the science, while connecting to that history of discovery.
“The objective of this new experiment is to understand how differently extreme pressure develops flavour. The 1,000 fathoms project aims to apply 10 times more pressure! It's an attempt to see if there is some sort of correlation between pressure and the abundance of certain compounds.
“So far, we reliably produce a flavour change, this next step is about understanding how better we might be able to control certain flavour profiles. And, to understand the physical limitations of a wooden cask. “
As for Mr Patterson’s inspiration? He said: “This is a fusion of two brilliant topics: innovation and spirit (alcohol). It's the beginning of a technique for developing a new realm of flavour profiles across a broad range of spirit drinks. There is huge potential here.
“Leading the research and setting the benchmark is incredibly rewarding, the people I've connected with have been very supportive and, ultimately, it's a pretty cool legacy to leave. Creating something which has a potential to reach so many people is immense fun. “
Domhayn has attracted early interest from whisky enthusiasts and collectors, particularly in the United States and Canada.
The Kickstarter campaign will allow backers to support the experiment and follow its progress, with the potential for limited releases if the project is successful.
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