07-05-2025
Scottish 'whisky' matured in Loch Ness sold for £850 at auction
Just six bottles of the spirit exist in the world.
The first bottle of 'whisky' matured in casks submerged in Loch Ness has been sold at auction. The unique spirit was purchased for £850 after dozens of bids.
Domhayn, which gets its name from the Gaelic word for 'deep', was plunged 214 metres underneath the surface of the legendary loch on Valentine's Day, February 14. As previously reported by the Daily Record, the Stirlingshire-based release comes from a 2010 single malt barley spirit that was bottled at natural strength 55.5 per cent ABV.
As a result of its one-of-a-kind production method that changes its molecular profile, Domhayn cannot be legally classed a whisky. There are just six bottles of Domhayn in existence. The first of these sold at auction for £850 from 42 bids.
Domhayn founder James Patterson commented: "We're thrilled that someone out there is now going to have that incredible experience of tasting a spirit that has touched the bottom of Loch Ness".
The idea for the spirit came to Patterson while he was observing wild swimmers from the shore of Loch Ness. He became inspired as he watched the swimmers take a celebratory dram after a dook.
Patterson continued: "This is about pushing the boundaries of how we understand spirit maturation.
"We know the environment a cask matures in has a huge impact, but no one has explored the application of pressure like this before. The results have been astounding.
"When we retrieved the cask, the difference was undeniable. The spirit had developed a distinctly different aroma and smoothness —something traditional maturation simply couldn't achieve in the same timeframe.
"Given its uniqueness, we expect collectors and enthusiasts to be very curious about how this method compares to conventional maturation.
"What's more, our proprietary technique isn't limited to spirits—it also applies to wine, rum, and vodka—and that makes it incredibly exciting."
In order to guarantee authenticity and quality, the spirit from each cask of Domhayn received molecular-level analysis. This was carried out at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford.
Patterson added: "Submersion causes the cask to compress and decompress, triggering a unique interaction between the wood and the spirit involving both extraction and absorption.
"It's a one-off opportunity—each cask can only withstand one dive before the pressure permanently alters it.
"We wanted to go beyond tasting notes and detect molecular-level changes in the spirit. To do this, samples from each of the casks were tested by the Department of Chemistry at Oxford University using chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.
"The technique measures differences in the compounds found in samples. The results showed a different molecular composition in the processed samples, providing evidence that our process alters the molecular level profile of the spirits compared to control samples."
The first bottle of Domhayn was auctioned at Whisky Auctioneer. More information about the spirit can be found on the Domhayn website.
