Gerard Velthuis founded Stokerij Sculte in 2004. Under his leadership, it grew into one of the most well-known and highly-regarded whisky distilleries in the Netherlands. After his sudden passing on May 8, 2024, his daughter Evelien Heisterkamp and distiller Roy Kroeze continue his life's work with passion and dedication.
As a brand-new distiller of initially fruit distillates, Gerard participated in a competition in the early days of Sculte and won his first awards. Driven by these successes, he continued to develop. He continued to delve extensively into the processes of distilling and rectification, and attended various courses in Austria.
Two years later, he dedicated himself to distilling whisky. Not just any whisky, but a true Twente whisky: Gerard wanted to age the whisky in Twente oak. No one had ever made whisky barrels from Twente oak before. But Gerard knew it was possible.
It turns out to be a golden move. When the recipe is further developed and refined in 2014, this 'Sculte Twentse Whisky' is embraced by whisky lovers from all corners of the world. Year after year, the pride of Sculte Distillery wins multiple awards at various prestigious competitions.
A special distillery deserves a special place. That's why Sculte Distillery is located in the former Maria Ad Fontes monastery, in the heart of picturesque Ootmarsum. A location with history and character, just like our whisky.
From tree to bottling: we carry out every step ourselves, with an eye for quality and respect for the Twente landscape. Where possible, we use local ingredients, such as water from a local source and our own casks made of Twente oak.
Our whisky is thus an ode to Twente. Without the richness of nature, we cannot create a refined whisky. The oak wood from the Twente bocage landscape plays a leading role in this. Only the best, quarter-sawn wood is selected and processed in Austria by master coopers into whisky casks of exceptional quality.
This makes our whisky unique worldwide: nowhere else on earth does whisky mature in casks made of Dutch wood, let alone Twente oak. This combination of pure raw materials and age-old craftsmanship gives our whisky its distinct, characterful, and recognizable taste. A taste that carries the soul of Twente in every drop.
Our passion does not go unnoticed. The distinct taste of Sculte Whisky is acclaimed worldwide and has now received more than 90 international awards. From the prestigious Destillata in Vienna to the International Spirits Challenge in London and the famous World Spirits Competition in San Francisco: time and again, our whiskies manage to convince the juries.
These accolades not only underscore our passion and craftsmanship but also the unique character of whisky aged in Twente oak. Each award feels like a confirmation to us that the soul of Twente, captured in our bottles, is recognized and appreciated worldwide.
You will taste that same love and dedication in your glass of Sculte Whisky.
What else is in store? In addition to our 'local hero,' the Sculte Twentse Whisky, we continue to experiment with new ratios and variations in brewing, distilling, and maturation processes. This is how we create whiskies that not only do justice to our region and distillery but also to the connoisseur who drinks them.
Each year we introduce new expressions, alongside our core lines: the Classic, the Peated, and the Refill. In addition, we release special one-off editions and specials, such as the unique Sum of Five, a marriage of our five whiskies from the classic line.
What always remains? Our whiskies are released in limited editions. This is the only way we can fully control our process and continue to guarantee the highest quality.
Gerard laid the foundation for Sculte and for our Twente Whisky: a whisky with character, matured in Twente oak. His craftsmanship and curiosity can still be tasted in every batch.