Welcome to Exmoor Distillery
Nestled in the picturesque landscapes of Somerset, Exmoor Distillery is more than a local distillery; it’s a testament to the artistry of artisan crafted spirits. As an independent, family-run establishment, we take pride in our heritage, the beauty of our surroundings, and the craftsmanship that goes into every bottle we produce.
At Exmoor Distillery, we go beyond the ordinary, weaving passion and tradition into every distillation. Our commitment to quality is a testament to the values we hold dear – a dedication to craftsmanship and the desire to share exceptional spirits with those who appreciate the finer things in life.
Discover Our Multiple Award-Winning Spirits
Produced by Exmoor Distillery with a quality over quantity ethos
Our Story
When John and Nicola first met in a cocktail bar over 20 years ago, they discovered a shared interest in travel, food, and quality spirits. With a love of the Southwest countryside the couple relocated to set up home in Dulverton in 2007. They are passionate about all things Exmoor and love being a part of the local community.
The couple set up Exmoor Distillery in December 2017 and have since turned their hands to producing a range of high-quality spirits including gins, rums, and vodka.
John’s background in engineering and his innate practicality he is never happier than getting hands-on at the distillery. Combine this with Nicola’s efficiency of running a small business and Exmoor Distillery has quickly becoming recognised both nationally and internationally as a leading true small batch artisan distillery.
Meet Our Master Distiller, John Smith
At the helm of Exmoor Distillery is John Smith, a master distiller with an unparalleled passion for crafting spirits. With a wealth of experience and a keen sense of innovation, John brings a touch of class into every step, ensuring that each spirit bears the hallmark of his expertise. His dedication to the craft is not just seen; it’s tasted in every sip.
Exmoor Distillery started as a gin distillery, with our founder and master distiller John Smith in 2017. What started as a gin-focused endeavour has blossomed into a celebration of craftsmanship across a spectrum of spirits. John’s desire to explore the nuances of distillation led us to expand our repertoire to include a range of spirits, from exquisite British rum to meticulously crafted vodka.
Exmoor Distillery is a local distillery meaning that we proudly support the local communities, charities, and businesses that are close to us. Whether it be in Somerset, Devon or on Exmoor.
Our Promise to You
Authenticity: As a local distillery we take pride in being a true reflection of Somerset, Devon & Exmoor crafting spirits that embody the spirit of our region.
Uncompromising Quality: From the selection of ingredients to the final bottling, we uphold the highest standards of quality, ensuring an exceptional drinking experience.
Family Values: Exmoor Distillery is more than a brand; it’s a family legacy. We extend the warmth of our family to yours through every bottle we produce.
Customer Reviews
A fabulous way to spend an afternoon, in the company of a passionate gin and rum maker followed by sampling of the exceptional products.
A thoroughly enjoyable visit. John’s infectious and very professional and knowledgeable enthusiasm, gave us a real understanding of all involved in the production of the excellent spirits produced by Exmoor Distillery. We wondered why on earth we hadn’t visited before! Many thanks.
A delightful morning thanks to John's geniality and lots of intriguing information. The GIN is pretty good too:-)
Wow, wow, wow. A gem in the countryside. A must visit if you're in the area or passing by. I spent a small fortune on 6 bottles but the quality is worth paying for.
What a lovely tour we had with a very knowledgeable and passionate John. Well worth the visit.
Fantastic morning spent at Exmoor Distillery with an insightful tour and a lovely tasting session! Ben was our host who was superb throughout and very knowledgable. Highly recommend for locals and visitors to the area to pop in, you won’t be disappointed
Not to be missed.We would 100% recommend a visit to Exmoor Distillery. The owners, John and Nicola have much to be proud of.
Really enjoyed my visit as did the others in the group. Nicola’s tour of the distillery was highly instructive. Most important naturally was the quality of the Distillery’s outputs all of which we rated highly on tasting. Every products well at least 6 out of 7 could be pleasurably imbibed neat, which for each of basic gin, white rum and vodka I found very impressive. Unsure whether the same could be said of any other I’ve tried before but I doubt it. Top local artisanal set of products. Make sure you compare their offering against your favourite spirit.
Such an interesting tour & you can tell John loves what his doing & that shows in the tour so thank you … I loved the white Rum ☺️
Absolutely brilliant value for money and a fascinating hour and a bit at Exmoor Distillery as John went into detail explaining the complex process of distilling various gins, rums and vodka. We then tasted all the different bottles that are produced with expert explanation from.John. The gin and vodka was the best I have tasted and the rum was excellent too. So much so that we bought a few bottles before leaving. Thanks for an excellent experience.
A really enjoyable and informative experience. The nicest tasting gin we have ever tried.
Fantastic tour around the distillery with a very knowledgeable and passionate host. All spirits produced and bottled from scratch on site, with locally sourced ingredients. Great service and product, would highly recommend a visit.
It was lovely to finally make it to Exmoor Distillery after a few cancellations entirely on our part. The owners were very gracious about me having to change plans more than once regrettably.Ben showed us around the surprisingly small unit, all beautifully organised and fascinating. It was really interesting to hear how his Dad had evolved a hobby into a very successful business and the equipment was amazing, however the tasting was even better!! The gin options were stunning especially the Navy one and the rums were an unexpected treat. We can highly recommend the tour of this wonderful, local, hugely successful family business. Hope to see you again soon.Amanda
Very informative and interesting tour of the distillery and explanation of the production methods, followed by tastings of their fantastic gins, rums and vodka. A lovely enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon!
Extremely informative tour about gin and rum production, John and his wife were great hosts, superb tasting session, first class product, excellent value for money. Thoroughly enjoyable, would recommend.
We had a superb chat with the owner really helpful and knowledgeable, the tasters immediately make you want to buy , the rum is a rarity and is a complete one off , many thanks we will use again !
We were given a gift voucher for a tour of the Exmoor Distillery for my husband's 70th birthday. We were made to feel very welcome on arrival and found the tour very interesting and informative and it was great to see how much love and care goes into making all their various products. The tasting session was the perfect ending to our tour. Would recommend a visit.
Saw the distillery sign on the road, so popped in. Really glad we did. Went in to try gin, came away with bottles of rum!!Met mum, dad and son - a true family-run business.
Had a fantastic tour of this family run distillery which was a great experience. We had a lot of fun asking questions and got some really in depth answers. You really felt the passion for the business from the owners who were absolutely lovely. The tasting afterwards was great too and luckily we had a designated driver on hand! I would highly recommend this as a different experience for anyone visiting Exmoor.
Enjoyable visit and very informative! Would recommend especially if you like gin and rum!
Fantastic experience, Lovely hosts. Would definitely recommend if you like gin and rum.
Interesting visit . Well worth the money. Obviously very passionate about his job. Top notch produce .
Just Been To The Exmoor Distillery with my Friend and we love it very informative about how it was made. Got to sample all they made very nice and smooth . If you are into high end whisky try the Rum it's the new whisky and the Gin. All made in house and we got some bottles to take home to enjoy Big thanks to John and Nicola for there Hospitality. Regards Russ and Steve .
Really superb tour detailing all the aspects of gin and rum making process. John was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his business. The tastings were very good, large range of gins, runs and vodka. A definite must visit if in the area!
We visited Exmoor Distillery a few months ago, for my birthday.We enjoyed it so much and the gins, rums and vodkas they produced were so fantastic, we are now hooked!!! I ordered a bottle of the Blackmore Spiced rum for my other half's birthday, but we will both enjoy it!
We spent a thoroughly enjoyable hour with John and Nicola. John spent the time to take us through the process in detail and was happy to answer any and all of our questions. Their dedication and passion shone through and we then had the opportunity to sample the ‘fruits’ of their labour. We left with more knowledge then when we arrived and of course a bottle or two or three. Thank you both. Well recommended…..
Lovely tour yesterday with Nicola. So interesting to see the whole process. Disappointed not to be offered a sample to taste but bought some miniatures to try at home.
Good tour. Owners are passionated and have interesting knowledges about alcohol production. Negative point : I thought it was too expensive compared to other distilleries I visited. I didn’t drunk a single sip of alcohol but still paid full price. Maybe a lower visit price would favor buying bottles at the end…
What a truly interesting tour. I booked this for my Dad and I as a little treat and it was truly wonderful.The owners John and Nicola are passionate about their product and so knowledgeable, so much work goes into making their glorious prodct.Keep up the good work guys!Marie and her Dad, Richard.
We visited Exmoor Distillery as a group of 21 and had a very interesting and informative talk with samples to take home for those who were driving.It is well worth visiting and we wish them good luck for the future
I placed my first order with Exmoor Distillery and I have found the service I have receive extremely good. The website was very easy to use and I placed my order. I received a phone call a coupe of hours later asking me about my order and to tell me it would be packed and sent. An email came later on that day. The parcel had be sent and would be delivered the next day. It came the next day very well wrapped and in perfect condition. I thin k all parts of the order were perfect. The personal touch with someone ringing about my order. Then having it sent the same day and delivered the next day. I would Recommend to anyone very highly and will buy from again. many Thanks to all atExmoor Distillery.
Absolutely brilliant. Would definitely recommend a tour. Extremely knowledgeable tour guide. Delicious samples and very informative and entertaining talk. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and so did all my group. Thank you Exmoor distillery.
Placed a order i made a mistake on the order phoned the distillery got through straight away and their kindly changed the order. It came bang on time well packaged . Now I need to order another bottle because I'm saving the first one. Thank you
Hi John, Nichola and Ben. Thank you for a very interesting and in depth explanation of the production of your product. It was so amazing to actually see AND sample how you produce your product and I can only say that everyone should experience your enthusiasm for distilling not only your Gin but also the rum. Very much appreciate your tour of your facility.RegardsMartin
Amazing visit to this distillery today, lovely people and so informative. The product sampling was brilliant and such friendly people. Thank you so much we really enjoyed it 👏👏
What an amazing distillery and tour! The gin and rum is just the best we have ever tasted. John is truly a master distillery
Great place to visit. Tour was brilliantly conducted by the very enthusiastic and informative owner.
Booked on the Exmoor Distillery tour whilst on holiday over Easter. With 13 of us in the group, John explained the various techniques he uses in producing such a unique range of spirits. The gins, rums & vodka offered, covered the wide range of tastes. The Northmoor Gin & the Blackmoor Spiced Rum proving our favourites. John & Nicola thanks for such an amazing experience.I would highly recommend a visit
Great tour. Very interesting and informative. John and Nicola were very friendly and extremely knowledgeable! Fantastic products. Tasting enjoyed by all! Would definitely recommend it!
Wonderful visit, very passionate explanation of the whole process by a knowledgeable owner. Have been before and will be going again with more friends. Rodney Reed.
After over 45 years of drinking gin & tonic, with so many different types of gin tried, I enjoy Northmoor Gin the most. It has a very smooth but strong flavour of juniper, which I love, and which means that I use about half the amount, compared to a Gordon's Gin. That is how I convince myself that I can afford it.
We thoroughly enjoyed our recent visit to Exmoor Distillery, where we met John who gave us the tour. He explained about botanicals and the processes for making the gin, rum and vodka, it was lovely to meet someone so passionate about their craft. We also met Nicola and the family dog who seemed to enjoy all the extra attention. No tour would be complete without a tasting, after which we picked our favourite and purchased a bottle from the on-site shop to take home. Thank you for an enjoyable and informative tour! Highly recommended.
We have just had a wonderful tour of Exmoor Distillery with the added bonus that Nicola picked us up on the way there 😁. John was really engaging on the tour and together they have made great rum and gins.We would definitely recommend a visit and to try out their spirits. X
Very informative and interesting how this small company has formed and how it all wprks
We had a really enjoyable tour of Exmoor Distillery, before sampling all the marvelous Gins, rums and vodka. My other half came home feeling very happy!!!It was great to meet John and Nicola, who were both so passionate and dedicated to their business.We highly recommend a visit!
My order came through quickly and the product was exactly as described.
Thank you for our fascinating tour last Saturday. We all enjoyed it and learned so much, too. Well worth making the effort.
Great tour of a small local Distillery. John certainly knows his craft. The Rum and Vodka are top notch. Will be stocking up with more before xmas
Interesting tour of the distillery and lovely products! Would recommend!
My wife and I really enjoyed the tour. It is fascinating to learn the alchemy which lies behind the production of a really good gin. The tasting was marvellous too and, it hardly needs stating, we bought some large bottles for ourselves and a couple of sets of miniatures for family gifts.
Lovely visit here this week the man leading the tour was very informative and made us feel very welcome we bought the spiced rum which we can't wait to open thank you for a lovely morning visit 😀
A delightful, small business in a beautiful location on Exmoor. John's passion for his craft, especially his incredible rum, is palpable. Do visit if you are in this beautiful neck of the woods.
A brilliant visit to the Exmoor distillery yesterday. Interesting & informative tour of a small independent business.A must for lovers of gin, rum and vodka. Sampling the wares is a must - as was purchasing some of these amazing spirits from the small on-site shop before we left. Sure - you can purchase much cheaper spirits elsewhere but do they compare? - Absolutely not! The aged rum is amazingly good! Treat yourself to a tour....and a bottle or 3 😁
Myself, husband and son did a tour yesterday and were really impressed. Ben was our tour guide and spirit master. From learning of his dad’s passion with his drinks, it really showed through when he was giving the tour. We weren’t rushed at all and our only interruption was the wasp who wanted to do the testing with us. Ben was able to advise what the best mixer in each drink. Thank you Ben for a lovely time. We are already making decisions on the next purchases. Your brandy for one in 8 years. Here’s to your continued success.
We really enjoyed our tour, really interesting, tasting was also good. The owners are very passionate about the products and should be very proud of their business. Thank you very much.
We booked the tour option and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ben was very informative and explained everything with such enthusiasm. This is a great little independent business producing quality products. We enjoyed the tasting session and bought a couple of bottles to take home.. there is an online ordering option and we will be stocking up again soon. I would recommend a visit if you are in the area. Thank you Ben.
Just went on the tour, absolutely loved it. Really informative and tasting the gins, vodka and rums was delightful - one of the owners lead the tour, he was lovely and knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions - really enjoyable experience
Fabulous morning on the tour.Ben was very passionate about the family business. He was happy to answer questions and the tasters were fantastic
Very informative. I had no idea what goes into running a distillery. Hosts were very welcoming and tasting the products was great. Well worth a visit and we came away with gin and rum!
We visited the distillery yesterday and it was a very interesting and highly informative hour or so. It's about a 20 min walk from Dulverton but an alternative stroll over the fields is available which is about 30 mins. The tour was hosted by John who is so enthusiastic & knowledgeable about gin & rum.Nicola handled the tasting session which is not a hard sell at all. If you want to buy, it's up to you. We did, because the product was excellent.Especially the aged rum at 60° proof!!!
Small distillery, but vast amounts of knowledge and enthusiasm shared by friendly hosts.
Absolutely loved the tour and Nicola did a brilliant job explaining how it all worked! Will definitely be back to purchase more gin and rum!
Really enjoyed the distillery tour, really interesting and a great activity for a rainy day. Fantastic to get a chance to taste the gins and rums, couldn’t resist taking some home. Would highly recommend.
Booked for a tour. Met by Nicola, thank you for such a warm and friendly greeting. Was taken through to see the distillery. So informative, can see they take pride in their products. Whole process was explained clearly and thoroughly. Was then taken through for tasting. Each and everyone was full of flavour. Vodka was my personal favourite, so smooth and tasty. Excellent gin, vodka and rum. Brought a few bottles to take back home. Would definitely recommend Exmoor Distillery tour and products.
Very easy to book on-line. Friendly and extremely helpful (limited mobility). Fascinating to hear the back story and see how small batches of spirits are made. Could get a little crowded if too many people in the small spaces. Tiny tastings afterwards did the trick! Lovely products. Well worth a visit.
Just dropped in for a couple of samples and perhaps a purchase or two. They were very willing to let us try all of their products, all of which were very good, especially the navy strength gin. We ended up buying much more than we intended!
My Dad and I went for the tour at the distillery. It was really informative and was fantastic to see a growing business with people who are so passionate about what they do. A lot of detail was given about how their beverages are made, I won’t go into detail about it though, you should go for the tour to find out. The sampling at the end of the tour was a big plus! A purchase was made and I am positive there will be future online purchases too. Some of their upcoming spirits sound very tempting and I will certainly be checking in to see when these are available. It was a great hour of informal chatting. We have been on distillery tours before, this has been one of, if not the, best.
My partner Rosie and me spent a very pleasant afternoon at the Exmoor Distillery being shown the distillation processes, the products and being generally entertained with information about gin, rum, brandy, their particular products, the Distillery and how it all started. Finishing off with an excellent tasting session. A fascinating an enjoyable time - highly recommended.
Great experience, learning the process and sampling excellent products. Thanks John and Nicola! I will be back.
We had a tour and tasting yesterday. It was fascinating and the passion John displayed as he explained the gin, vodka and rum processes was plain to see. His knowledge was extensive and he made the tour both fun and informative. The science behind the process as well as historical facts also added to our enjoyment. John was always happy to answer any questions. The different barrels and what they add to the flavour profile ended the tour. Then onto the tasting. All the products were unique and all of the highest quality. The subtleties of the botanicals and the secret blends allowed us to fully appreciate the effort put into making these drinks. All 6 products are fantastic and would appeal to different tastes. Keep an eye out for the 3 year matured rum (this distillery is one of only a few to make rum from scratch) when it is released in June but if you can't wait the spiced rum should be your go to. And there will be a one off batch of brandy made with local Exmoor wine coming out in a few years time. Nearly 2 hours went by. Value for money and make sure you visit when in the area or pop on line and order a bottle or 2.
This is our must do place to take friends when they visit us for a break in North Devon. As always, John is brilliant and makes the whole experience interesting and enjoyable. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to this small, but wonderful family run distillery.
Absolutely fantastic drink! Tried a sample from the Greendale Farm Shop, in Exeter (they stock in the shop) very tasty and warming. Will definitely be buying a full size bottle. Highly recommended!
I’ve been a repeat customer with Exmoor Distillery for just over a year now and the customer service has been top tier, the premium alcohol they have on offer mixed with the customer service makes it a must do when it comes to purchasing, would be great for Christmas presents aswell!
Big fan of the spiced rum. Honestly you can smell the quality everytime you open the bottle. A must buy.
Had an excellent distillery tour. John is so knowledgeable and passionate about his products and processes, and explains them all wonderfully. Good value, including plenty of samples afterwards. Would highly recommend a visit!
Go for the tour. John is fascinating; great voice, answers all and any questions on distillation, barrels, botanicals. Nicola, his wife then takes you through a mean tasting session of their gins, vodka, rum. Husband left with and loves their oaked gin. They’re 5 mins drive from Dulverton next to beautiful woods in a small unit, half hour drive from Dunster. TA22 9BF
Father and son run business, both of them were very welcoming and very knowledgeable. If I am ever in this area again I would definitely pay a visit.
Me and my girlfriend had a lovely weekend away to bath, and on are back home we stopped off at the distillery and got a tour around the place and a tasting of all the spirits they do, I’m a rum and gin guy, I can honestly say I’m very very picky when it comes to gin but wow that gin is incredible the aromatics of it is different level.
We booked a tour of Exmoor well in advance, though not totally necessary. This quaint, family run gin distillery.... It's going to be the next big thing!! The Gin and the Rum are great and they are doing some pretty interesting things here. Everything is from scratch, unlike the big guys, and the product is great. If you're close, totally worth the visit, and if not, also worth the detour!
Have had a wonderful morning today, called the Distillery to see if a last minute delivery could be made and sent on our behalf. Ben at Exmoor Distillery went out of his way, personally to make this happen, he arranged a special presentation box, and even hand wrote the "Thank you" note to be included in it. Great Product, Great Service and Great GIN !
A little sip of Devon heaven...We dropped in to visit this fine establishment and were greeted with warmth and enthusiasm. Ben, one of the family who run this little distillery, shared his story and the story of the business, generously offering us tasters of all their products.Importantly, the love and integrity they pour into their gin, vodka and rum is more than evident in the tasting. They even get the water for all of this from a special borehole directly into the water table to maintain its purity.A fantastic experience as a visit, and we'll be reminded of it every time we sup this beautiful gin. I would encourage anyone in the area to support this superb, small local business!
I was treated to a tour of their facility in Dulverton for my birthday. On arrival we were informed that they had no electric and subsequently no heating due to the storm, but she was happy to continue with our tour. The owner is bubbly and most welcoming. Her drive and passion for their business is amazing. She explained the process of the making of their gin and rum, from start to bottling. Obviously our favourite part was the tasting, which certainly didn’t disappoint - very yummy! We would highly recommend!! Thank you 😊
xx
Awards & Achievements
