The story of Corston & William whisky actually started to write itself in 2009, when I first visited Scotland and visited about 15 distilleries. Due to the concentration at the time, we headed to Speyside, where there are about 60 distilleries.I was drinking whisky at the time, but I didn't have any particular tastes or flavours, but I knew there was a long history behind the spirit and the Scottish people were very proud of it.
The distilleries held a fascination for me. Maybe it's marketing, maybe it's really national pride, either way, seeing the traditional production, taking in the smell and the atmosphere, hearing the stories about the history of each distillery, seeing and experiencing the respect for the customer on tours and in visitor centers...it all left an indelible impression on me.
Already on the way home I had a thought in my head...why not try something like this here in the Czech Republic...? To put in the drive, the Czech fortel and heart, to make a quality product with our own hands. Everybody around me was tapping their heads and thinking I was crazy, but...I've been doing property development since 1999 and when I started I couldn't even read project documentation. Everything is a challenge.
Today is 2023. So it's been quite a journey and it's taken quite a long time to translate the idea into reality.
René Skala, founder