Irish Whiskey
Four Irish whiskies to try while travelling Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
May
Take a break along Ireland’s famous coastal tourist route, the Wild Atlantic Way, at one of these incredible young Irish whiskey distilleries
Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is a 2,500km driving route that follows Ireland’s coastline from Co Cork in the far south to Co Donegal in the far north. Dotted along its route are some of Ireland’s most exciting tourist destinations, and serving them is an ever-growing array of craft distilleries, bars, and restaurants.
Here are four whiskies to sample from four counties along the route.
Irish Whiskey
€45.53 (Ex. VAT)
Micil Earl’s Island Single Pot Still – Red Wine Cask
Micil Distillery, Co Galway
This micro-distillery demonstrates big ambition from its base in Salthill in Co Galway. Building on traditions of poitín making and generations of distillation, the people behind Micil are building a whiskey brand that marks its territory.
Earl’s Island is a core release and is designed to celebrate the legacy of Galway’s traditional distilleries, as well as marking the influence of wine merchants on the coastal city.
This sourced single pot still release was matured in ex-bourbon. Around 75% of the volume was then finished in a first-fill Bordeaux red wine cask, while the remaining 25% was casked for a period in a first-fill peated whiskey cask. The Bordeaux cask pumps red fruit and burnt sugar notes into the pot still while the period spent in peated casks allows the gentlest of peat flavours and aromas to emerge. Bottled at 46%.
Irish Whiskey
€52.85 (Ex. VAT)
Skellig Single Pot Still
Skellig Six18 Distillery, Co Kerry
Named after the 618 steps leading to an exposed island monastery built by monks during the 6th to 8th century on the nearby UNESCO-protected Skellig islands, this craft distillery is focused on single pot still whiskey production, as well as gin. Completely exposed to the Atlantic elements, the constant change in weather in this remote location fuels a maturation process that the whiskey makers believe will enhance and develop their product. With their own whiskey currently maturing, they use sourced whiskey to create their releases.
Skellig Triple Cask Single Pot Still is a non-age-statement bottling that was matured in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in a Pedro Ximénez sherry cask, followed by a short period in a formerly peated whiskey cask. This provides a very gentle touch of peat to the sweet and fruity notes of pot still.
Ireland’s indigenous style of whiskey – single pot still – is made using a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley, as well as other grains. The unmalted element delivers a creamy texture to the whiskey as well as driving ever more spice and texture to the pour.
Irish Whiskey
€243.90 (Ex. VAT)
Athrú trilogy
Hawk’s Rock Distillery (Lough Gill), Co Sligo
It was likely the Athrú trilogy that caught the eye of Sazerac while they searched the world for a new distillery. They found it on the shores of Lough Gill, in Co Sligo, a stunning location with a manor house on 70 acres of estate lands. Now rebranding as Hawk’s Rock, this currently quiet whiskey maker is perfectly positioned as the only Irish whiskey brand within a world-leading stable of drinks companies that include Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and Pappy Van Winkle.
An exciting few years lie ahead as we get to witness the brand building that a company of this size can command. Without doubt, Athrú is a building block on the road to major success for the young distillery.
Athrú is a trio of 14-year-old single malts, each created by the renowned Scottish distiller and master blender Billy Walker. Matured in ex-bourbon, each release has its own individual finish: the Knocknarea is finished in oloroso sherry casks; the Anacoona is finished in a combination of Pedro Ximenex and oloroso sherry casks while the Keshcorran completed its maturation in Hungarian Tokaji casks. Each bottled at 43%.
Irish Whiskey
€34.96 (Ex. VAT)
West Cork Maritime Single Malt Rum Cask
West Cork Distillers, Co Cork
Launched in a back room in one of the founder’s homes in 2003, West Cork Distillery has grown to be one of the largest independent distilleries in Ireland. Crafting an extensive range of triple-distilled whiskeys, ranging from grain to single pot still to single malt, its state-of-the-art distillery in Skibbereen is a 24-hour operation.
The region of west Cork, in the extreme south of Ireland, is famous for its food and flavours, so the whiskey produced there has to match this high bar. The team at WCD do this effortlessly and with great panache.
The West Cork Maritime series is a limited edition non-age statement release of triple-distilled single malt, released at 46%. Bottled in eye-catching round bottles with an off-centre spout, they are designed to capture the origins of the distillery’s founders, two of whom were fishermen. This bottle is the rum-finished edition, but the series also includes port, sherry and virgin oak matured bottles.
Click here to see more of our Irish whiskey collection
