Punters pour into the third annual Cork Whiskey Fest

Punters pour into the third annual Cork Whiskey Fest

Cork people are not renowned for punctuality, arriving late to restaurants, doctors, and dentists, not to mention traffic lights.  Perhaps the run of "Cork time” is going to peter out. Last Friday, MacCurtain Street was a lesson in punctuality. At 7:30 PM, it was buzzing with activity and anticipation. 

If you weren't aware of what was happening, you might have wondered about the long, good-humoured queue stretching from the western end of the Metropole to the door of the Wine Cellar. It was for the opening of the Cork Whiskey Fest. And what time did it start? At 7:30, of course! Not only were people on time, but quite a few arrived slightly early! Turns out, whiskey waits for no one. Or should that be the other way around?

Conor Ryan of Pearse Lyons

And then we were in, with hard-working organisers Laurie and Sonya scanning the tickets. The organisers were well prepared, and so too were the exhibitors, some forty of them from all over Ireland, including Croithlí from the Donegal Gaeltacht.

But the first focal I noticed was in Latin: Quercus. I knew that one! Quercus Suber is an oak from which the corks for wine bottles are produced. Croithlí (Crollys) had one of their Gaelic spirits finished in three different oaks: Quercus Petrea, Alba and Robur. Alba is the American white oak, while Robur is the European version. The Irish tree Petrea is also known as Sessile Oak, and that sweet woody oak was prominent on the palate.

Crollys are in northwest Donegal, and nearby towns include Dunfanaghy and Dungloe, while the impressive Errigal Mountain is also a neighbour. If you are in the area, which is a rather beautiful part of the country, why not visit the distillery? Information on tours here.  Indeed, many of Ireland’s distilleries are in picturesque regions.

Kinsale was well represented by Blacks and Kinsale Mead, along with Conor Ryan, the Kinsale-based Conor Ryan, who is production manager at the beautiful Pearse Lyons distillery in Dublin's Liberties. I enjoyed the chat with Conor, who was busy showing their whiskeys. You’ll find the Lyons distillery in a renovated old church, with stained glass windows showing the distilling process. I visited myself a few years back, and you can see some details and pics here.

Blacks are producing both spirits and beers these days, having started out as a brewery. Highlight here was a taste of their First Flight Single Malt, the inaugural and impressive release. They have a fantastic new building on the waterfront where, in a first for Ireland, the brewery and distillery are colocated. They have a range of tours to offer, and you may get details here…. Must do that myself soon!

You might be wondering why Kinsale Mead was here. Well, their new Wildflower Irish Mead is aged in Irish Oak Whiskey Casks from Midleton Distillery, and it is a beauty! Hard-working founders Kate and Denis are very excited about this one and the contribution of the oak: “Wildflower Mead, aged in the Midleton casks, has taken on a lovely extra bright flavour, the floral notes from the Irish honey are really accentuated.”

Portmagee's John Murphy

"It finishes beautifully with balanced hawthorn, apple, and delicate whiskey notes. ..The taste of Ireland." Kinsale Mead also offers guided tours, very interesting ones indeed. Info here.

West Kerry, another beautiful area of the country, was doubly represented by neighbours Portmagee and Skellig Six 18. John Murphy was showing Portmagee's three rum-finished whiskeys, the blended bottle, the single pot still, and the limited edition aged 9 years, all under the general title of Spioraid na Mara (Spirit of the Sea). They have an unusual 360-degree Immersive tour in their unusual venue, a trio of three-storey tall geodesic domes. Info at www.portmageewhiskey.com 

Skellig Six 18 Commercialisation Manager Cathal O’Connor had a range of spirits “from the edge of the world,” and very good they were also, especially the Triple Cask Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Matured in ex-Bourbon barrels and finished in PX Sherry and ex-peated Scotch casks, this was voted the best Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey at the 2024 Berlin International Spirits Competition. More info here.

Kate and Denis of Kinsale Mead

It was lovely to meet with the folks from Longford’s Lough Ree distillery and Bart’s Irish Whiskey, their first blended release. There are three versions: Bart’s (sweet, fruity and spicy), Bart’s XS (sweet and fruity) and Bart’s XP (smoky and fruity).

The West Cork Pot Still is a beauty from Bourbon casks. I knew that anyhow. They also had a cask strength version, and it carried the much higher alcohol very well indeed, but I’d still go for the regular strength one. I also enjoyed the Single Malt Irishman, which is produced by Walsh Whiskey, who also does the popular Writer’s Tears series.

So what was my top whiskey overall? Oh, by the way, I didn’t taste every single one! My vote goes to the Glendalough Irish Single Malt Mizunara Finish. Mizunara is a rare and exotic Japanese oak and is also expensive. The seven-year-old retails for about €90. 

Quite an evening in the Metropole, where the 3rd annual festival kicked off its booked-out whiskey weekend. A superb event now firmly in the Cork calendar, and well done again to Laurie and Sonya.