“A foretaste of heaven”. Lakeview Estate Single Estate Irish Whiskey

 “A foretaste of heaven”

Lakeview Estate Single Estate Irish Whiskey 46%

View of the lake, and the gate to heaven, from the house. Pic from September 2021

“Tis a foretaste of heaven, I cannot say more

Of O’Connell’s famed home on the lower lake shore”.

So wrote Donal McSweeney c1890 in relation to the Killarney house known as Lakeview and its extraordinarily beautiful setting.

Now there’s another foretaste of paradise here on the estate, and it is spreading across the land and beyond. With Maurice O’Connell (a direct descendant of the famous Daniel O’Connell) and his wife Francesca at the helm, Lakeview is the base of Wayward Irish Spirits. This Lakeview whiskey is their first single estate. The barley was grown here on the Hilly Field and the whiskey matured here, much is still maturing here.

The warehouse where whiskey matures. The Hilly Field is visible to the left.

Briefly, that barley was harvested in late August 2018 and was malted by Athgarrett Malt (Nass) in January 2019 before being distilled by GND (Dundalk) the following March. Since then it has matured at Lakeview mostly in ex Premier Cru Bordeaux NEOC casks. Gently cut over a longer period of six months (their usual period is six weeks) to ensure integration and smoothness. No colour added, no chill filter.

Maurice O'Connell

Maurice O’Connell emphasises that this, their first pot still whiskey from their estate, “showcases the unique maturation conditions here in our 300 year old stone bonded warehouse…

Maturation Terroir exists - we say this whiskey tastes far beyond its young age..” This “Coming of Age Release" is limited to just 300 numbered bottles. 

The early tastings have mostly confirmed that this new whiskey tastes older than its actual years and I’m inclined to agree but I also think that it has much more to come - additional levels of depth and flavour, more complexity, even more smoothness - and that it will be well worth waiting for. A work in very promising progress.

On a windy Saturday morning a small group of us had a very casual tasting, some of us just sniffing. Fennel came up in the aromas, as did aniseed, and other more experienced tasters have spoken elsewhere of the same features.  Oh yes there is a little hint of smokiness in there too; ten per cent was finished in ex peated cask for 3 months as Maurice “felt the nose needed something”.

Happy group (l to r): Yours truly, Aileen, Maurice and Clare. Thanks to Brian for the pic.

 

Lakeview’s own notes indicate cherry aromas. There is quite a backbone of figs and other darkish fruits on the palate; for me, it was honey, having first appeared in the aromatics, that came on well in the mouth where the Lakeview is smooth and followed by a long finish.

The house at Lakeview.

The bottle design was inspired by a bottle of D’Orsay perfume that had sat in Lakeview House for decades, defying all attempts to open it (the glass cork having fused with the neck) before being recently opened by a combination of ice and fire, thought up and executed by Maurice and Francesca. The perfume still smells really good, if in a mid-century style, a bit cloying according to Maurice.

Today’s D’Orsay website says: Our body fragrances are designed for couples, echoing the first historic fragrance designed in 1830 by Alfred d’Orsay.

Wikipedia: Alfred D'Orsay and Disraeli were good friends in the 1830s–to the point that Disraeli (twice UK Prime Minister) asked d'Orsay to be his second, when it appeared that Disraeli would fight a duel with Morgan O'Connell, the son of Irish agitator Daniel O'Connell. D'Orsay declined… .

O’Connell’s previous whiskey (and more to come) are based on sourced spirit and you will find them under the Liberator brand. That bought in spirit is matured here on the estate in an old building, one of a group that form a square.

Lakeview in autumn

As you enter the courtyard, you will note Chinese characters over the door. Maurice tells us it means “House of Contentment”. It is something of a joke played by one of his ancestors on his less travelled relations as House of Contentment is a euphemism in parts of Asia for a brothel. 

There are many many stories of the O’Connell family and Maurice is always happy to recount some of them, as he did last Saturday morning, but I think he’d need a week at least to get through them all!

* For more (not the whole story!) on the O’Connells and Lakeview, see an earlier post from September 2020, here.

Also on this trip: New chef celebrates Cahernane House appointment with stunning 8-course menu, details here. 

Daniel O'Connell

The Irishman The Harvest Single Malt and Single Pot Irish Whiskey. Killowen/Blackwater Poitín Combination. Cork's Cask nets another cocktail award.

There's more than one Irishman! 

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+ below, Killowen/Blackwater Poitín Combination

Cork's Cask nets another national cocktail award.

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The Irishman The Harvest Single Malt and Single Pot Irish Whiskey 40% ABV

Widely available at about €40.00.

Here’s the introduction from producers Walsh Whiskey: The Irishman. Premium Irish Whiskey. Exceptional character. Championing Irish Single Malt. The recreation of age-old recipes to create unrivalled expressions. For a new generation of whiskey enthusiasts.

Two Stacks Whiskey in a Can and, Wicklow on the Double, a new Stout Infused Fercullen

Two Stacks Irish Whiskey Dram in a Can 86 proof or 43% ABV, 100ml can, €7.00 O’Donovan’s Off Licence

Just last year, Two Stacks Whiskey and myself got off on the right foot. Their neighbouring brewery used a Two Stacks Whiskey cask to brew Brehon Brewhouse Oak & Mirrors Two Stacks Whiskey Cask Aged Imperial Porter (7.5%) and that very beer was my Beer of the Year for 2021. So, I had more than a little confidence when I paid seven euro for this “Dram in a Can” at my local O’’Donovan’s Off Licence.

But whiskey in a can? I’m still a bit doubtful as I pull the tab. And then there’s that inviting gold colour in the glass and as the liquid seeps across the palate the doubt folds and the robust yet, as the fantastic stone fruit flavours take hold in this sweet and spicy whiskey, rounded pleasure unfolds. The aromatics had been somewhat on the modest side giving just only a slender indication of the toasted wood, vanilla and fruit flavours (nectarine, apricot) to follow. A complex whiskey indeed but a very smooth and approachable  drink.

Two Stacks tell us that over 500,000 cans have been sold globally since the Dram in a Can was launched in March 2021. It is “serving the same great flavour profile and focus on quality spirit as the rest of our blended range. Perfect for on the move, out with friends or even just a solo dram in the great outdoors.” On the move includes inflight.

I bought mine as a single can but a four-pack of Dram in a Can is also available and is meant to be enjoyed at a dinner party, on a camping trip, after a hike, golfing or skiing. The whiskey in the can is also available as a 700ml bottle, called Two Stacks Blended Whiskey.

Geek Bits:

40% dark grain - aged in Virgin oak casks.

40%  light grain - aged in bourbon casks

8% pot still - aged in Oloroso sherry casks

10% double malt - aged in Bourbon casks

2% peated malt - aged in Bourbon casks.

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Wicklow on the double!

In this press release, Powerscourt Distillery announce a special Distillery Select Release with casks from fellow county craft brewers The Wicklow Brewery.

Fercullen Single Grain finished in an Imperial Stout infused cask from The Wicklow Brewery

This special bottling of Fercullen Irish whiskey is the first of a ‘Distillery Select’ series hand- chosen by the team at the distillery and is exclusively available online from their website and in store at the Distillery shop.

• A 10-year-old single grain Irish whiskey which has finished for one and a half years in 2 barrels which previously held 12.12.20 Imperial Stout from The Wicklow Brewery in Redcross, Co. Wicklow.

• 49% ABV

• This Distillery exclusive release is limited to just 552 bottles and is priced at €95.00.

• Strictly 1 bottle per person

Nose :

Freshly whipped cream, latte coffee, sticky toffee pudding with a hint of Orange bitters.

Taste:

Mouth-coating oils and cream with forest fruits and a malty biscuit note as the stout influence becomes more apparent.

Finish:

Mouth-coating and sweet with warming fruity spice.

More info here.

A Delayed Irish Whiskey Double. Pearse Single Malt & Fercullen 10 Year Old Single Grain

A Delayed Irish Whiskey Double

Pearse Single Malt & Fercullen 10 Year Old Single Grain

Pearse Single Malt Irish Whiskey 46%abv €90.00

Back in 2019, I visited the beautiful Pearse Lyons distillery in Dublin’s Liberties. As you’ll see on the label, the distillery dedicates their spirits to the people and place that make it! They didn’t make that much of this one, just 4,000 bottles of which this one is #3377.

After a lovely informative tour, we got down to the pleasure of tasting a few as the afternoon sunlight spread through the gorgeous stained glass windows, each showing a scene from the process of making whiskey.

This Single Malt was our final tasting of the session. It was a new style of bottle for Pearse and was intended to be the type used from then on.

Cooper at work in Pearse window.

The standard within the bottle impressed and I thought it was exceptional and this latest tasting leaves that opinion unchanged. It is, as you may know, all their own malt, raised in first and second fill Bourbon casks. 

They say: “It is the first five-year age statement Irish whiskey to appear from a new distillery in the whole of Ireland in more than 25 years. Presented in 4,000 individually numbered bottles, this limited release 5-Year-Old Single Malt was produced on two small-batch copper pot stills, and aged in bourbon casks.”

It is sweet, oaky, peppery. Still young, yet full of promise, all very encouraging indeed. This was actually the bottle that I bought before I left! Only getting around to it three years later but still loving its fruit of the grain, still giving it a big thumbs up.

Fercullen 10 Year Old Single Grain Irish Whiskey, 40% abv, €57.50

Carefully selected from rare stocks of aged Irish Whiskey, the Fercullen 10-year-old Single Grain Irish Whiskey has been aged exclusively in American white oak (ex Bourbon barrels) for over a decade before being re-casked to mature in fresh bourbon barrels. 

Produced by Powerscourt Distillery, it comes in a lovely gold colour. Vanilla, honey and spice in the sweet aromas (all through really), rounded and not overly intense. Beautifully smooth and balanced on the palate, sweet, crisp grain with complex combinations of oak and fruit. While flavours of vanilla and orchard fruits lead the palate, there are subtle combinations all the way, nothing jars at all, no extremes, easy sipping (no need for water) to a long and lovely finale with a sweet vanilla oak touch.

I tasted this first three years ago with the then Powerscourt master distiller Noel Sweeney. We actually started with it. Noel was not at all surprised at its success, “a star performer”, and he thinks that this particular category is generally “under-rated”. Again, I bought this bottle on that visit and only got around to it now.

Ready for 2019 tasting in Powerscourt

The Fercullen 10 year old is based on old stock made by Sweeney while at Cooley, where he began his 30 plus year whiskey career and stayed on after founder John Teeling sold to Beam in 2011.

Noel is a globally recognised expert who has been credited for the release of many international award-winning whiskeys and was inducted into Whisky Magazine’s celebrated ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2017.

Availability:

Celtic Whiskey still have some of the Pearse at €90.00.

And they have the Fercullen listed at €57.50

Method & Madness Unveil Exclusive Whiskey Trilogy Inspired By Japan

press release

Method & Madness Unveil Exclusive Whiskey Trilogy Inspired By Japan

Irish Distillers, maker of some of the world’s best-known and most successful Irish whiskeys, has unveiled an exclusive collection of Single Pot Still whiskeys, each finished in rare Japanese casks as the Masters and Apprentices behind METHOD AND MADNESS continue to combine tradition with innovation for a world class taste experience.

The limited-edition series features three showstopping Single Pot Still whiskeys including a 33-Year-Old finished in Japanese Mizunara oak for three years, and two other perfectly balanced expressions, finished respectively, in Japanese Chestnut and Japanese Cedarwood casks for over 13 months.

Sitting at the head of the collection, the 33-Year-Old Mizunara is the oldest Irish whiskey to be finished in the sought-after Japanese oak sourced from the Hokkaido region in Northern Japan, where the temperate rainforest creates the ideal growing conditions for the oak used for barrel production. The relatively high wood density and medium charring of the cask impart elevated flavours of nutmeg and vanilla to the single pot still distillate originally laid down for maturation in ex-bourbon barrels in 1988. The whiskey was then refilled into this exceptional Mizunara cask for a further three years, resulting in a perfect harmony of spicy pot still and perfumed oak.  Bottled at 52.8% ABV, just 252 bottles of METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Japanese Mizunara Oak Cask will be available globally at an RRP of €3,000 (700ml).

While the Mizunara Cask represents the generations of tradition and craftsmanship in which whiskey making and Japanese culture are steeped, the two younger expressions highlight the innovation and experimentation for which the distillery is renowned. Each of the single pot still distillates were first matured in bourbon and sherry barrels before a finishing period in Japanese Cedarwood Casks (ABV 48%) – a world first for the Irish whiskey category – and Japanese Chestnut Casks (ABV 48%), marking a new first for the industry.

Stunning packaging, designed by Swedish-Irish design team M&E, brings the influence of the different wood finishes to life on pack with a traditional black and gold label for the Mizunara and brightly coloured designs, inspired by the neon lights of Tokyo, for the Cedarwood and Chestnut releases. Elevating the trademark METHOD AND MADNESS marbling, the labels feature traditional Suminagashi designs – a Japanese marbling method dating back to the 12th Century. Each of the three expressions is also adorned with a unique kanji, or character, from traditional Japanese calligraphy describing the wood type and age of the liquids.

The Japanese Cedarwood expression is characterised by notes of eucalyptus and fresh botanicals, imparted by the exquisite cedar barrels traditionally favoured for Sake maturation.  The cedar logs are sourced from the Kyushu region in southern Japan, where the warm wet conditions create a particularly fragrant and porous wood giving the whiskey its unique flavour profile of herbal tea, caraway seeds and clove spice alongside a delicate fruit finish.

Equally magnificent, the Japanese chestnut wood also hails from southern Japan, where the rocky terrain and abundant rainfall make for a relatively low wood density imparting notes of liquorice and lingering spice with flavours of orange zest and cooling menthol.  METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Japanese Cedarwood Casks and METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Japanese Chestnut Casks will be available in extremely limited quantities at the RRP of €95 (700ml).

Sprung from the minds of Masters and Apprentices, METHOD AND MADNESS is a whiskey that pays heed to tradition while exploring the unordinary. As the team’s continued quest for the uncommon cask led them, this time, to Japan, they connected with the esteemed Ariake Sangyo cooperage in Miyazaki. Working alongside these expert coopers, the team was able to procure a selection of rare and precious casks and ship them back to the Micro Distillery at Midleton, Co. Cork, for the final finishing phases of these three exceptional whiskeys.

Eva O'Doherty, Distiller at the Micro Distillery, comments: “Bringing these exceptional whiskeys to life has been a joyous journey of discovery, whilst working with each of the new wood types has continued to test and challenge our whiskey making skills.  Whilst we were confident we could apply tried and tested maturation methods for the Mizunara Oak Cask, the porosity of the Cedar and Chestnut wood – or Sugi and Kuri in Japanese – presented new challenges which required close observation to achieve the perfect balance of contribution.  It’s an honour to share this first-of-its-kind collection as we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in Irish whiskey making.”

Finbarr Curran, Wood Planning and Maturation Team Lead, adds: “This truly exceptional trilogy represents not only our ambition and far-reaching partnerships with some of the world’s best cooperages, but three individual triumphs in skill and innovation – the ethos which continues to drive the METHOD AND MANDESS collection. It’s with great pride that we share this with the world.”

METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Japanese Mizunara Oak Cask is available now from specialist retailers in Ireland, France, UK, USA and global travel retail. METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Japanese Cedarwood Casks and METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Japanese Chestnut Casks will follow in late March. The whiskeys will be available exclusively via the Whisky Exchange in the UK and distributed by Castle Brands in the USA from September 2022.

 

Whiskey Chats 2nd Birthday Bash. Gonna Be A Big One!

Whiskey Chats 2nd Birthday Bash. Gonna Be A Big One!

The Liberator Continues Making Strides at Lakeview. Three Whiskeys To Look Out For. Two Now, One In March.

The Liberator Continues Making Strides at Lakeview.

Three Whiskeys To Look Out For. Two Now, One In March.

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The Liberator Storehouse Special Port ’n’ Peat Batch 2, 46%

Founder of Wayward Irish Spirits Maurice O’Connell, buoyed by the success of Batch 1, introduces this special: “Our Storehouse Specials are small runs of interesting Whiskeys from our Bonded Storehouse – we like to keep the Whiskey community in touch with our progress and also use it to test release potential new products. After the fantastic reaction to the Port ’n’ Peat at Belfast Whiskey Week we released 200 bottles of Batch 1 which sold out very quickly, so we’re doing a further small test release before deciding whether to add it to our core range.”

The colour is natural, amber and also a streak or two of red. Aromas are smooth, fruit (banana) and a hint of peat. And that peat is also gently, but importantly, evident on the creamy and fruity palate and also in the long dry finish. A whiskey for your short list!

Maurice explains “We’ve been playing with the wonderful effect a small element of Peated Malt has on our Port finished Whiskey. Too much or too little risks one overpowering the other but we found that around 5% Peated Malt was the sweet spot where the Peat highlights the Port, making a very moreish and approachable Whiskey”. They took their time in Killarney and came out with a very delicious result indeed.

I’m not the biggest peat lover myself so this is an unexpected bonus (a few drops of water, very few, makes it even better) for me and I’m glad Maurice and team took time over this!  Attention to detail is key here as you can read below.

The details: “This is a premium blended Whiskey with a high (45%) Malt content. The unpeated Malt was finished in really fresh Tawny and Ruby Port Casks and half of the Grain component was finished in fresh Ruby Port casks, all for 9-12 months. The Whiskeys in this blend were sourced from Cooley and Great Northern. As with all our Whiskeys, we cut it gently cut over many weeks to avoid stressing it, borrowing from Cognac tradition. The colour is natural, it’s not chill filtered or otherwise messed with. As everything other than distillation - from maturation to finishing, blending and bottling - can be done on site, we can take the time to do things properly”. 

* 400 numbered half (350ml) bottles (200 for the Irish market). Bottled at 46% ABV, RSP €35. Available now from Irish Malts, Celtic Whiskey, James Fox, Tiny Tipples and Carryout Killarney.

Wayward Spirts The Liberator Malt in Tawny Port Finish

 – Batch 3, 46% abv

An intense warm gold colour, with hints of red, announces this Liberator Malt with its tawny port finish. The fruity aromas hint at something warm and rich, and smooth, to come. And even if the intro to the palate is just a tad sharper than expected, you won’t be disappointed. Beautiful fruit notes (fig prominent) here “from the really fresh Port barrels” on the way to a lingering and satisfying finish, warm and moreish.

Maurice O’Connell, the man behind Wayward, says this is Ireland’s first vatted Malt in decades and led the wave of Tawny Port finishes, showing the innovation that Whiskey Bonders like Wayward Irish Spirits can bring to the category. Maurice has already received a boost with the news that this malt made it to the finals of Blas na hÉireann Food Awards 2021.

Similar to Batch 2, the components are 2006 Cooley Single Malt (increased to 25% in this Batch) and 2015/2016 Great Northern Single Malt. One thousand numbered bottles (450 for the Irish market) at 46% ABV with a RSP of €65. Available at specialist Whiskey shops: Celtic, James Fox, Irish Malts, Tiny Tipples, Carryout Killarney and in Supervalu’s throughout Kerry. 

Lakeview Single Estate “Hilly Field” Whiskey 46% 

Wayward Irish Spirits is getting closer to the release of the first Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey from their 2018 Hilly Field barley harvest. This was small-batch malted in Naas and then distilled (by Great Northern Distillery) into Pot Still spirit to their 50/50 mash bill and specification in March 2019. Initially in Bourbon casks for 3 months before transferring into NEOC casks (First Growth chateau Bordeaux casks, hand shaved and re-toasted).

“This is our first Whiskey from barley grown on the Lakeview Estate and matured here. The Hilly Field, where the Whiskey was born, is adjacent to our Bonded Storehouse ‘The House of Contentment’ and I think people value that provenance and authenticity. There are many views on the effect of Terroir on the barley used to make Whiskey but there’s no doubt that the Estate’s constantly changing microclimate exerts a definite influence on maturation here.”

Micro-climate? The lake and mountain setting gives the estate a special microclimate: the famously changeable weather provides lots of variation in barometric pressure, even on an hourly basis - that contributes to cask maturation which depends on these changes. Sometimes, you can feel the pressure if you put a hand on top of a cask. Perhaps the angels are impatient for their share.

A small release of 800 bottles is planned to mark its ‘coming of age’ in March 2022. Pre-orders are being taken now based on a price of €95 for a 700ml bottle at 46% ABV. A small number of quarter casks (55-60L) with the same 2019 spirit are available at €5,000 +vat including 3 years further storage and bottling, representing around €50/bottle before vat and duty.

Got to try out “a work in progress” sample recently. There’s a decent bit of colour here at this stage and aroma intensity is also building. Very promising on the palate too and Maurice says that, “even at 2.5 years, .. it is impressing tasters with a maturity beyond its years and it’s already very drinkable”. Young for sure but also full of potential with the balance between the wood and the distillate emerging.

The Liberator Introduces Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey "Hilly Field"

press release

The Liberator and Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey

Release of The Liberator Storehouse Special Port ’n’ Peat.

Release of Batch 3 of The Liberator Malt in Tawny Port Finish.

Introducing the Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey ‘Hilly Field’.

Maurice, at home

The Liberator Storehouse Special Port ’n’ Peat

Wayward Irish Spirits is pleased to release Batch 2 of their latest Liberator Storehouse Special, the Port ’n’ Peat. A delicious Port finished Whiskey with a very subtle Peated Malt element. 

Founder of Wayward Irish Spirits, Maurice O’Connell says “Our Storehouse Specials are small runs of interesting Whiskeys from our Bonded Storehouse – we like to keep the Whiskey community in touch with our progress and also use it to test release potential new products. After the fantastic reaction to the Port ’n’ Peat at Belfast Whiskey Week we released 200 bottles of Batch 1 which sold out very quickly, so we’re doing a further small test release before deciding whether to add it to our core range”. 

Maurice explains “We’ve been playing with the wonderful effect a small element of Peated Malt has on our Port finished Whiskey. Too much or too little risks one overpowering the other but we found that around 5% Peated Malt was the sweet spot where the Peat highlights the Port, making a very moreish and approachable Whiskey”. 

Maurice continues “This is a premium blended Whiskey with a high (45%) Malt content. The unpeated Malt was finished in really fresh Tawny and Ruby Port Casks and half of the Grain component was finished in fresh Ruby Port casks, all for 9-12 months. The Whiskeys in this blend were sourced from Cooley and Great Northern. As with all our Whiskeys, we cut it gently cut over many weeks to avoid stressing it, borrowing from Cognac tradition. The colour is natural, it’s not chill filtered or otherwise messed with. As everything other than distillation - from maturation to finishing, blending and bottling - can be done on site, we can take the time to do things properly. 

400 numbered half (350ml) bottles (200 for the Irish market). Bottled at 46% ABV, RSP €35. Available now from Irish Malts, Celtic Whiskey, James Fox, Tiny Tipples and Carryout Killarney.

The Liberator Malt in Tawny Port Finish – Batch 3 

Hot on the heels of it making it into the Finals of the Blas na hÉireann Food Awards (medallists to be announced 2^nd October), we are proud to announce the latest release of The Liberator Malt in Tawny Port Finish. This is a premium rich and complex Whiskey with lots of fruit notes from the really fresh Tawny Port barrels. This is Ireland’s first vatted Malt in decades and led the wave of Tawny Port finishes, showing the innovation that Whiskey Bonders like Wayward Irish Spirits can bring to the category. Similar to Batch 2, the components are 2006 Cooley Single Malt (increased to 25% in this Batch) and 2015/2016 Great Northern Single Malt.

1,000 numbered bottles (450 for the Irish market) at 46% ABV with a RSP of €65. Available at specialist Whiskey shops (Celtic, James Fox, Irish Malts, Tiny Tipples, Carryout Killarney) and in Supervalu’s throughout Kerry. 

Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey

The hilly field is in the background

Wayward Irish Spirits is getting closer to the release of the first Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey from their 2018 Hilly Field barley harvest. This was small-batch malted in Naas and then distilled (by Great Northern Distillery) into Pot Still spirit to their 50/50 mash bill and specification in March 2019. Initially in Bourbon casks for 3 months before transferring into NEOC casks (First Growth chateau Bordeaux casks, hand shaved and re-toasted).

Maurice says “This is our first Whiskey from Barley grown on the Lakeview Estate and matured here. The Hilly Field, where the Whiskey was born, is adjacent to our Bonded Storehouse ‘The House of Contentment’ and I think people value that provenance and authenticity. There are many views on the effect of Terroir on the barley used to make Whiskey but there’s no doubt that the Estate’s constantly changing microclimate exerts a definite influence on maturation here. Even at 2.5 years, the Whiskey is impressing tasters with a maturity beyond its years and it’s already very drinkable.”

A small release of 800 bottles is planned to mark its ‘coming of age’ in March 2022. Pre-orders are being taken now based on a price of €95 for a 700ml bottle at 46% ABV. A small number of quarter casks (55-60L) with the same 2019 spirit are available at €5,000 +vat including 3 years further storage and bottling, representing around €50/bottle before vat and duty.

The lake view