The New Guard BY SEAN KINCAID
Over the past 4 editions of the Whisky Explorer, Sean has written about its history, the makers, process and distinctive flavour profiles. He finishes this great series with a look at the future of Irish Whiskey.
An amazing thing is happening in the whiskey world due in part to the reinvigoration of the Irish industry and that is the whiskeys are receiving world class recognition. The new guard is picking up awards and recognition where very few have in the not so distant past. • Killowen Distillery - named in the top 50 most Admired Whisky brands in the world released by Drinks International. Not only is it one of the smallest Irish distilleries but far the smallest in that top 50 and one of only 2 Irish brands to make the list. • Dunville’s picked up 2024 Best Irish Single Malt award and is perennially recognized for their top quality releases. • Connacht Distillery took home a handful of awards in 2023 with Top Poitin, Top Cask Strength whiskey and the top spot overall Irish whiskey of the year. • Clonakilty Distillery also picked up a trifecta in 2023 winning Best New Make, Best single malt 12 years and under and Best Single Cask Single Malt 21 years and older. And if that list is not impressive enough, in the most recent Irish Whiskey Awards, the New Guard picked up almost the entirety of the awards presented which shows just how great the whiskey is that is being made in Ireland right now. I hope you have enjoyed this deep dive into the Irish Whiskey Industry. From the storied past, to the near complete extinction and now through the revival, Irish Whiskey is rightfully on its way back to the top of the World Whiskey stage.
In this final installment of the Deep Dive into Irish Whiskey we are looking at the present state of the Irish Whiskey industry, while tipping our caps to the past and also a hopeful twinkle in the eye towards the future. There is no doubt that Irish Whiskey is well into its Renaissance era with a renewed sense of place and purpose, seeing the number of active Whiskey distilleries jump from 5 a decade ago to 50 now (as of September 2024). This Whiskey Renaissance truly began in the late 80’s when John Teeling started up the Cooley distillery in County Louth which at the time became only the third active distillery and only independent distillery in all of Ireland. A fourth distillery was opened in the southern part of Ireland when West Cork Distillers began in 2003 but it wasn’t until the early 2010’s that the rejuvenation truly began to launch. Specifically - 2012 saw the first craft distillery open when Dingle Distillery was founded. Many point to this as being the catalyst that truly broke the levees and allowed for the massive expansion we see today. Within a couple years, Glendalough, Echlinville and Teeling Distilleries were all founded as well as Beam Suntory purchasing Cooley (as well as the re-commissioned Kilbeggan Distillery) and John Teeling using the proceeds to start up Great Northern Distillery in the town of Dundalk. One category found in Irish Whiskey that has seen a return from complete extinction is that of the Irish Whiskey Bonder. Historically Bonders were found in each town, usually the merchants, publicans or hoteliers, that would use their own casks, have them filled from any distillery that could, and then mature and blend them for their own unique brands.
This practice completely disappeared when the industry collapsed early in the 20th century, but it has been reborn and with great success. I can not possibly name all the brands that are bringing back the Bonding practices but some of the more widely available brands are JJ Corry, Hyde, Two Stacks and W.D. O’Connell. These and others are releasing all styles of Irish Whiskey with blending, re-barrelling, and flavourful whiskey all at the forefront of their purpose.
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the whisky explorer magazine
the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2024
FALL 2024
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