Dingle Distillery

Dingle Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery established in 2012[4] and billing itself as an 'artisan' distillery.[5] The distillery is located in a converted sawmill in Milltown on the outskirts of Dingle,[4][6] in a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) in the southwest of Ireland. The first whiskeys distilled and matured at the distillery were released in late 2016.[7] In addition to whiskey, the distillery also produces and markets Dingle vodka and Dingle Gin.

Dingle Distillery

Location	Dingle
Owner	Porterhouse Group
Founded	2012
Founder	Oliver Hughes
Status	Operating
Water source	Onsite deep well [1]
No. of stills	3 large pot stills (whiskey) [1] & 1 small pot still (vodka/gin)
Website	http://www.dingledistillery.ie/
Dingle Whiskey (Single Malt)
Type	Single Malt
Cask type(s)	Bourbon Casks [2]
ABV	46.5% [2]
Dingle Whiskey (Single Pot Still)
Type	Single Pot Still
Cask type(s)	Pedro Ximenez Casks [3]
ABV	46.5% [3]
Dingle Distillery Vodka
ABV	40%
Dingle Original Gin
ABV	42.5%

In 2017, Dingle Distillery became the first independent Irish distillery to release a single pot still whiskey in several decades.[8]

To meet growing demand, the distillery has announced plans to double spirit production in 2018.[9]

Background

The Irish whiskey industry suffered a period of severe decline in the 20th century, which saw most of Ireland's distilleries close, and those remaining in operation amalgamating under the ownership of a single company, Irish Distillers, in the 1970s. However, since then, Ireland's whiskey industry has undergone a resurgence, in particular since 2010, with a diversification of both output and ownership.[10]

With the number of operating distilleries in the country having fallen to just two in the 1980s, Ireland now boasts sixteen operating distilleries, with many others planned. When it opened, the Dingle Distillery was Ireland's fifth, joining the New Midleton Distillery (where Jameson, Powers and Paddy are produced, among others), Bushmills, Cooley and Kilbeggan.

History

The initiative to start a distillery in Dingle was that of the now deceased Oliver Hughes, who was also a founder of the Porterhouse brewing and restaurant group.[10][4] The site, formerly the Fitzgerald sawmill, was converted for whiskey production in 2012, opening on 29 November.[6] The distillery was reported to have created 25 jobs, with more anticipated with the launch of a visitors' centre.[6] The new copper pot stills used at the distillery were designed by John McDougall.[4]

As a promotion to attract investors, Dingle Distillery offered the first five hundred special casks to investors "Founding Fathers", to be ready for bottling from November 2017.[10]

Products

Using pot stills the distillery produces two casks of whiskey per day in Dingle,[11] where the mildly cool climate is reportedly favourable for whiskey production.[6][10] Under Irish law, to be termed whiskey, a spirit is legally required to be matured for at least three years.[12] Therefore, Dingle Distillery only brought whiskey to market in late 2016.[7] The distillery also has a still for the production of gin and vodka.[4][10] As of 2017, 100,000 bottles per year of Dingle gin are being sold.[9]

The first batch of whiskey was released in late 2016, and consisted of two tripled distilled whiskeys, both of which were matured solely in bourbon casks:[2][13]

• Dingle Single Malt Whiskey, 46.5% (7,500 bottles)
• Dingle Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength, 60.7% (500 bottles)

The second batch, released in 2017, consisted of four different bottlings, three single malts and a single pot still whiskey:[3]

• Dingle Pot Still Whiskey, 46.5% (800 bottles) - Matured exclusively in Pedro Ximenez casks.
• Dingle Single Malt Whiskey, 46.5% (6,000 bottles) - Matured in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, as well as bourbon casks.
• Dingle Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength, 60.2% (500 bottles) - Matured in bourbon, Oloroso and Pedro Ximinez casks.
• Dingle Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength, 46.5% (700 bottles) - Matured in a marriage of port and bourbon casks.

References

1. "Whisky Intelligence: New on the Irish Whiskey Map "Dingle Distillery" Irish Whiskey News". 20 December 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
2. "Dingle Distillery launches two small batch whiskeys". thetaste.ie. The Taste. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
3. Murphy, Mark (27 October 2017). "Dingle Distillery's New Small Batch Releases". FFT.ie. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
4. "Liquid Irish: Dingle Distillery". 1 December 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
5. "Dingle Whiskey - Founding Fathers". Retrieved 4 August 2013.
6. "New whiskey distillery in Dingle to create 25 jobs". Business ETC at www.thejournal.ie. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
7. Murphy, Mark (1 December 2016). "Dingle releases first whiskey batces". fft.ie. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
8. Linnane, Bill (15 December 2017). "The 12 drinks of Christmas - Top tipples for the festive season". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
9. Carruthers, Nicola (9 November 2017). "Dingle Distillery to double spirits production". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
10. David Monaghan (21 April 2013). "What To Give The Man Who Has Everything? Why, A Cask Of Irish Whiskey To Be Collected In Five Years, Of Course". Forbes. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
11. McHugh, Robert (30 November 2016). "Dingle Whiskey introduced to the Market". businessworld.ie. Retrieved 28 December 2016 – via www.businessworld.ie.
12. "Technical file setting out the specifications with which Irish Whiskey / Uisce Beatha Eireannach / Irish Whisky must comply" (PDF). www.agriculture.gov.ie/. Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Marine. October 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
13. "Dingle Distillery". www.dingledistillery.ie/. Dingle Distillery. Retrieved 28 December 2016.