An Ancient Art

Slane Irish Whiskey wasn’t the first whiskey to come to Slane. The fertile soil and pure water of the Boyne Valley attracted many budding whiskey craftsmen. But over time, this ancient art was all but lost. In 2015, the opening of our distillery brought with it a revival of Boyne Valley whiskey, where we blend these old traditions with modern innovation

Barley

Some of it’s sustainably grown on our very own estate, and some of its bought in, but it’s always 100% Irish.

Yeast

A corner-stone of the whiskey making process, they make the magic happen.

Water

Our natural water source, the ancient River Boyne, runs along the distillery and through the heart of our estate.

Production Process

Brewing

A key ingredient of our blend, some of our barley is bought in, and some is grown on our very own estate, but it's always Irish.

Fermentation

All of our whiskey washes are fermented in traditional wooden washbacks and fermented longer for a more complex flavour.

Distillation

Our malt and pot still whiskey are triple-distilled in handcrafted copper stills.

Maturation

After distillation, our whiskey is carefully casked into 3 selected barrels - virgin oak, seasoned Tennessee whiskey and Oloroso sherry, and allowed to mature.

Blending

Once the whiskey is matured, we expertly blend the three cask types together to get Slane Irish Whiskey. Which we then bottle for you to savour.

Three Unique Casks For A Uniquely Complex Spirit.

Each of our casks comes with its own character and adds to the complexity of our whiskey.

Triple Cask Blend

Virgin Cask

Medium char, heavy toast, contributes flavours of toasted oak, vanilla

Seasoned Cask

Tennessee whiskey barrels, contributes flavours of caramel, plum, banana, butterscotch

Sherry Cask

Oloroso sherry casks, contributes flavours of raisin and spice

What is Irish Whiskey?

Distilled since the 6th century, Irish Whiskey is one of the oldest – and most revered – spirits in the world. To be classified as Irish Whiskey, it must be distilled and matured on the Island of Ireland, and produced from a mash of that must contain malted cereals, but can also contain whole grains of other cereals. Within these boundaries, there are 4 distinct types of whiskey produced in Ireland

Types of Irish Whiskey

Irish Pot Still Whiskey

Irish Pot Still Whiskey is made from a mash of malted barley, unmalted barley and other unmalted cereals, along with water and yeast. It is distilled in pot stills that lead to the formation of a distinct flavour and aroma in the spirit. It is then matured for a minimum of three years in casks – included those previously used for other spirits such as sherry or bourbon. The character of these casks influences the flavour of the whiskey.

Irish Malt Whiskey

Irish Malt Whiskey is made from 100% malted barley, water and yeast. The process is the same as Irish Pot Still Whiskey, it is differentiated by only using malted barley.

Irish Grain Whiskey

Irish Grain Whiskey is made using malted barley and includes whole, unmalted cereals such as maize, wheat or barley. It is then distilled – often triple distilled – using column stills.

Irish Blended Whiskey

Irish Blended Whiskey is a blend of two or more of the different whiskey types listed above. A master blender will use their experience and knowledge – accumulated over many years of apprenticeship – to create a whiskey with the depth and flavour desired.