West Cork Distillers
The West Cork Distillery is located, as the name suggests, in the west of Cork in Ireland. In 2003, the distillery was established by three childhood friends without the prospect of much success. But the distillery turned out better than expected: today, more than 100 people, most of them from Cork, work there to produce and market Whiskeys, Gins and Vodka.
| Information about the Distillery | |
|---|---|
| Ireland | |
| -9.268599 51.557861 | |
| Active | |
| 2003 | |
| 3,000,000 l | |
| http://www.westcorkdistillers.com/ |
| Average tasting notes Tasting notes |
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|---|---|---|
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Nosing
Sweet:
Fruit:
Sweet:
Vanilla:
Malt:
Zitrus:
Fruit:
Herbs:
Malt:
Spices:
Nuts:
Zitrus:
Oak:
Peat Smoke:
Herbs:
Apple:
Sherry:
Vanilla:
Oak:
Chocolate:
Peat Smoke:
Floral:
Honey:
Green Apple:
Nuts:
Spices:
Pear:
Floral:
Heather:
Caramel:
Herb:
Apple:
Heather:
Alcohol:
Berries:
Herb:
Lemon:
Almonds:
Berries:
Lemon:
Chocolate:
Wheat:
Nutmeg:
Pepper:
Peach:
Dried Fruit:
Peach:
Orange:
Barley:
Alcohol:
Orange:
Caramel:
Honey:
Pineapple:
Leather:
Leather:
Hay:
Grass:
Lime:
Lime:
Banana:
Dried Fruit:
Banana:
Pineapple:
Sherry:
Tropical Fruit:
Fig:
Nutmeg:
Cake:
Pepper:
Green Apple:
Grass:
Oil:
Oil:
Bonfire Smoke:
Clove:
Wheat:
Tropical Fruit:
Bonfire Smoke:
Dark Chocolate:
Almonds:
Barley:
Dark Chocolate:
Cherry:
Cinnamon:
Hay:
Mint:
Anis:
Clove:
Pear:
Raisin:
Rye:
Cherry:
Grape:
Hazelnut:
Tobacco:
Grape:
Tobacco:
Mint:
Cake:
Raisin:
Coconut:
Blackberry:
Cinnamon:
Melon:
Ham:
Medicinal Smoke:
Grapefruit:
Coffee:
Medicinal Smoke:
Blackberry:
Coconut:
Melon:
Coffee:
Plum:
Hazelnut:
Ham:
Rye:
Tasting
Sweet:
Fruit:
Sweet:
Spices:
Malt:
Vanilla:
Nuts:
Zitrus:
Herbs:
Malt:
Peat Smoke:
Oak:
Fruit:
Vanilla:
Spices:
Sherry:
Zitrus:
Herb:
Herbs:
Chocolate:
Nuts:
Oak:
Heather:
Oil:
Caramel:
Apple:
Peat Smoke:
Herb:
Green Apple:
Oil:
Almonds:
Heather:
Alcohol:
Caramel:
Pepper:
Alcohol:
Floral:
Dried Fruit:
Wheat:
Barley:
Chocolate:
Dark Chocolate:
Sherry:
Cinnamon:
Honey:
Lemon:
Pepper:
Dark Chocolate:
Almonds:
Cinnamon:
Chili:
Grapefruit:
Bonfire Smoke:
Floral:
Bonfire Smoke:
Wheat:
Clove:
Hazelnut:
Berries:
Barley:
Nutmeg:
Chili:
Clove:
Coffee:
Pear:
Hazelnut:
Orange:
Leather:
Berries:
Grape:
Nutmeg:
Apple:
Grass:
Tropical Fruit:
Ginger:
Lime:
Lemon Peel:
Lemon:
Leather:
Ginger:
Raisin:
Lime:
Honey:
Peach:
Maritime Notes:
Cake:
Cake:
Walnut:
Orange:
Blackberry:
Maritime Notes:
Walnut:
Tropical Fruit:
Peach:
Banana:
Date:
Mint:
Hay:
Grape:
Ham:
Date:
Coffee:
Plum:
Fig:
Pineapple:
Salt:
Green Apple:
Grapefruit:
Lemon Peel:
Grass:
Ham:
Dried Fruit:
Raisin:
Blackberry:
Salt:
Cherry:
Mint:
Tobacco:
Pear:
Plum:
Medicinal Smoke:
Cherry:
Banana:
Iodine:
Tobacco:
Seaweed:
Kiwi:
Rye:
Medicinal Smoke:
Strawberry:
Fig:
Rye:
Iodine:
Finish
Sweet:
Fruit:
Spices:
Oak:
Malt:
Herb:
Sweet:
Peat Smoke:
Herbs:
Herb:
Oak:
Malt:
Herbs:
Zitrus:
Nuts:
Spices:
Vanilla:
Heather:
Alcohol:
Pepper:
Chocolate:
Heather:
Fruit:
Sherry:
Peat Smoke:
Dark Chocolate:
Pepper:
Vanilla:
Apple:
Caramel:
Zitrus:
Chili:
Caramel:
Dark Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Alcohol:
Chili:
Sherry:
Coffee:
Green Apple:
Wheat:
Coffee:
Nuts:
Oil:
Oil:
Floral:
Almonds:
Honey:
Almonds:
Maritime Notes:
Barley:
Pear:
Dried Fruit:
Hay:
Berries:
Berries:
Dried Fruit:
Leather:
Fig:
Pear:
Honey:
Leather:
Hay:
Fig:
Wheat:
Tobacco:
Lime:
Floral:
Green Apple:
Tobacco:
Orange:
Seaweed:
Grapefruit:
Ginger:
Orange:
Salt:
Banana:
Grass:
Maritime Notes:
Bonfire Smoke:
Lemon:
Ginger:
Bonfire Smoke:
Apple:
Lime:
Banana:
Mint:
Peach:
Blackberry:
Walnut:
Barley:
Grass:
Grape:
Black Currant:
Salt:
Grape:
Hazelnut:
Grapefruit:
Cherry:
Hazelnut:
Blackberry:
Cinnamon:
Lemon Peel:
Seaweed:
Lemon:
Cherry:
Peach:
Black Currant:
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The Whiskey
Both Single Malts and Blended Whiskeys are available from West Cork. The bottlings are always given special cask maturations or finishes. The two Whiskeys Bog Oak Charred Cask and Peat Charred Cask are matured in casks that have been burnt with bog oak and peat smoke respectively. As part of a relaunch of the range in 2019, the producers dropped the use of colouring and chill-filtration for the Whiskeys. A range of Single Malts with different cask finishes appeared in the new design, including Sherry, Port, Rum, Calvados, Virgin Oak and even IPA and Stout finishes.
The Gin
For the West Cork Gin, there are three Gin stills at the Irish distillery. Three different varieties are produced in these stills, for instance the Garnish Island Gin. It is named after a small island in the west of Cork and also inspired by its flora: flowers such as hibiscus and roses as well as herbs such as rosemary and thyme grow in its Italian botanical gardens. These are used as botanicals in Garnish Island Gin and impart its floral aroma. The other variety is Two Trees Dry Gin, in which the West Cork Distillers rely more on classic Gin botanicals such as cassia, citrus peel, angelica root, orris root and coriander leaves. There is also a Pink Gin by Two Trees, which gets its pink colour and berry aroma from a raspberry infusion.
Production
West Cork distillery now produces an impressive four million litres of pure alcohol. Irish grain is used consistently, and great importance is attached to good cask management. With over 100 employees, Whiskey, next to Gin and Vodka, is distilled in eight pot stills and matured. There are seven warehouses on the distillery premises, in which up to 55,000 casks are stored. The focus is on special finishes, such as Calvados, IPA, Port, Rum, Sherry, Stout and Virgin Oak casks. The primary maturation takes place in Bourbon barrels, as usual. Five bottling lines operate 24 hours a day, six days a week, processing 2,000 bottles every hour.
History
West Cork Distillers was founded in 2003 by three childhood friends, John O'Connell and cousins Ger McCarthy and Denis McCarthy. They bought two small stills from a Swiss spirits producer and started making Whiskey in a back room of Denis' house. It wasn't until 2014 that they moved to their new distillery in Skibbereen. The small town is considered the capital of West Cork, its name meaning small boat harbour. County Cork is said to be the most important region for Beer, Whiskey and food production in the Republic of Ireland.
The Visitor Centre
Tours of the West Cork Distillery can be booked via email to info@westcorkdistillers.com.
West Cork Distillers
Marsh Road
Skibbereen
West Cork
Tel: +353 (0)28-22815
Email: info@westcorkdistillers.com
User Notes about the Distillery
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