​Unique whiskey in Donaghadee with flavours from Italy’s ‘King of Wines’

The Barbados rum has been aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels and the Copeland rum aged in a mixture of French Pinot Noir wine and Quarter Bourbon casks.

Copeland Smugglers’ Reserve is inspired by the clandestine activities that took place along the Copeland Islands throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and gives honour to the contrabandists that brought tastes of new worlds to County Down’s shores.

Copeland blends Barbadian heavily flavoured pot-still rum with its distilled rum, and lets it mature peacefully in Donaghadee in American bourbon first-fill barrels and Pinot Noir barrels. It is then blended at a ratio of 90:10 bourbon to Pinot Noir, creating a superior, smooth rum bottled at 40% ABV.

With fulfilling notes of warm, sweet spices and gingerbread, perfectly paired with piquant flavours like banana bread, this luxurious Irish rum is a result of the clever marriage of Copeland light rum and a carefully selected rum from Barbados.

The Co. Down distillery is releasing its first 5-year-old single malt and pot-still whiskeys - 150,000 bottles produced at the distillery are currently maturing at the business’s cask warehouse.

Renowned for its commitment to innovation and craftmanship, the Copeland Distillery has unveiled its latest creation - a limited-edition Barolo cask-finished Irish whiskey, which combines the elegance of Italy’s most acclaimed red wine with the producer’s Merchants’ Quay Blended Irish Whiskey.

The distillery, which prioritises taste and innovation, has a growing reputation for quality having won a string of international awards for its gin, rum and more recently its Coffee Liqueur. Its pedigree in whiskey has become evident over the last four years, with over 400 casks, the equivalent of over 150,000 bottles, currently maturing in its own cask warehouse on the Ards Peninsula.

The limited-edition Barolo cask-finished Irish Whiskey is a significant step in its journey, as it looks ahead to the release of its malt and pot-still whiskeys in 2024.

Barolo, referred to as ‘The King of Wines’, is produced in Northern Italy using a grape variety called Nebbiolo. The distillery has sourced the finest Barolo casks and aged its Merchants’ Quay Blended Whiskey for exactly eight months to create a whiskey that has hints of spice, elderflower, candy apple sweetness, and lime citrus.

Founder of the Copeland Distillery, Gareth Irvine, says: “I’m immensely proud of the strides we have made in whiskey production, and this unique, limited-edition release is reflective of the artistry and innovation in our approach to whiskey-making.

It serves as a taste of what’s to come with 2024 set to be a milestone year for us.

Whiskey is an incredibly important category for any distillery on this island with Irish whiskey expected to exceed Scotch whiskey in the USA by 2030. Our single malt and pot-still whiskey portfolio will allow us to target the premium end of the whiskey market, grow our distribution footprint and unlock greater potential for reinvestment.”

The distillery sent its first shipment to the US in 2022 where interest for uniquely crafted spirits continues to grow, particularly with the Irish diaspora. Imported through MHW Ltd. in New York, the brand now has distribution partners in nine states including New York, Missouri, Arizona, Tennessee, Colorado, Georgia and more recently Florida. The distillery’s expanded whiskey portfolio supports its global export ambitions in key territories including Australia and the US, and emerging markets such as Africa.

Mark Prentice, Copeland commercial director, reflecting on recent global developments, says: “When it comes to whiskey production we retain the traditions of Irish distilling but also bring exciting innovation to create taste profiles that surprise and delight. This is the key reason for our success to date.

“The US is a complex market to crack, given the differing alcohol regulations in each state but we are now primed to deliver significant volumes in the gin, rum and whiskey categories year-on-year. Our success in the last 12 months has allowed us to bring on board new sales resource in the US to increase our capacity to grow in this market, and our unique portfolio of award-winning spirits authentically bring to life the stories of Donaghadee and the Copeland Islands which firmly sets us apart from the competition.”

Mark also added that recent changes in licensing laws have transformed the business’s ability to connect with local customers. He continues: “Whilst we have always experienced great support from local retailers, bars and restaurants, recent changes in legislation mean that we can sell direct to the public, both at our distillery and at local fairs.

Bottled at 46% ABV, the new Barolo cask whiskey is available direct from the distillery and selected independent off-licences. A select number of bars and restaurants across Northern Ireland are also listing the Barolo release on cocktail menus.