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Brown-Forman’s Slane Irish Whiskey Comes Ashore In US

Slane Irish Whiskey, a triple-cask finished Irish whiskey owned in part by Brown-Forman, begins appearing in American markets.
  • Nino Kilgore-Marchetti, founder of The Whiskey Wash, is an award-winning whiskey journalist, expert, and judge
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Slane Irish Whiskey, a brand owned by American spirits company Brown-Forman and the Conyngham family of Slane, Ireland, is an attempt by the former to enter into the burgeoning Irish whiskey market. The two partnered up back in 2015 to develop the product at a time when the Conynghams were looking to start their own distillery as an additional revenue source. Now their first product has come to market both overseas and here in the US.

As we explored when we visited Slane earlier this year on a media trip, this whiskey is not actually produced by the family at this point, but rather sourced from other undisclosed distilleries. That being said, the final product does follow a formula developed by the owners as they move towards their own in-house offering years from now. What you have here for now is a non-age statement expression that includes single malt and single grain whiskeys which have been brought together into three distinct cask types for additional maturation:

  • Heavily toasted, lightly charred virgin oak from Brown-Forman’s cooperages lends toasted oak, vanilla and chocolate notes
  • Seasoned oak that formerly held American whiskey imbues flavors of caramel, plum, butterscotch and banana
  • Oloroso Sherry casks from Spain impart notes of raisin, spice and tree nuts

All of these were blended together, packaged into a black bottle and let loose into the market as a 40% ABV whiskey priced around $30. You’ll find official tasting notes for it below and, as for where it is available, you can find it in limited markets in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific Northwest and the West Coast.

Slane Irish Whiskey

“Slane Irish Whiskey is a new way of approaching our country’s national spirit and we are delighted to bring it to the American market,” said Alex Conyngham, Co-Founder of Slane Irish Whiskey, in a prepared statement. “Our Triple Casked maturation process enhances the quality and complexity of the whiskey. We aim to create a lasting legacy for Brown-Forman and the Conyngham family and a worthy addition to the fast growing Irish whiskey category.”

Slane Irish Whiskey entices with a color evoking rich toffee. On the nose, complex fruit with drizzles of caramel, butterscotch and vanilla; brown spice and toasted oak. On the palate, it is spicy at first, but quickly sweetened with rich caramel, vanilla and butterscotch atop a deep layer of dried fruit, with a luxurious finish hinting at dried fruit and caramelized sugar. Slane Irish Whiskey can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or mixed in classic cocktails, given the spicy and woody complexity of the spirit.

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder of The Whiskey Wash, an award-winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y globally. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert, and judge, he has written extensively about the subject, been interviewed in various media outlets, and provided tasting input on many whiskeys at competitions.

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