The popular WhistlePig rye whiskey brand recently joined forces with Darryl McNally and Limavady Irish Whiskey to help fulfill McNally’s dream of creating the world’s first single barrel Irish whiskey.
The addition of Limavady, alongside WhistlePig’s collection of rye whiskeys, marks what is said to be the company’s growth from American whiskey to a global craft portfolio.
WhistlePig will manage bottling and distribution of the whiskey under McNally’s direction, helping Limavady establish the single barrel Irish category, similar to how WhistlePig is said to have done with aged and experimental rye. McNally will directly manage the production and innovation and will bring the Limavady story and spirit to life.
“We originally met Darryl at an industry event and then stayed in touch over the years,” said Jeff Kozak, WhistlePig CEO, in a prepared statement. “When we understood his desire to reimagine the category and learned of his plans to revive Limavady Whiskey, we jumped at the opportunity to partner with him.”
He said they visited Limavady in Northern Ireland and experienced the historic distillery grounds. “While the brand draws its inspiration from the past, we are looking to the future of Limavady as Darryl takes Irish whiskey to the next level.”
Both WhistlePig and Limavady are craft whiskeys that are said by the respective brands to push the boundaries of what their specific categories are defined by. WhistlePig worked with rye in maturation and farm-to-bottle distilling, while Limavady will look to pioneer single barrel single malt, distinctive Irish whiskey.
Kozak said he and the WhistlePig team believe Irish whiskey is a category that needs to stretch and break through stereotypes established by industry giants. He said Irish single malt, and single barrel as well, deserves the same recognition as both single malt scotch and craft American whiskey.
“I’ve been working in the Irish whiskey industry for a long time and reclaiming the Limavady whiskey name has been a long-held dream of mine,” said Darryl McNally, Limavady’s master distiller. “So finally bringing it to market is already a huge leap for me but teaming up with a visionary company like WhistlePig to do so makes it even more exciting.”
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Limavady is described as being one of Ireland’s oldest whiskey labels, dating back to 1750. McNally is a descendant of the Limavady Distillery’s 18th century operators and is leading its revival.
Limavady is set to begin selling in select markets throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland as soon as this month. In the United States, Limavady will be distributed through WhistlePig’s existing distribution partners, which include Republic National Distributing Company, BreakThru Beverages and Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, with a suggested retail price of $49.99 per 700ml bottle.
For more info, check out www.limavady.com or @limavadyirishwhiskey on Instagram.
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