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
66 Bottles
Ireland
-9.268599 51.557861
Active
2003
3,000,000 l
http://www.westcorkdistillers.com/
Average tasting notes Tasting notes
Calculated from 566 Tasting Notes
i
Nosing
Sweet:
Fruit:
Malt:
Vanilla:
Zitrus:
Herbs:
Spices:
Nuts:
Oak:
Peat Smoke:
Apple:
Sherry:
Chocolate:
Honey:
Green Apple:
Floral:
Pear:
Heather:
Herb:
Caramel:
Berries:
Lemon:
Alcohol:
Almonds:
Wheat:
Orange:
Nutmeg:
Pepper:
Dried Fruit:
Peach:
Barley:
Pineapple:
Leather:
Hay:
Lime:
Grass:
Fig:
Bonfire Smoke:
Tropical Fruit:
Cake:
Banana:
Oil:
Dark Chocolate:
Clove:
Cherry:
Anis:
Mint:
Cinnamon:
Raisin:
Grape:
Rye:
Tobacco:
Hazelnut:
Coffee:
Maritime Notes:
Ham:
Plum:
Seaweed:
Melon:
Grapefruit:
Blackberry:
Medicinal Smoke:
Coconut:
Tasting
Sweet:
Fruit:
Spices:
Malt:
Nuts:
Vanilla:
Zitrus:
Herbs:
Peat Smoke:
Oak:
Sherry:
Herb:
Chocolate:
Oil:
Heather:
Apple:
Caramel:
Green Apple:
Floral:
Almonds:
Alcohol:
Pepper:
Wheat:
Dried Fruit:
Dark Chocolate:
Barley:
Honey:
Cinnamon:
Tropical Fruit:
Lemon:
Chili:
Bonfire Smoke:
Hazelnut:
Grapefruit:
Berries:
Clove:
Pear:
Orange:
Nutmeg:
Coffee:
Maritime Notes:
Grape:
Lime:
Leather:
Ginger:
Lemon Peel:
Grass:
Cake:
Raisin:
Walnut:
Peach:
Banana:
Mint:
Salt:
Date:
Blackberry:
Ham:
Pineapple:
Hay:
Fig:
Seaweed:
Plum:
Cherry:
Tobacco:
Kiwi:
Medicinal Smoke:
Iodine:
Rye:
Strawberry:
Finish
Sweet:
Fruit:
Spices:
Oak:
Malt:
Herb:
Peat Smoke:
Herbs:
Nuts:
Zitrus:
Heather:
Vanilla:
Sherry:
Pepper:
Alcohol:
Chocolate:
Dark Chocolate:
Apple:
Caramel:
Chili:
Coffee:
Green Apple:
Wheat:
Oil:
Floral:
Almonds:
Honey:
Maritime Notes:
Pear:
Barley:
Dried Fruit:
Fig:
Hay:
Leather:
Tropical Fruit:
Berries:
Tobacco:
Seaweed:
Lime:
Orange:
Salt:
Grapefruit:
Ginger:
Lemon:
Hazelnut:
Bonfire Smoke:
Mint:
Banana:
Grass:
Black Currant:
Grape:
Cinnamon:
Walnut:
Peach:
Cherry:
Blackberry:
Medicinal Smoke:
Lemon Peel:
Details about the Distillery

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@remove-this.westcorkdistillers.com.

Visitor information

West Cork Distillers
Marsh Road
Skibbereen
West Cork
Tel: +353 (0)28-22815
Email: info@remove-this.westcorkdistillers.com 

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