Celebrating the best of Irish whiskey

Once again, Dunville’s 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Whiskey was named Ireland’s best whiskey at the Irish Whiskey Awards for the second consecutive year and third time overall. The Awards saw the cream of Ireland’s whiskey industry celebrate the sector’s most successful brands and distilleries. Drinks Industry Ireland takes a closer look at some of the superb winning brands

The 12th annual Irish Whiskey Awards took place at the Teeling Distillery in Dublin’s Liberties on 7 November, celebrating the very best of Irish whiskey and craft spirits in a night of camaraderie, recognition, and community spirit.
Hosted by Celtic Whiskey, the event brought together producers, enthusiasts, and whiskey societies from across the island of Ireland to
honour excellence across more than 20 award categories.
The 2025 ceremony coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Teeling Distillery, marking a decade of remarkable success for one of
Ireland’s most pioneering whiskey makers.
Event organiser Ally Alpine opened the evening by thanking Jack and Stephen Teeling for graciously hosting the ceremony once again:
“It’s wonderful to be back here a decade later, celebrating not just the incredible achievements of Irish whiskey producers, but also the Teeling family’s own ten years of innovation and success. The industry has faced challenges, particularly in the last 12 months, but what make this community special is our ability to support one another and continue to grow together.”
The Irish Whiskey Awards are unique in that all entries are blindtasted and non-profit, with results determined by tasting panels from whiskey clubs and societies across Ireland. Participating clubs this year included: 1875 Whiskey Club, Belfast Whiskey Club, Carlow Whiskey
Society, Cork Whiskey Society, Ennis Whiskey Club, Irish Whiskey Society Dublin, Kilkenny Whiskey Guild, Skerries Whiskey Society, Waterford Whiskey Society, and the newly added Gorey Whiskey Club.
Tastings were facilitated with the support of venues including Doyle’s Corner in Phibsboro and Bar 1661 in Dublin, and the coordination of the Celtic Whiskey team. Key sponsors of the event include the IBEC, the Irish Whiskey Association and Tuath Irish Whiskey Glass.
Each year, the awards also shine a spotlight on the charitable partnership with Mary’s Meals, which now feeds over 2.5 million children
worldwide. Funds raised through ticket sales and donations support Kapatamoyo School in Zambia, providing meals to more than 700
children annually. For a comprehensive list of all the winners, go to www.irishwhiskeyawards.ie.

Dunville’s Irish Whiskey, The Spirit of Belfast, has picked up the coveted Whiskey of the Year trophy at the Irish Whiskey Awards. Dunville’s 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Whiskey was named Ireland’s best whiskey for the second consecutive year, making it three overall wins in the past four years for The Spirit of Belfast, which also received the winner’s trophy in 2024 and 2022.
The overall award is one of nine wins for The Echlinville Distillery at Irish Whiskey’s most prestigious awards evening. The County Down family-owned distillery is home to the Dunville’s Irish Whiskey brand.
Jarlath Watson, head of Whiskey at The Echlinville Distillery said: “We are delighted and honoured for Dunville’s once again to have secured the title of Whiskey of the Year. “This is a huge accolade that further cements Dunville’s place among the world’s best whiskeys and our place as the home of exceptional sherry cask finishes. To have won for the third time in four years is a phenomenal achievement.
It’s testament to the hard work and commitment of the whole Echlinville team and the quality and consistency of our whiskey.
“The Irish Whiskey Awards are particularly special to us as they are completely blind tasted, non-profit and judged by members of whiskey clubs and societies the length and breadth of Ireland. It is a huge honour to receive this award from our colleagues within the Irish whiskey
family – it’s peer recognition and the highest level.”
Dunville’s 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Irish Whiskey is available to purchase from The Echlinville Distillery at echlinville.com and from all good whiskey retailers RRP £199.50

Depth, balance and character

According to Katie Gibson from the Celtic Whiskey Store they were incredibly proud to see Celtic Cask 57 recognised at the Irish Whiskey Awards. “The Celtic Cask series is a real team effort, built on careful cask selection and the strong relationships we’ve developed with our distillery partners. This release, finished in a Pedro Ximénez sherry cask after initial maturation in French virgin oak, beautifully showcases that journey, delivering a whiskey of depth, balance and exceptional character.”

Island provenance

Achill Island Distillers is a premium Irish spirits producer based on Ireland’s largest offshore island in County Mayo. Drawing inspiration
from its coastal climate, rugged landscape, and distilling heritage, the distillery produces Single Malt and Single Pot Still Irish whiskeys with a sense of place. The range includes a Peated Irish Whiskey awarded Best Peated Irish Whiskey at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2025, while the distillery’s Single Malts also achieved recognition at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the IWSC. The brand image is premium and Irish, reflecting a family-run business that combines contemporary design with island provenance. Production remains at the distillery’s core focus, and no spirit is released unless it meets internal standards. Reflecting the slower pace of island life, long fermentations are employed across seven fermenters, running up to seven days in winter and five days in summer to maximise flavour development. This approach has enabled the creation of a range of award-winning Single Malt Irish Whiskeys.
In 2025, the brand developed international markets and now exports to the USA, Australia, Ukraine,and Europe. Innovation continues with
the development of Achill Island Aged Rum, made from Caribbean molasses and distilled and matured on the island for over two years. In Ireland, the range is available nationally through SuperValu, premium whiskey retailers including Celtic Whiskey Shop, Corkscrew, and JJ Foxes, and online via Irish Malts and Celtic Whiskey Shop.
Achill Island Distillers combines provenance, quality, and presentation into a modern Irish whiskey brand built for international growth.

The best blended Irish Whiskey

Glens of Antrim Distillery is proud to celebrate a significant achievement at the Irish Whiskey Awards in November, where Lír Red Crest was awarded Best Blended Irish Whiskey (No Age Statement). This prestigious recognition places Red Crest among the standout Irish whiskeys in its category, highlighting the quality, balance, and character of the final expression.
Lír Red Crest is a carefully curated blended Irish whiskey, created through the thoughtful selection and expert blending of high-quality Irish whiskeys to achieve a distinctive and approachable profile. The result is a whiskey that delivers exceptional smoothness and depth, with inviting aromas of vanilla, honey, and soft oak. On the palate, Red Crest reveals layers of sweet caramel, gentle spice, and toasted wood, leading to a warm, well-rounded, and satisfying finish. By focusing on flavour rather than an age statement, Red Crest showcases the
importance of balance, consistency, and blending expertise.
Lír Red Crest sits in Glens of Antrim Distillery’s trio range of Irish Whiskey, which includes Green Crest and Black Crest, both of which have been well received for their individual character and quality. Together, Lír Irish whiskey is performing strongly within an increasingly competitive blended Irish whiskey category, demonstratinggrowing consumer appeal and trade confidence. Winning Best Blended Irish Whiskey (No Age Statement) is a strong endorsement from the Irish Whiskey Awards judging panel and reinforces Glens of Antrim Distillery’s commitment to bringing outstanding Irish whiskey to market. The success of Lír Red Crest marks an important milestone and highlights the distillery’s rising profile within the Irish whiskey industry.

The Renaissance of Irish Apple Brandy

Irish Apple Brandy is enjoying a quiet renaissance, and Orr Irish Apple Brandy is proudly at its forefront. Orr was delighted to receive a Gold Medal in this year’s Irish Whiskey Awards, further recognition of the rise in popularity of Irish Apple Brandy, an Irish spirit dating back to the 17th century. This gold medal is both a huge honour and a reflection of the time and care dedicated to producing Orr Irish Apple Brandy.
Brought to you by the awardwinning team behind Stonewell Cider and Nohoval Apple Wines, Orr Irish Apple Brandy is the latest expression of excellence from Daniel and Geraldine Emerson, a team long respected for their uncompromising approach to authenticity, integrity and provenance. Orr is a sophisticated celebration of Irish terroir, marrying a time-honoured technique with contemporary precision. This inaugural release of Orr is distilled from the finest cider produced in the Cork based cidery and matured in four casks – first fill Limousin Oak, Oloroso Sherry, Burgundy red wine and Virgin French oak. The result is an Irish Apple Brandy that is beautifully balanced, rich in character and crafted to be savoured. On the nose you will get elegant aromas of oak and warm toffee apple with a hint of spice. On the palate a rich Tarte Tatin leads to caramelised apple, hints of butter and subtle anise. The finish is long, warm and gently sweet, leaving a lingering impression and a desire to go back for more.
This Orr Apple Brandy is the first release from the Cork producers. With a limited selection of just under 50 casks currently aging in house, plans are already in motion for the next release.
Orr Apple Brandy is available in selected stores nationwide including Celtic Whiskey Shop. Visit www. orrbrandy.ie for further information.

Award-winning precision at Hinch Distillery

Hinch Distillery delivered an outstanding performance at the Irish Whiskey Awards (IWA) 2025, with the Warehouse 3 Distillery Exclusives driving much of the success, securing multiple Gold medals and the Overall Category Win. Available exclusively at the distillery, the Warehouse 3 range reflects Hinch Distillery’s focus on innovation, limited releases and premium visitor-led experiences. A significant share of the distillery’s accolades came from this series, with Gold in the New Irish Whiskey category awarded to the Warehouse 3 Exclusive Paez Morilla Sherry Cask (59.8%), while Gold for Irish Cask Strength went to the Warehouse 3 Exclusive Rioja Cask (57.4%),
both recognised for their structure, balance and depth.
The series reached its pinnacle with the Overall Winner – New Irish Whiskey, awarded to the Warehouse 3 Exclusive Virgin American Oak (60.6%), a bold and expressive release praised by judges for its intensity, clarity of flavour and confident use of oak.
Beyond the Warehouse 3 Exclusives, Hinch Distillery also secured Gold in the Blended Irish Whiskey (Age Statement) category for the Hinch 5 Year Old Double Wood (43%), underlining strength across both limited and core expressions. Further recognition came with Gold in the Irish Single Cask Whiskey (12 Years and Older) category for the Hinch 23 Year Old – Waterford Whiskey Society Exclusive, matured in a Ximénez- Spínola cask and bottled at 55.7%. Collectively, these accolades reinforce Hinch Distillery’s commitment to quality, innovation
and premium Irish whiskey production.

Shooting for the stars

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin with Italian Fig & Laurel sales rocket as brand strikes chord with global consumers. Consumers and trade can’t get enough of the new Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin with Italian Fig & Laurel. Just months after its launch last year, it was crowned Best Irish Gin 2025 at the Irish Whiskey Awards as the captivating new purple bottle went live in over 50 international markets, from the US to Germany, New Zealand to Nigeria, Poland to China.
In China the brand quickly went viral, becoming the number one trending gin on social media and instantly selling out due to unprecedented demand.
“There is something happening with Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Fig and Laurel in China … and everywhere I might add” says PJ
Rigney, the Curious Mind behind the innovative new edition, which he created in collaboration with Italy’s twice World Champion Mixologist, Bruno Vanzan Sales in Italy doubled last year for Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin as a result of the enormous popularity of the striking new bottle, with a ten per cent rise in total sales as it blazes a trail across the world. It can’t be missed across the Irish trade, catching the eye of millions at Dublin Airport Duty Free and major retail groups across the world snapping up the brand and it has already become
a firm guest favourite across Disney Cruise lines.
Every delicious drop of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin with Fig and Laurel has been distilled with fresh viola fig, Italian laurel leaves, and Tuscan juniper berries alongside the 12 original botanicals collected by PJ Rigney on his journey to create the now iconic Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin.
Distributed by Dalcassian Wines and Spirits, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin with Fig and Laurel is available nationwide. RRP €44.99.

Music to their ears

The Busker wins Gold Awards at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2025 The Busker has just taken home another Gold award from the Irish Whiskey Awards 2025. For a second year in a row, The Busker Triple Cask won Gold for the best Blended Irish Whiskey under €50.
With an ABV of 40%, The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth, has a combination 3 of the best whiskey styles that Ireland has to offer. Starting off with some rich tropical fruits and sweet vanilla notes as the taste buds begin to experience that beautiful malt, capping it all off with a superbly balanced mouth sweetness that begs for more.
The Triple Cask, is widely distributed in Ireland and nicely priced at €30, a great price for such a high quality spirit. Produced in The Royal Oak Distillery is a world class distilleryproducing hand crafted Irish Whiskey, proudly located on an 18th century estate in Ireland’s Ancient East region. The Royal Oak Distillery is the house of The Busker Irish Whiskey where they distil all three styles of Irish Whiskey which include pot still, malt and grain under one roof.
Carefully crafting an independent path to an authentic and highquality Irish whiskey, the Busker balances tradition with innovation and modern techniques. A major point of differentiation for The Busker Irish Whiskey takes place during the aging process where the blend, Triple Cask, Triple Smooth and Single Grain expressions mature in the rare and selected Cantine Florio Sicilian Marsala wine cask. The Busker Irish Whiskey is proudly distributed by Barry & Fitzwilliam.