The Ardara Distillery in Ireland makes a comeback with groundbreaking Ardara Single Malt Whiskey
Ireland's The Ardara Distillery, home of Sliabh Liag Distillers, officially launched its Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey in August, marking a historic moment in the Irish whiskey revival. This whiskey aims to recreate the lost distilling traditions of the Donegal region and has already won a Gold medal in the Single Malt Super Premium category at the 2025 Irish Whiskey Masters.
The Ardara Single Malt is a bold and uncompromising product, breaking a century-long trend of uniformity in Irish whiskey. It uses malted barley with a peat phenol level of 55 ppm and undergoes triple distillation using the rare all grain-in process, meaning all parts of the grain are brought into the distillation process to extract the most intense flavors. It is then aged in virgin American bourbon barrels, giving it a pronounced sherry character. This style has not been seen for over a century.
This release is the culmination of the dream of founders James and Moira Doherty, who returned to their family's roots to establish The Ardara Distillery and revive the distilling traditions of Northwest Ireland. James emphasizes that their philosophy is not about following market trends but is derived from memory, land, and family—his grandfather was an illicit distiller in Donegal. This whiskey is a true product of Donegal terroir, a revival, not a nostalgia trip.
The Ardara Distillery is the only distillery on the island of Ireland dedicated to producing peated whiskey using this all grain-in method, combining specially selected yeast strains with uniquely designed copper pot stills to meticulously capture rich fruity, nutty, and smoky notes.
The packaging is also meaningful, featuring a 100% recycled sculpted bottle. The cap is marked with a unique symbol used for the pre-aging Solera system, and the label is adorned with metallic blue and copper accents, echoing the local dragonfly emblem which symbolizes transformation and rebirth.
Only 10,000 bottles of the inaugural 2025 edition will be released globally, with 2,000 of those being cask strength. It will be available from August in select Irish and UK retailers, expanding to international markets in September. The distillery states this is just the first step in defining the Ardara style, with each future release adding deeper layers of depth and complexity.
2025-08-23
Source - https...www.whiskyintelligence.com.2025.08.the-ardara-distillery-launches-ardara-single-malt-irish-whiskey-irish-whiskey-news.