Whiskey In The Jar

They have been making whiskey at Locke’s for a long time now. The distillery was established in 1757 – thus, Locke’s has the rare distinction of being both the oldest licensed distillery in the world and the newest distillery in Ireland.

Okay, we’d better explain that.
The original distillery, located in Kilbeggan, Co.Westmeath, closed in 1954, after nearly 200 years in business. However, a distillery licence is almost as cheap as chips, literally – currently it costs around a fiver – so although the distillery was no longer in operation, a group of Kilbeggan locals, determined to save this important part of the town’s heritage, paid its licence every year.
A distillery licence may be inexpensive but making whiskey is not. For a long time the distillery functioned solely as a museum, but in the late 1980s, Cooley Distillery bought the rights to Kilbeggan Whiskey – and with it the use of the old distillery warehouses. Because the locals who had paid the licence also saved and preserved almost all of the distillery’s original equipment, these were refurbished and put into operation again in 2007, to celebrate Locke’s 250th anniversary.
The refurbished equipment includes the original 19th century waterwheel and a steam engine, as well as a beautifully refurbished copper pot still, which is the oldest working still of its kind in the world.
The old copper pot still is manned by Liam, who graciously allowed me to taste the clear spirit coming through his pride and joy. At 75% alcohol, this is so strong it would take your head off, so I had a rather small sip. Even so the spirit had an unmistakeable taste of malted barley.
The distillery also boasts a working cooperage, where you can see the coopers at work repairing barrels. This is an ancient trade, one no longer widely practised today, not least because it takes a whole ten years before an apprentice is qualified.
John, the head cooper, handed me a piece of wood to smell and I was almost tempted to nick it and take it home. The wood smelt rich, dark and fruity, rather like a Christmas tea-brack. Whiskey is matured in used barrels, mostly bourbon barrels from the United States, but also sherry barrels for special blends, as these impart a different taste to the whiskey.
According to Kilbeggan’s master blender Noel, Irish whiskey is the best in the world – but then, we knew that already! Apparently there are three crucial reasons for this – the quality of the ingredients, tradition and, surprisingly, our (normally) much-lamented weather. Ireland’s relatively narrow temperature range is perfect for maturing whiskey, giving it its distinctive mellow taste; as you can imagine, the tasters are curious to see how the snowy weather will have affected their 2010 produce.
A tour of Kilbeggan is fascinating, but of course, the most important aspect of any distillery is the product itself, so the tasting part is crucial. Luckily for me I get three whiskeys to try.
Kilbeggan Whiskey has a lovely grainy finish, perfect for everyday drinking and is the fastest growing whiskey in Ireland. Tyrconnell is a smooth single malt with a slightly oaky finish. The real star is the Kilbeggan 18 year-old. This has replaced the Kilbeggan 15 year-old, which won numerous awards around the world, including ‘World’s Best Irish Blend’. This is a delicious whiskey, with a rich and complex taste.
Locke’s recently celebrated its millionth visitor, and the lucky American who achieved that distinction has a barrel maturing nicely inside the museum, as do British folk darlings Mumford & Sons, who visited not long ago.
Locke’s is a small distillery and cannot compete with larger commercial premises in terms of output, but it is wonderful to see and smell the whiskey being made the way it has been for hundreds of years. Since I can’t afford a barrel myself, I make do with a couple of bottles from the gift shop and some incredibly delicious Irish whiskey truffles too. All in all, I’m not complaining!