Malt in the air as master distiller unleashes secrets of the spirit
Samples of what looks like crystal clear water are offered. The taste and smell are remarkably similar to outlawed poitín but this product will be hitting the legitimate international spirits market in three years.
Wooden casks are already stacked high in Dingle Whiskey Distillery, claimed by its owners to be the first purpose-built distillery for new whiskey in Ireland in 200 years and the only Irish-owned Irish whiskey distillery in the world.
The distillery has just hosted a three-day whiskey summer school for those seeking insights into the age-old craft of making uisce beatha, or the water of life.
And, just in case people might be deluded into thinking that it’s possible in a few days to learn skills that have taken centuries to perfect, distillery boss Oliver Hughes made it clear the aim was to show people how whiskey is made — not how to make it themselves.
Master distiller and blender John McDougall led the school, with the 14 mature students hanging on to his every word.
He spoke authoritatively about having the barley just right, showed them vats of mash — the base product — how it is distilled and how the liquid becomes whiskey in three years.
The Scotsman, who is also a consultant to Dingle Whiskey Distillery, is based in Edinburgh and conducts such schools in various parts of the world. He has worked in several Scottish distilleries and even wrote a seminal book on the subject.
“There are lots of misconceptions about whiskey,” he said, clearly anxious to set the record straight.
“For starters, whiskey is not an old man’s drink. People of all ages are drinking it and it’s becoming more popular around the world.
“Women have also begun to drink whiskey but, like many other people, need to be educated about it. There’s a growing interest among people generally in gaining more knowledge about whiskey,” said Mr McDougall who has built up an international reputation during his 52 years, so far, in the industry.
The West Kerry distillery is based in a former corn mill, more recently a saw mill. It was started three years ago by Oliver Hughes, founder of Porterhouse Group, which has led the way in craft brewing of artisan beer in Ireland.
“The Dingle distillery is a natural progression because whiskey is distilled beer,” he said.
There’s a €2m investment in the distillery which has five people employed, with plans to have 30 on the payroll.
Investors are already parting with about €6,000 each for the first 500 barrels of limited edition single malt barrels, on which their names are clearly stamped. And that is a discount rate that could yield handsome returns, according to Mr Hughes.
Each barrel contains the equivalent of 300 bottles of whiskey.
“Sales of Irish whiskey are amongst the fastest increasing in world, at a rate of 10 to 12% annually.
“With a Dingle branding and a first-class product, early indications are giving us every reason to be confident of success,” Mr Hughes says.
Two qualified distillers, American Brian Taft and Sean Burke from Macroom, Co Cork, holder of a postgraduate qualification in brewing and distilling from the Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, are on the staff.
Joe Joyce, a retired Dingle Garda sergeant somewhat knowledgeable of another kind of spirits gleaned during his 38 years in uniform, was at the summer school.
“In a former incarnation, I would have some familiarity with the production of a certain illicit distillation, but this [Dingle] process shows the method by which a perfect product can be arrived as opposed to haphazard distillation of the other kind of spirits,” noted the Connemara man.
Mr McDougall, meanwhile, celebrated his 72nd birthday with a few “wee drams” while in Dingle.
Just back from India, he was suffering from a cold and was asked if whiskey provided a cure for the common cold, as many believe.
“I don’t know about that,” he replied, “but it won’t do you any harm.” And everyone drank to that.
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