|
18th June 2010 |
The World’s
Oldest Distillery Launches a New Whiskey
 For
over 200 years, the Kilbeggan Distillery
produced some of the finest whiskey in
the world. In 1957 the stills ran dry
but 50 years later Cooley Distillery,
the multi-award winning independent
whiskey distiller, breathed new life
into the world’s oldest distillery and
today, the first new whiskey to be
distilled at Kilbeggan in over 53 years
was officially unveiled at an intimate
gathering at the Kilbeggan Distillery in
Co. Westmeath.
The Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve Malt,
the latest addition to the Kilbeggan
family of fine whiskeys, is produced
from the oldest pot still in the world
which dates back to 1830. The Kilbeggan
Distillery itself was established in
1757 and is the oldest distillery in the
world.
Fittingly the local heritage group was
in attendance to witness the launch of
the new whiskey as they played a key
role in ensuring the survival of the
distillery during the years it lay
dormant. Also in attendance were
distillery employees, without whom the
world’s oldest still could not have been
brought back to life. All gathered at
this momentous event received a signed
bottle of the first batch.
The whiskey world has waited in
anticipation for half a century for the
first new bottling from the historic
Kilbeggan distillery. Distilled from
100% malted barley, the Kilbeggan
Distillery Reserve, due to the
distinctive narrow necks of the ancient
pot still design, is an exceptionally
smooth and flavoursome Irish Malt
whiskey of distinctive character.
John Teeling, Chairman of Cooley
Distillery commented at the launch,
“This is another significant landmark in
the rejuvenation of the great Kilbeggan
distilling tradition. A huge amount of
hard work by Cooley employees and the
local heritage committee has gone into
getting us to this day. It is a labour
of love to re-establish the Kilbeggan
Distillery as a centre of distilling
excellence. Heritage and tradition are
vital elements in whiskey. Great
whiskeys come from great distilleries.
Today’s whiskey, though young, has a
distinct character both smooth and
flavoursome; a character that will only
improve with age. And why wouldn’t it,
being distilled by the world’s best
distillers, in the oldest working pot
still in the world and matured in 200
year old granite warehouses.”
Today’s launch also marked the unveiling
of the recently rebranded Kilbeggan
Irish Whiskey. Currently sold in over 35
international markets, the Kilbeggan
brand is Cooley Distillery’s flagship
Blended whiskey. The rebrand project
involved creating an over-arching
identity for the Kilbeggan Irish whiskey
brand and the Kilbeggan Distillery. This
highlights both the unique provenance as
the oldest distillery in the world and
the high quality of the whiskey. The
Kilbeggan 15 Year Old Irish whiskey was
honoured recently as the Best Whiskey in
the World at the 2009 International Wine
& Spirits Competition in London.
Jack Teeling, Managing Director of
Cooley Distillery said, "We are
delighted to be able to accompany the
release of the first new whiskey from
the Kilbeggan Distillery with the
unveiling of the rebranded Kilbeggan
Irish whiskey range. The new packaging
pays homage to the rich heritage and
quality of the Kilbeggan brand while
also maintaining a contemporary look and
feel. We look forward to seeing the
trade’s and consumer’s reaction to the
new look Kilbeggan Irish whiskey."
The rebranded Kilbeggan is being rolled
out in Germany and the US with all other
markets following suit over the next few
months. This will be followed by the
release of a range of brand extensions
including a Super Premium Kilbeggan 18
Year Old.
|
Where To Buy Kilbeggan Whiskey Online
|
|
Select a country for a list
of specialist Whisky shops who delivers
to you:
|
Whisky Focus
<<<Back to
Whisky Focus for more Whisky News
|
Top Of Page |
|
|
Online Whisky Shops |
|
|
|
New Whiskies |
| Check out the latest
new whisky releases. |
 |
| Worldwide delivery
available.
More Info |
|
|
|
Whisky Newsletter |
 Keep up to date with
the latest whisky news and special
offers
More Info |
|
