The Legendary Silkie Red Pomerol Finish 0.7 l

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

A Pomerol finish gives this limited edition of Red Silkie its distinctive wine-cask influence. For the finishing period, Sliabh Liag Distillers uses former Pomerol red wine casks from Château Clos L'Église in Bordeaux. The Irish blend brings together double- and triple-distilled malt whiskeys, including peated malts, with grain whiskey. It is bottled at 46% in bottles containing 0.7 litres, without chill filtration or added colouring.

Fruit, dark sweetness, floral accents and tannins meet a soft, full-bodied underlying character. Tobacco and spicy root notes accompany the fruit pastries, while the finish combines red berries with sweetness, salt and ash. Further fruit impressions recall plums, blackberries and green apple. Buttered popcorn, ginger and subtle peat smoke complete this range of flavours.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The intense, layered nose recalls tarte Tatin and candied orange peel. A hint of liquorice and a delicate violet note complement the sweet impressions.
• Palate: The whiskey feels soft and full-bodied on the palate. Raspberry coulis, dried orange and baked apple combine with pipe tobacco, buttered raisins and muscovado sugar. Refreshing saltiness, pronounced tannins, angelica root and woody spice notes add further dimensions.
• Finish: The full-bodied finish brings together sweet, salty and ashy impressions with red berries.

Distillery/Bottler:

Sliabh Liag Distillers is rooted in Donegal in north-western Ireland. James and Moira Doherty founded the company in 2014 after returning to the region where James’ parents came from. With Silkie, they draw on Donegal’s historical tradition of smoky whiskeys. The brand name evokes the mythical seal creatures of the local coast, which are said to be able to take human form.

Silkie began with selected Irish whiskeys purchased from other producers. The company’s work includes selecting and blending these whiskeys, refining them through different cask finishes and bottling them in Donegal. In blending, James Doherty particularly values the opportunity to bring together whiskeys from other distilleries to create a flavour profile of his own. The Pomerol finish adds to this approach in Red Silkie.

The company later built its own Ardara Distillery, which has been distilling since November 2021. There, the grain remains in the mash throughout fermentation and until distillation; a hammer mill and a cooking vessel replace the conventional mash tun. This method belongs to Ardara’s own production and is distinct from the creation of Silkie blends using purchased whiskeys.

Facts: