Ardara Distillery Unveils a Heavily Peated All-Grain Whiskey

Tuesday, 19 August 2025 at 07:02Sliabh Liagh Distillers

The Irish Ardara Distillery has unveiled a brand-new single malt whisky. The Ardara whiskey, heavy on the peat, will have two different versions, one of which likely makes a return annually.

FAQ

What is Ardara Single Malt?
A triple-distilled, heavily peated single malt (55 ppm), entirely 'all grain in' produced and matured in bourbon, virgin oak and sherry casks.

What makes Irish whiskey unique?
The whiskey is distilled in a traditional manner.

Where can I buy the whiskey?
Starting this month, the whiskey will be launched in Ireland and the United Kingdom, with global release later. A cask strength version is exclusively available in Ardara.

After a long hiatus, as of 2023, the Ardara Distillery returned Irish whiskey back to the Irish Donegal region. Now, it's time for a brand-new, smoke-filled release. Distillery owners Moira and James Doherty refer to it as a homecoming, evident in the whiskey's character.

What is Ardara single malt whisky?

The distillery doesn't merely produce a new whiskey—they work according to traditional methods. The spirit, distilled via the ‘all grain in’ method, ensures every part of the grain undergoes the wash still process for maximum character.

The Ardara single malt Irish whisky is distilled in pot stills, then matured in solera casks before being bottled. The result is a peaty whisky.

How does Ardara single malt whiskey taste?

The tasting notes for the new Irish whiskey from Donegal are as follows:

Nose: Sweet grains and biscuit, figs, coconut and raisins, with a hint of pipe tobacco and ash.

Palate: Warm doughnuts, stewed pears, toasted coconut and almond, leather notes and tobacco leaves. Hints of campfire smoke slowly roll over to the taste of lightly baked apple.

Finish: Long, soft, and smoky, like the lingering glow of a peat fire the morning after.

Double release

The Ardara whiskey comes in two versions: a 46 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), and a cask strength version.

Both editions have a limited release: only 10,000 bottles of the regular version are available, priced at 90 euros. Initially sold in Ireland and the UK, but later available worldwide through Sliabh Liag Distillers. It also appears to be an annual release.

The cask strength whiskey has a run of 2,000 bottles and is exclusively sold in Ardara.

With merely 10,000 bottles, this first release is limited, but Ardara makes it clear that it's just the beginning. Each future release will become richer and more complex, an evolution towards the authentic Donegal-whiskey signature.