Copeland Distillery Reveals Its First Whiskey of 2026 With a Surprising Maturation

by Francis Moses

Friday, 13 March 2026 at 09:45Irish Whiskey Magazine

Copeland Distillery reveiled its first whiskey of 2026. The new single malt whisky is named 26.1. It will be added to the collection of smaller bottles of Irish whiskey that the distillery is launching. And the best thing is: it already won a few awards.

The five-year-old single malt has already received recognitionas the Best Single Malt Irish Whiskey (11 Years and Under) at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2025.

A coastal single malt maturing in unusual casks

The whiskey is double-distilled and was then aged in a blend of ex-Pinot Noir and ex-Syrah (Shiraz) barriques. These casks also contained Copeland Overproof Rum, which gives the spirit an extra depth and a different character.

The entire distillation done in Northern Ireland in the Ards Peninsula. It was mashed, fermented, distilled, and matured in the distillery of Donaghadee where the coastal climate also contributes to its maturation. It is one of the smaller batches from the distillery, with only 860 bottles to be released.

Continued expansion for a young distillery

Its release is at a time when there are a few Irish distilleries that have decreased production. Nonetheless, Copeland has been keeping up with the tradition of distilling five days per week and growing its selection of small-batch whiskeys.

Founder Gareth Irvine explained that the release is a manifestation of the hands-on attitude of the distillery. In his observations, he observed that in 2019, when the team relocated to a former cinema to construct their distillery, whiskey was the focal point of the project.

The distillery has expanded rapidly since it was first filled in late 2019. They just have a new warehouse nearby that has approximately 1,000 casks in it that might yield over 300,000 bottles.

Creating demand for small-batch releases

In 2024, Copeland published its first five-year-old single malt. The distillery had already released a few limited bottlings by 2025, such as chocolate malt and pot still whiskeys. Most of them gave out sell-outs in hours.

Commercial director Mark Prentice added that such a demand indicates that the whiskey drinkers seek authenticity and a sense of provenance.

The distillery will launch a series of additional five-year-old releases in 2026, such as the first peated whiskey.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Aromas of fruit, barley, honey, and soft nuttiness.
Taste: Oily, spicy, and warm to the touch, woody, and brown sugar.
Finish: Long and dry, with lingering sweetness of the flowers.

Copeland 26.1 Single Malt is filled at 57.8% ABV.

Where to get a bottle of the Copeland 26.1 whiskey?

The Irish whiskey can be obtained at the distillery shop in Northern Ireland, at select few retailers, and at the Celtic Whiskey Shop in Dublin. The price per bottle of the whiskey is 125 pounds.