Dingle

This new Craft Distillery was established in 2012. The first tripple distilled new make spirit ran on the November 29th, 2012. Master Distiller John McDougall from Scotland, who worked in production, as director or distillery manager at Scottish distilleries - Balvenie, Ladyburn, Springbank, Tormore  -was the principal consultant. John - the whisky legend - is the only man alive to have distilled all major styles of Scottish Whisky, Irish Whiskey and above all Plymouth Gin. The pot stills were designed by the experienced Scottish whisky expert and manufactured in Scotland by Forsyths of Rothes. „...the sprit is great and the whiskey will be liquid magic!“ so praises John.

More information on John McDougall, please see: www.johncmcdougall.com

The distillery was founded by Oliver Hughes, CEO of Porterhouse Brewing Company, west of Dingle in an old saw mill at Baile an Mhuilinn - Milltown - near the waterfront. Dingle distillery started producing a triple distilled pot still single malt, which will eventually become Dingle Green and Dingle Gold. It is expected that the whisky has to mature for around four to five years before it is ready for sale. About 100,000 bottles are planned to be produced per year. Four people run the distillery.

Oliver Hughes, who operates pubs in Dublin, London and New York and Ireland‘s largest independent brewery, is inviting whiskey enthusiasts all over the world to purchase one of the first 500 casks produced. Prices range from € 6,100 for an a first fill-bourbon or a French barrique or Spanish wine cask, to € 6,400 for a Port pipe and € 6,600 for a Sherry butt. „Those that do will be named a Founding Father of Dingle, this network of like-minded enthusiasts will be invited to an annual networking party at the distillery every year,“ promises the new born Irish distiller.

The Co Founder also said: “The Porterhouse has always tried to do something different - only dead fish go with the flow. This strategy has proved invaluable to us since we started in 1989. Craft beers are now booming and we were the originators of craft beer in Ireland and now we are entering artisanal distilling.”

The distillery also produces the Dingle Original Gin, a pot still vodka to be called DD Vodka.

Gin and vodka is distilled in a special smaller still called OISÍN. The fine grain neutral spirit is imported from Sweden as at Dingle Distillery there is not a column still and therefore it is not able to produce neutral spirit itself.  Gin distilling began on Sunday 7th October, 2012.

There will be „..... nine traditional and locally grown & harvested botanicals: rowan berry, juniper, fuschia, bog myrtle, heather, chervil, hawthorn, angelica and coriander. The resulting distillate is cut with pure water drawn from our well 240 feet below our distillery.“

Gin and vodka are available. The first whiskey was released on December 21st, 2015. About 200 bottles were drawn from Cask No. 2, first-fill Bourbon.

The following technical details of Dingle Distillery were kindly given by John McDougall:

Production water                                                                 Deep well, 74m, very soft water

Cooling water                                                                      Deep well

Size of mashtun                                                                   1 tonne

Tonnes of grist                                                                     900 kgs. 20% grits, 70% husk, 10% flour

Mashing time                                                                       30 mins.

Washback capacity                                                               5,000 litres collected

Type of yeast                                                                       Dried Yeast

Fermentation period                                                            Min. 48 hours

Wash still capacity                                                               5,000 litres to charge level

Heating system                                                                     S S Coils (stainless steel)

Low wines average alcohol strength                                      25% abv

Intermediate still size                                                          1,970 litres to charge level

Heating system                                                                    S S Coils (stainless steel)

Average alcohol strength of middle cut                                 60 % abv

Spirit still capacity                                                               2,700 litres to charge level

Heating system                                                                    S S Coils (stainless steel)                                                      

Average strength of new make                                              72% abv

Character of new make                                                         Sweet, fruity, malty and creamy

Cask filling strength                                                              63.5% abv

Warehouse type                                                                   currently dunnage

Head Brewer is Peter Mosely who will head the production team.

A visitor centre will be built by 2016.

See also article by the editor of The Gateway to Distilleries: „New on the Irish Whiskey Map ,Dingle Distillery‘“. http://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2012/12/new-on-the-irish-whiskey-map-dingle-distillery-irish-whiskey-news/

The Gateway to Distilleries presents photos by kind permission and by courtesy of John McDougall and Dingle Distillery (2012). The photos are copyright by John MacDougall and Dingle Distillery only.

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