Slane Irish Whiskey to launch in Australia

Brown-Forman's first foray into the lucrative Irish whiskey market is set to launch in Australia in July.

The company purchased Slane Castle Irish Whiskey Limited in 2015 and broke ground for its distillery in September of the same year. Whiskey production at the distillery is expected to commence within three months.

In the meantime, the first expression from the brand – produced using third-party whiskey – has been produced using virgin, seasoned and Sherry casks.

Slane Irish Whiskey has been launched at The Irish Whiskey Collection at Dublin and Cork International Airports, where it will be exclusively available until April 30.
It will then be available in the on- and off-trade across Ireland and then in the UK, Australia and the US.

Brown-Forman’s John Hudson, who was instrumental in the Slane Irish whiskey project, has praised the whiskey as “the creation of an exceptional spirit, combining the traditions of the past with the emergent Ireland of today.”

The Slane Distillery is located within the grounds of Slane Castle in County Meath, about 40-minute drive north of Dublin. It is the first distillery built by Brown-Forman outside of the US in the company’s 145-year-plus history.  

The Whiskey Wash notes: "Right now, Irish whiskey is the fastest growing category of whiskey on the world stage. So it is easy to see why American spirits company Brown-Forman made a play into this segment back in the fall of 2015 by partnering with the Conynghams of Slane, an Irish aristocratic family with deep historical roots to lands located about half an hour north of Dublin, Ireland, to launch a new Irish whiskey distillery.

"Some years ago, The Conyynghams ventured into whiskey via sourced product from Cooley Distillery to diversify the income streams supporting the estate they call home. When sourcing spirit became hard, they set out to build their own distillery on the grounds of Slane Castle, with Brown-Forman eventually joining with them to design a whiskey making facility that brings modern whiskey making techniques into a historic Irish setting."