DISTILLERY – INTERVIEW with Paul McLean and Sally – Anne Cooney, Boann Distillery, Drogheda, Ireland
When I was over in Ireland recently I stayed a couple of nights in Drogheda, it was sonly right I should talk about and visit this new distillery in the making. A little bit of local history was made in Drogheda when the copper pot whiskey stills were delivered to the new Boann Distillery on the Platin Road. The three nano-copper pot stills, one with a capacity of 10,000 litres and the other two 7,500 and 5,000 litres respectively, were hand made in Sienna, Italy. The stills, which were brought by truck from Siena, mark a significant milestone for the distillery which is set to open in 2016. Typically they were given female names—Sunshine, Sally-Anne and Celestine after the female members of the Cooney family. “The plan is now to distil in early 2017 and open up the visitor centre by the end of 2017” Sally – Anne.
“When it opens next year the €20m facility will include a whiskey distillery, craft brewery and taproom. The taproom will be an experiential space for a craft beer experience where we will have tasting stations for tutored tasting through our range , ingredients and beer styles . An architecturally designed visitor centre which will host distillery/brewery tours, a 120-seater restaurant, whiskey bar, private event space and a gift shop. Boann Distillery will create a range of Irish single malt, pot still and blended whiskies from the technologically advanced nano-copper pot stills. A small batch premium gin will also be produced in a custom made 500 litres Bennett Still”.
Sally – Anne continued “We launched “The Whistler range “at Whiskey Live Dublin – 3 expressions of Irish single malt whiskey we have been aging and finishing in hand picked sherry Oloroso casks for the last two years– a 7yo 46% non chill filter , no colour / 7yo cask strength 59% non chill filter, no colour / 10yo 46% non chill filter , no colour. We will distil single malt and Irish pot still whiskey on site using 100% Irish barley. It will be aged in predominantly Bourbon but cask experimentation (rum, wine, fortified wines etc) will be practiced with a % of all stock also for special expressions”.
Boann Distillery is a family company, born and believed in by Patrick and Marie Cooney, along with their family; Sally-Anne, Celestine, Peter, Patrick and James. With a combined wealth of experience, including forty years in the Irish drinks industry building up the Gleeson Group from a small independent bottler to a company with a turnover in excess of €300 million per annum, the Cooney family understands what it takes to create successful, premium brands.
What is your background and role Sally – Anne? “I am the Marketing,PR and hospitality Director. I have full responsibility for marketing and PR across the brands and also the development of our visitor centre and tourism offering. I am a qualified accountant and spent a number of years in the wine trade, most recently managing Gilbeys, Ireland largest wine company. My love of barrel maturation and experimentation comes from this time. Our whiskeys will be crafted as Irish malt and pot still whiskeys. Irish pot still being uniquely Irish, came about with the introduction of the 1682 Malt Tax. In true Irish fashion and to avoid paying full excise taxes on the whiskey, the Irish introduced an element of unmalted barley to the mix. Using our own well water, drawn from below the Boyne Valley and local Irish barley, we will mill, mash and distill on site. Our distinctive pot stills have been specially designed to maximise both traditional methods and also the use of modern techniques in the form of special reflux cooling jackets and patented nanocopper technology. By combining both tradition and technology, we will produce the purest spirit of great character that will uniquely reflect its sense of place—a unique and contemporary spirit with a unique provenance. Maturation of all our spirit in the finest oak casks will all occur on site in our cellar and custom-built warehouse under the close eye of our team to produce a whiskey of distinct character with a real sense of place”.
Where are casks sourced from? Bourbon Barrels are sourced directly from the USA. Sherry Oloroso casks are handpicked in Jerez and we will also have a number of special finish casks that we have soused from various contacts around the world. We bottle in-house, thus controlling the whole process from grain to glass. While we wait patiently for our whiskey to mature for a minimum of three years and a day we will also be crafting a very special gin, incorporating local hedgerow botanicals, from our small specially commissioned Bennett gin still. Once again a unique product linked closely to its place of origin.
Paul continued along with a drink in hand …
How is it having a still named after you? It is very special ! The wash still is “Sunshine” after my mother Marie , the intermediate still is Sally Anne , the Spirits still is Celestine after my sister and the Gin still is Isabella after my daughter Isabella, the first grandchild. Three generations of strong women!
Do you have any thoughts about finishing? Port, Sherry etc. More and more finishes are now on offer. In fact, do you have a favourite finish (mine is sherry)? A sherry finish is a personal favourite , however I have a real interest in wine cask finishes with my history in wine and look forward to experimenting with this in the future.
Where do you see the whiskey (Irish) industry being/going in 5 years from now? The Irish whiskey industry is on a roll at the moment and we predict big growth internationally over the next 5 years for Irish Whiskey following the current trend – led by innovation and experimentation. New, smaller, independent whiskey distilleries have the flexibility to experiment with finishes and styles and I believe that Irish whiskey style is going to evolve and differentiate from the crowd. Watch this space.
Many thanks Sally-Anne and I hope to return next year to see all working and delivering spirit, am excited now just thinking of it!
PAUL MCLEAN (Sean Daley) www.whiskytours.scot/ & www.mcleanscotland.com/
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