The Connacht Distillery has released the first bottles of four-year aged, single malt whiskey to be distilled at their facility in Ballina, Co. Mayo.

Connacht Irish Whiskey is the first whiskey from Mayo in over 150 years.

The Connacht Distillery is also one of the few in Ireland to produce a single malt product made entirely of its own spirit.

The whiskey is made using 100% malted Irish barley, double distilled in bespoke copper pot stills, aged in ex-bourbon casks and finished in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

The craft distillery was opened in 2016, is led by distiller and entrepreneur Robert Cassell. To date the distillery has released a range of other spirits including Conncullin Irish Gin and StrawBoys vodka and poitín.

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Cassell said: “What we’re trying to do in Irish whiskey is bring innovation that is both forward looking and a nod to the past, whether it’s different cask finishes or mash bills, the idea is to take a traditional element and put our own unique spin on it.”

Co-counder & CEO Tom Jensen stated: “This really is the culmination of a decade long dream for us that has been fuelled by our connections to the West of Ireland as well as a strong desire to create a whiskey that is reflective of the unique characteristics of the region.

“It’s been a long road, one made even longer by us choosing to age our whiskey beyond the legal minimum of 3 years, but we couldn’t be happier to take our place in the dynamic Irish whiskey market.”

Priced at €65 (RRP) per 700ml bottle, Connacht Single Malt Irish Whiskey (47% ABV) is available to purchase at www.connachtwhiskey.com and selected retailers.