Sliabh Liag Distillers reaches a new international milestone as two expressions from its Silkie Irish Whiskey range make their debut in Dubai Duty Free, one of the world’s leading travel retail operators. The launch, set for the 2nd of March 2026, marks Silkie’s first entry into the Middle East travel retail market, with the Legendary Silkie and Dark Silkie expressions available to global travellers. Bord Bia has played a key role in supporting this listing, promoting Irish spirits to international audiences and helping make this opportunity a reality.
Dubai Duty Free, which operates at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, is among the largest travel retail businesses in the world, offering a broad range of spirits, luxury goods, and other products to millions of passengers annually. The listing presents a significant platform to introduce Silkie Irish Whiskey to an international audience.
Bart de Smalen, Commercial Director of Sliabh Liag Distillers, said:
“This is an important step for Silkie Irish Whiskey. The travel retail environment is a key focus for us, offering the ‘whiskey curious’ consumer the opportunity to explore new flavours. Dubai Duty Free is an exceptional platform to introduce Silkie as a bridge between familiar Irish styles and the exploration of smokier Irish whiskey to travellers from around the world.”
The Silkie Irish Whiskey collection represents a revival of a once-lost style of Smoky Irish whiskey and has earned a cult following among enthusiasts. Crafted using peated malt, Silkie delivers a style of smoke that is expressive yet balanced—distinctly smoky, but always approachable. The Legendary Silkie is a straw-gold whiskey with hints of green apple, honey, and buttered pastry, finishing with a gentle smoky note. Dark Silkie combines double-distilled single malts with triple-distilled peated malts, offering flavours of salted caramel, baked apple, and a warming finish of smoky malt and peanut butter, crafted for those who appreciate character and depth in their whiskey.
The Dubai Duty Free launch underscores Sliabh Liag Distillers’ commitment to reviving traditional Donegal whiskey styles and reflects growing international interest in premium, characterful Irish whiskeys. Silkie Irish Whiskey will be available from the 2nd of March 2026.