A wide-angle view of the Ardara Distillery production floor, featuring three large, gleaming copper pot stills lined up along a massive glass wall. The facility has a modern industrial aesthetic with a high, vaulted ceiling, metal grate flooring, and large windows offering a view of a green landscape.

A wide-angle photograph shows the modern industrial interior of the Ardara Distillery production floor. Three large, gleaming copper pot stills are lined up in the center of the frame, positioned along a massive floor-to-ceiling glass wall that overlooks a green landscape. The facility features a high, vaulted dark ceiling with yellow structural beams, a metallic grate floor, and black safety railings in the foreground.

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The Ardara Distillery Launches Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Story

Origins

Tradition

Spirit

Taste

Our Story

Donegal Whiskey Heritage Reclaimed

This August marks a historic moment in the revival of Irish whiskey as The Ardara Distillery, home of Sliabh Liag Distillers, proudly unveils Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey – a heavily peated, triple distilled, all grain-in whiskey that signals a bold revival of Donegal’s lost distilling tradition. Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey has already been awarded a Gold medal at the Irish Whiskey Masters 2025 in the Single Malt – Super-Premium category.

For too long, Irish whiskey has drifted towards a conformity with the familiar – sweet, smooth and easy.

James Doherty, co-founder of The Ardara Distillery

A bottle of Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey standing on a wooden surface against a black background, with the text "ARDARA SINGLE MALT IRISH WHISKEY" and "ALWAYS HEAVILY PEATED, ALL GRAIN IN, TRIPLE DISTILLED" displayed to the right.

A true product of place, Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey is uncompromising in character. For over a century, regional distinctions in Irish whiskey have been lost, replaced by conformity. Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey breaks this trend, reclaiming Donegal’s distinctive character. Made with heavily peated malted barley, peated to 55 ppm, distilled with the grain-in, and matured, sherry forward, in American Bourbon and Virgin oak casks, this Irish whiskey brings to life a style unseen for over a century.

Rooted in tradition, yet confident and contemporary in execution, Ardara Single Malt Irish whiskey is a rich smoky declaration and a Donegal homecoming.

Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey represents the culmination of a dream held by founders James and Moira Doherty, who returned to their family roots to build The Ardara Distillery and revive the whiskey-making traditions that once defined the northwest of Ireland.

From its base on the Show Field in the coastal town of Ardara, The Ardara Distillery stands as a striking emblem of renewal. Behind its glass façade, the three copper stills from Forsyths of Scotland are the beating heart of a process engineered to harness every note of smoky, earthy complexity.

A black and white line drawing of numerous whiskey barrels stacked horizontally on wooden racks inside a warehouse, with several barrels in the foreground featuring labels such as

A detailed black and white line drawing of three copper pot stills connected by a network of pipes inside a distillery, with large windows in the background.

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A row of three gleaming copper whisky stills lined up in a modern distillery. The scene is bathed in neon purple and blue light, reflecting off the metallic surfaces. The foreground shows a circular hatch on the side of a still, while metal grating makes up the floor.

From Past to Pour

Honouring a century-old craft, bringing Donegal’s true whiskey back to life.

“At Ardara, we’re answering a call that comes not from market trends, but from memory, from place, and from family. A century ago, my grandfather was an illicit distiller in Donegal and, while he is no longer with us, I know he’d recognise what we’re doing here – grain-in, heavily peated, triple distilled, just as it was in his time. Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey is a spirit that could only have come from one place – Donegal. This isn’t about nostalgia, it’s about revival: reclaiming the rich, sweet smoky, textured soul of true Donegal whiskey.

A large pile of cut turf bricks stacked outdoors in front of a modern dark-paneled building with a wooden whiskey barrel nearby.

A field of golden-brown barley swaying in the wind under a clear blue sky, with a line of trees and rolling hills in the distance.

Rows of aging wooden whiskey barrels with metal hoops stacked horizontally on wooden racks in a dim warehouse.

Revolution in Tradition

We follow no trends — just the Donegal way, from grain to glass.

Adding to this, Moira Doherty, co-founder of The Ardara Distillery said: “Ardara’s mission has always been singular: to remain true to Donegal above all else. We know that our Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey is a deeply traditional style delivered in a process that today is seen as revolutionary. It doesn’t matter to us that no one else chooses to do it this way; it is true to Donegal and that’s good enough for us!”

The Ardara Distillery is proudly championing heavily peated “all grain in” distilling – a process that sees every part of the grain carried through to the wash still. This is a rare approach that honours traditional Donegal distilling while extracting maximum character from the malt. Ardara is the only distillery on the island of Ireland dedicated to peated whiskey using this method.

$An infographic titled "OUR ALL GRAIN IN PROCESS" from Ardara Distillery, detailing a seven-step whiskey production cycle using white and orange icons on a teal background. The steps include:Hammer Mill: Grain is reduced to a uniform fine grist.Mashing: Grist is mixed with water at $63^{\circ}\text{C}$ to create a single decoction.Fermenters: Grain and tea brew for 72 hours to achieve an 8% ABV wash.Wash Still (10,000 litres): Liquid is boiled; includes a downward sloping lyne arm and an onion neck to retain flavor.Intermediate Still (5,000 litres): Output starts at 50% and ends at 15% ABV.Spirit Still (2,500 litres): Collects spirits between 67% and 72% ABV.Solera Vats: 2,500-litre vats that ensure consistent style and quality across batches.$

We‘re proud to be at this point and grateful for the support that’s brought us here. It promises to be an exciting journey of discovery.

A white, circular stamp for Sliabh Liag Distillers featuring "Barrel Room No. 46" in the center. The border text includes "Ardara Triple Distilled Pot Still" and "SEANCHAÍ".

The Art of the Spirit

Every element — from grain to glass — crafted with purpose, patience, and Donegal soul.”

Carefully selected yeast strains and the use of pot stills with downward-sloping lyne arms work in harmony to harness the rich, fruity, nutty, smokiness forged in the grain.

The packaging reflects the spirit within – bold, elegant, and full of meaning. A 100% recycled sculpted bottle with vertical flutes echoes the era when these flavours were last enjoyed, while the Solera vats uniquely used prior to maturation and essential to continuity are recognised on the bottles’ caps. Metallic blue and copper accents on the label reference the native dragonfly, chosen as Ardara’s emblem – a creature of transformation, resilience and rebirth, much like the Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey itself.

The Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey marks the first release of what will be a defining style that will grow, develop and evolve with time. James Doherty said: “Our first edition of Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey drinks superbly well – even in its youth it clearly signals the style and character we’ve been committed to from the very beginning. With each future release Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey will gain added depth and complexity as we move closer to defining Ardara’s true signature style.”

The 2025 edition comprises an initial 10,000 bottles worldwide; 2,000 at cask strength (available exclusively at The Ardara Distillery visitor centre); 8,000 bottles at 46% ABV for select distribution in Ireland and the UK from August, followed by international markets from September, including Germany, France, USA, Belgium and the Netherlands.

A Taste of Donegal’s Soul

Sweet smoke, soft spice, and the quiet warmth of a peat fire reborn.

The 2025 edition comprises an initial 10,000 bottles worldwide; 2,000 at cask strength (available exclusively at The Ardara Distillery visitor centre); 8,000 bottles at 46% ABV for select distribution in Ireland and the UK from August, followed by international markets from September, including Germany, France, USA, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey at 46% will be available in select outlets and online from August 2025 and costs €90.00. Find out more about The Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey and the spirit of Donegal here: https://www.sliabhliagdistillers.com/

The Ardara Single Malt (46% ABV) offers a sensory journey throughout – on the nose, sweet cereal and biscuit mingle with poached figs, coconut, raisins, and a delicate whisper of pipe tobacco and ash. The palate unfolds with the rich sweetness of hot beignets and poached pears, layered with notes of roasted coconut, almond, leather, and rolled tobacco. Waves of campfire smoke roll in, gradually giving way to a soft, smoky baked apple finish. The experience lingers with a warm echo of the hearth – smoke, sweet spice, and the quiet, comforting hush of a peat fire the morning after.