Macaloney’s whisky maker Graeme Macaloney may be Scottish by birth, but this esteemed whisky maker has more than a touch of that famed roguish Irish twinkle in his eye. Which is why it makes perfect sense that Macaloney’s Island Distillery is launching a quartet of Irish-style Triple Distilled Single Potstill Whiskies – and just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!
Canada’s First-Ever Triple-Distilled Single Potstill Whisky Range
“As a Scot of 7th century Irish extraction, I used to revel in the joke that the Irish say they ‘gave whisky making to the Scots and the Scots begrudgingly agree... but add that they made it better!’” laughs Macaloney about his foray into the potstill whisky category. “In our case here at Macaloney’s, I come by my potstill whisky making honestly: I studied Irish potstill whisky making at Midleton distillery in Ireland where I spent time with their Master Whiskymaker who taught me their traditional methods.”
Fast forward to their inaugural launch of their first-ever triple-distilled single potstill whiskies, and Macaloney is thrilled to reveal that the range has already been lauded by critics and whisky lovers alike, winning two Gold medals at the World Whiskies Awards in the UK. Killeigh Whiskymaker’s Signature Selection won Canada’s Best Potstill at WWA 2022, with Kildara Whiskymaker’s Signature Selection taking a gold medal at the awards too.
Both these beautiful drams, as well as the other two potstill whiskies in this range – the single cask Kirkinriola Moscatel, and the single cask Kirkinriola Portuguese Red Wine – are now available in Canada, USA, UK and select EU countries via their online shop at www.MacaloneyDistillers.com, and at the distillery’s tasting room in Saanich on Vancouver Island.
Macaloneys’ Killeigh Whiskymaker’s Signature Selection won Canada’s Best Potstill at the World Whisky Awards 2022
About Macaloney’s Potstill Whisky Range
In order to make traditional Irish-style triple distilled potstill whisky, Macaloney attended the Midleton Irish Whiskey Academy and personally met twice with their past Master Distiller Brian Nation over the course of two years in order to get his advice and input on traditional Irish methods.
Back in Canada, Macaloney then overlaid whisky master Dr. Jim Swan’s methods whereby he optimized a traditional whisky process to be the best that it can possibly be. The result is that Macaloney’s triple distilled single potstill process is true to a traditional Irish method but optimized using Dr. Swan’s learning. The resulting newmake was amazing and won gold – Top Two in the World, and Best in Canada – in blind tastings at the World Whisky Awards.
Why Irish-Style Whiskies from a Scotsman?
As reported by Whisky Advocate magazine recently, Irish whiskey exports to North America have taken off in a big way over the last couple of years, seeing a 28% growth rate from 2021. What’s more, single potstill has increasingly become the most important part of Irish whiskey’s repertoire.
Recognising this, and already a long-time fan of Irish-style potstill whiskies, as evidenced by his educational adventures in the style, Macaloney decided the time was right to produce his very own range of potstill whiskies, but celebrating local ingredients. The end result is a range of triple-distilled single potstill whiskies which are as remarkable for their flavour as for their provenance.
This inaugural launch also showcases Macaloney’s expertise and ability to embrace more than just one style, without ever sacrificing quality and, ultimately, deliciousness.
Visit Macaloney’s Island Distillery
Visit Macaloney’s Saanich tasting room to taste their full range of whiskies: open Friday and Saturday 11am to 8pm; and Sunday through Thursday 12pm to 6.30pm.
