Castle Brands Scoops Top Accolades at the Irish Whiskey Awards
Castle Brands walked away with top accolades at last night’s Irish Whiskey Awards. Awards included Irish Whiskey of the Year 2016 and overall winner for Irish Single Malts (13 Years and older) for Knappogue Castle 14 Year Old Twin Wood. Castle brands also won a gold medal for their Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old Single Malt in the Irish Single Malts (13 Years or Older) category and a gold medal for Boru Vodka in the Best Irish Vodka category, with the overall winner in this category going to Straw Boys Vodka from the Connacht Distillery, Mayo. Dick Mack’s bar in Dingle was named Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year 2016, walking away with the accolade for the third year in a row. Accolades were awarded at a ceremony last night (Thursday, the 20th of October), in Tullamore Dew Visitor Centre, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Pictured at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2016 which took place in the Tullamore Distillery Visitor Centre recently (20th October 2016) was Marianne Courtney of Castle Brands who collected the awards for the Irish Whiskey of the Year 2016 for Knappogue Castle 14 Year Old Twin Wood, which also won the best in the Irish Single Malts (13 years and older) and Gold medals for Knappogue Castle 16 Year old Single Malt and Boru Vodka.
For further information please contact O’Leary PR 01-6789888
The Irish Whiskey Awards, which are in their fourth year, recognise the excellence and innovation from indigenous producers and distillers. The awards spanned a total of 20 categories, including recognition of the best in Irish gin, Irish vodka, Irish liqueur, craft beer and Whiskey Bar of the Year.
The Irish Single Malt Whiskey (12 Years & Younger) category was won by Dunvilles PX Single Malt and Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength took home the trophy in the Irish Single Pot Stills category. Teeling Small Batch got the nod for best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of less than €60) with Midleton Very Rare receiving the top accolade for the Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of €60 or more) for the second year in a row. Marrowbone Lane Irish Whiskey Society Bottling and St. Patrick’s Cask Strength Irish Whiskey were awarded overall winners of the Irish Single Cask Whiskey and Irish Cask Strength Whiskey categories respectively.
Whilst at home, Dick Mack’s bar in Dingle, Co Kerry received the Trophy for Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year for the third year in a row; Patrick’s Bar in Paris was named the International Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year. (Full list of winners outlined below)
Ally Alpine, Managing Director of Celtic Whiskey Shop and the Irish Whiskey Awards, said: “Each year the Irish Whiskey Awards have gone from strength to strength and with over 100 entries to this year’s awards, it made the competition tougher than ever. We are proud to have this platform to showcase the very best in the industry.”
This year the judging was in the form of a blind tasting of all the entries across three sessions. Members of the Celtic Whiskey Club & Irish Whiskey Society judged all entries in Brooks Hotel on Saturday 3rd and 10th of September. Members of the trade were responsible for judging white spirit categories (Gin, Vodka & Poitin), which took place on Monday the 12th of September in No. 10 Stephen’s Green. All voting was anonymous and the final scores will be made available to the industry after the awards.
Each of the category winners were awarded a trophy and the runners up received a Gold Medal that can be prominently displayed on their whiskey at point of sale.
The winners of the Irish Whiskey Awards will be celebrated at Ireland’s premier whiskey tasting event, Whiskey Live Dublin in The Printworks, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2, on Saturday the 5th of November. The showcase will be divided into two sessions (13:30-17:00 and 18:00- 21:30), tickets are priced at €42 plus booking fee with the Celtic Whiskey Shop donating €10 per ticket to Down Syndrome Dublin. Masterclass tickets are an additional €5, with all money donated to Down Syndrome Dublin.
Irish Whiskey Awards Website | Twitter
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For further information please contact:
Mari O’Leary on marioleary@olearypr.ie
Karleen Smyth on karleensmyth@olearypr.ie
Phone: 01- 678 9888
More images available on request.
Notes to the Editor:
Irish Whiskey Awards 2016
Irish Whiskey of the Year 2016 (Trophy)
Knappogue Castle 14 Year Old Twin Wood
Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year 2016 (Trophy)
Dick Mack’s, Dingle
Irish Single Pot Stills
Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Overall winner
Redbreast 21 Year Old Gold Medal
Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy Gold Medal
Redbreast Lustau Edition Gold Medal
Irish Single Malts (12 years and younger)
Dunvilles PX Single Malt Overall Winner
The Famous Galway Bay Irish Whiskey Gold Medal
Teeling Single Malt Gold Medal
Irish Single Malts (13 years and older)
Knappogue Castle 14 Year Old Twin Wood Overall Winner
Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old Single Malt Gold Medal
Glendalough 13 Year old Single malt Gold Medal
Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of less than €60)
Teeling Small Batch Overall Winner
Jameson Black Barrel Gold Medal
Jameson Crested Gold Medal
Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of €60 or more)
Midleton Very Rare Overall Winner
Jameson The Distillers Safe Gold Medal
Jameson The Blender’s Dog Gold Medal
Irish Single Cask Whiskey
Marrowbone Lane Irish Whiskety Society Bottling Overall Winner
Powers Single Pot Still Celtic Whiskey Shop Single Cask Gold Medal
The Irishman 17 Year Old Single Cask Gold Medal
Irish Cask Strength Whiskey
St Patricks Cask Strength Irish Whiskey Overall Winner
Spade and Bushel 10 Year Old Single Malt Gold Medal
Dingle Distillery Cask Strength Whiskey Gold Medal
Irish Single Grain Whiskey
Teeling Single Grain Overall Winner
Kilbeggan 8 Year Old Gold Medal
Hyde 6 Year Old Single Grain Bourbon Cask Gold Medal
Irish Poitín
Bán Barrelled and Buried Overall Winner
Bán Poitín Gold Medal
Glendalough Mountain Strength Poitín Gold Medal
Irish Liqueur
Merrys White Chocolate Irish Cream Liqueur Overall Winner
Merrys Salted Caramel Irish Cream Liqueur Gold Medal
Mrs Doyle’s Cream Liqueur Gold Medal
Irish Gin
Boyle’s Gin Small Batch Overall Winner
Dublin City Gin Gold Medal
Thin Gin Gold Medal
Irish Vodka
Strawboys Irish Vodka Overall Winner
Boru vodka Gold Medal
Kalak Vodka Gold Medal
Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Irish Craft Beer
Five Lamps Whiskey Barrel Aged Honor Bright Overall Winner
O’Hara’s Barrel Aged Leann Folláin Gold Medal
Five Lamps Whiskey Barrel Aged Dark IPA Gold Medal
Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year- Leinster
The Dylan, Kilkenny Overall Winner
The Palace Bar, Dublin Gold Medal
Bowes Bar, Dublin Gold Medal
Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year- Munster
Dick Mack’s, Dingle Overall Winner
Folkhouse, Kinsale Gold Medal
The Shelbourne Bar, Cork Gold Medal
Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year- Connacht
Garavan’s, Galway Overall Winner
An Púcán, Galway Gold Medal
Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year- Ulster
The Duke of York, Belfast Overall Winner
McCauls bar, Cavan Gold Medal
Fealty’s, Bangor Gold Medal
Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year- International
Patricks Bar, Paris Overall Winner
