11/08/2023
Chapter 28
A chat with...Gareth & Michelle McAllister (Ahascragh Distillery) - #24
Following from my last chapter, we remain in Ireland, to talk about Ahascragh Distillery. A new whiskey and gin producer based out of Galway on the west coast of the Republic of Ireland. The distillery, founded by husband and wife Gareth and Michelle McAllister, is beginning production in 2023.
While looking for a place to give a home to their project, the couple felt in love with the old Ahascragh Mill and transformed it into a distillery and visitor centre, which is powered by renewable energy and will be carbon neutral.
We have to wait for their first release, but in the meantime they launched the Family Bond series that includes the Clan Colla, and the UAIS bottlings and they are producing their Xin gin. The Clan Colla is indeed a celebration of their family bond, as stated on the labels, and features hand selected releases, which although not directly distilled by them, are still partly matured, finished, and blended and bottled by them in their premises. So far they have used interesting casks, from Panamanian rum to Amarone, or Oloroso and ex-peated. The UAIS is instead a triple blend of 25% Pot Still, 25% Single Malt and 50% Grain whiskeys, presented as a perfect harmony of the three types of Irish whiskey.
We met Luke, one of Gareth and Michelle’s sons, at the Whisky Live festival in London a few months ago (see mention), and talking with him we decided to know more and to have a chat with the founders.
Let’s see what they told us…
Hi Gareth and Michelle, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Please introduce yourselves, and tell us a little bit about your whisky journey so far.
Gareth: Thanks for having us. We are a husband and wife team from County Dublin, Ireland.
We have always had a passion for Irish spirits and we dreamt of turning it into a family business. I am a chemical engineer and distiller. My work has meant we have spent the last 20 years travelling the world.
Most recently, we had settled in Hong Kong. When my corporate career came to an end, we turned our focus to starting our own spirits business.
When and how did you join this growing industry?
Michelle: We launched Ahascragh Distillers in 2018 and spent time sourcing quality Irish whiskey, finishing it in some unique casks and perfecting our gin recipe.
We were looking for a place to call home when we came across the old Ahascragh mill online. While on a business trip to Galway, we took a detour and found the little village of Ahascragh. The mill was completely overgrown and derelict but we fell in love with it instantly. It had the perfect amount of character and potential.
In 2021 we began construction on Ahascragh Distillery. In the same year we launched our Family Bond series of sourced whiskey including Clan Colla Irish Whiskey, UAIS Irish Whiskey and Xin Gin.
We are now nearing completion and first distillation. It’s all very exciting.
Now tell us a bit more about Ahascragh distillery, what is it that makes it stand out in the whisky industry?
Michelle: We have transformed this nineteenth century historical building into a state-of-the-art craft distillery. We have maintained the character of the beautiful building while bringing it back to life.
Gareth: A key differentiator is our drive to be zero-emissions. Our eco-distillery is powered by renewable energy – wind, solar and hydro, using high temperature heat pump technology and an energy efficient storage system. We are not burning any fossil fuels or gas to drive our distillation process.
We will have no carbon emissions from the energy supply side of the distillery. We believe this is a first for the industry.
Can you tell us what Ahascragh distillery's target audience is?
Gareth: We have hand-selected some of the highest quality whiskeys available and finished them in unique and interesting casks from all over the world.
Our range of Clan Colla and UAIS Irish whiskeys includes Single Malts, Blends and Single Grain with various cask finishes such as Pedro Ximénez, Amarone, Oloroso, Peated and Panamanian Rum. There truly is something for everyone in this collection of premium Irish whiskeys.
Our Xin Gin has been a customer favourite. It recently won “Best in Ireland” at The Gin Guide Awards for a second year in a row.
Michelle: Ahascragh Distillery will attract the traditional whiskey and gin lovers but also people will be very interested in our zero-emissions technology.
This is new and innovative technology for the industry and really sets us apart. The visitor centre will also celebrate the distillery’s previous use. We have been salvaging and restoring the old mill equipment.
We are excited to showcase the incredible history of the mill, the village and of Irish whiskey.
Can you tell us how you select your casks, and anticipate anything about what we can expect to see next?
Gareth: We really enjoy experimenting with cask finishing and want to showcase the depth and diversity of Irish Whiskey.
We select casks based on our own taste and experiences. We are just delighted that people seem to love them as much as we do. Our most recent release was finished in a Panamanian Rum cask from Central America. Michelle described it as “Christmas in a glass.” It brought a spicy, cinnamon and nutmeg kick to our 7 Year Old Single Grain.
We will continue to experiment with unique casks and have some exciting releases in the pipeline.
What advice would you give to a beginner that is approaching this world and perhaps starting his/her own collection?
Michelle: I think the whiskey world can be a little intimidating but we are creating a welcoming space for all to join. I would advise people to jump right in, ask questions, attend events, talk to people.
It’s a small industry in Ireland and everyone helps each other out.
Lastly, what is, generally speaking, your favourite whisky style (cask type, ageing, peated/unpeated etc.)? What’s your dram of choice at the moment and/or your go to drams on a Friday evening?
Gareth: My go-to whiskey at the moment is our Clan Colla 11 Year Old Blend. It’s triple casked in ex-bourbon, Oloroso Sherry and a Peated cask. It’s a really well balanced and complex blend and I am delighted with how it turned out.
Michelle: My favourite is UAIS Irish Whiskey. It’s a triple blend of the three styles of Irish Whiskey which I think is really special. I enjoy smooth, light and easy to drink whiskeys and this one hits the spot.
Official website: https://ahascraghdistillery.com/
Drams
and more...
Today's drams
- Clan Colla 11yo 2009 (Oloroso & Peated Cask finish) – 46%
- Clan Colla 20yo 2001 (Amarone Cask finish) – 46%
- Clan Colla 19yo 2001 (Oloroso Cask finish) – 46%
- Clan Colla 20yo 2001 (Pedro Ximénez finish) – 46%
- UAIS (Triple Blend) – 43%
Whisky Live London
A whisky tasting event organised yearly by Whisky Magazine. The festival gives the opportunity to speak with the makers and access some very special pourings.