Killowen Distillery has launched a limited edition series of premium Poitín made up of five unique bottlings, named Cuige.The Northern Irish distillery created the collection to demonstrate that poitín can be premiumised and deserves to be a serious contender in the spirits world. The peated poitín set is presented on a hand-crafted pedestal, carved from a Killowen whiskey cask.
The Killowen Cuige Poitín Series represents Ireland’s history and present by acknowledging her historical five provinces by finishing a unique Poitín in five different firkin casks from five select breweries, each representing those old provinces. The Irish word ‘Cuige’ meaning ‘provinces’ or ‘Fifths.’
The breweries that took part include:
- Dead Centre Brewing representing ‘Meath’ using an Imperial Stout cask
- Mescan Brewery representing ‘Connaught’ using a Westport Red Tripel cask
- O’Brother Brewing representing ‘Leinster’ using a Dreamcatcher IPA cask
- Whitewater Brewing representing ‘Ulster’ using a Belfast Black Stout cask
- West Kerry Brewery representing ‘Munster’ using an Imperial Stout cask
Killowen used a unique peated mash bill that offers a little more oat than the distillery’s core mash-bill, as a tribute to the integral part oat has played in Irish distillation history. After a 24-hour flame-fed, double-distillation, and worm-tub condensation, the spirit is laid in casks at full strength for 10 weeks, as is the maximum allowable time by law. Each bottle is hand-filled, hand-labelled, wax-dipped, and hand-written. Each set has its own unique rustic pedestal made from a Killowen cask stave which has been heat-straightened, carved for bottles, engraved with the Killowen Cuige Logo and wax finished. Just 192 total sets of the Poitin will be released.
The names and Images for each bottle come from different locations carrying particular affection to Killowen Distillery, and places which Killowen think signify each Cuige.
- Ulster: ‘Donard’ – The highest mountain in The Mournes – God’s country
- Munster: ‘Mish’ – The Slieve Mish range to the east of Dingle peninsula
- Connaught: ‘Lutty’ – A remarkably beautiful & remote part of Galway
- Leinster: ‘Duff’ – Duff Hill – middle of the mighty Wicklow Mountains
- Meath: ‘Caillí’ – Sliabh na Caillí – largest peak in Meath
Last month, Killowen Distillery launched the final release in its Bonded Experimental Series, a 10 Year Old blended Irish Whiskey finished in Virgin Hungarian Oak. Over the past year, the Irish distiller’s series looked to showcase what’s possible in the world of Irish Whiskey blends by finishing them in various barrels.