The €47 million distillery, which began construction in September 2015, is being built around a collection of 18th century horse stables and courtyards, which will be restored and converted into a production area and visitor experience.
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| Slane Distillery stills, produced by McMillan of Scotland |
The extensive restoration includes masonry repairs, traditional lime rendering and the restoration of 18th century beams, doors and windows. The buildings Welsh slate roofing will also be restored, along with the stables original chiming clock tower.
The distillery’s three hand-beaten copper pot stills and six column stills were crafted by McMillan of Scotland and were recently successfully installed. The traditional timber washbacks will be hand-built this spring by Joseph Brown of Dufftown of Scotland.
The visitor centre interior work will commence shortly, which will include reinstating the 18th century horse stalls and tack room using the now fully restored original features. As the distillery nears its final phase of construction, the production buildings will soon be enclosed and the interior mechanical work on electrical, gas and plumbing will then be completed.
Commenting on the news, John Hayes, Chief Marketing Officer of Brown-Forman Brands, said: “We are proud and excited to introduce Slane Irish Whiskey and begin production at Slane Distillery. As Brown-Forman expands its whiskey portfolio, we are confident that Slane will offer a superb Irish whiskey experience and taste.”
Slane Irish Whiskey, will launch in April. Its inaugural expression will use high quality whiskey from other Irish distilleries, but will be finished to Slane’s unique specifications using a triple cask process.
Slane Distillery, will be the first new distillery Brown-Forman has built outside of the United States.
Posted by Steve Rush