At least 12 generations of the Walsh family are known to have farmed at the foothills of Croagh Patric in Mayo. For the Irish, this mountain has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. The earliest census available is from 1901, recording a family of 9 living in a 2 room thatched farmhouse. The great-grandfather of the distillery's co-founder, Cyril Walsh, Patric Walsh, was a Poitin maker with an excellent reputation throughout County Mayo. Poitin is an Irish drink, which was produced in small stills, over peat fires. A tradition passed down from generation to generation.
The small family farm adjoins the mountain, which is often shrouded in fog, and hides the smoke from the peat fires. In cases where the smoke was detected by the authorities, all you had to do was jump the wall and hide on the mountain. Patric Walsh was imprisoned on several occasions, accused of illegal distilling, but was never convicted of any crime.
Cyril's father, also Patric, remembered often hiding bottles in the cappage patch whenever there were rumors of raids by the authorities. Today he would be very proud, as Cyril tells us, to see the family tradition acknowledged and finally legal.
The distillery is located in St. Patrick's Woolen Mills, in Douglas, Cork, Ireland and is a complex of tranquility, tradition, modern technology and an appetite for authentic products, people and experiences.
As Cyril Walsh characteristically says:
" Our “Spirit” is a homage to my forebears and their endeavors."
Origin Green is the only sustainability program in the world that operates on a national scale, bringing together government, the private sector and food producers through Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board.
Origin Green certification enables the Irish food and drink industry to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets as well as establishing a baseline for continuous improvement.
From October 2022, the St. Patrick's is one of 317 fully certified members
St. Patrick’s & Guaranteed Irish
The Guaranteed Irish certificate is the national symbol of provenance and trust. It is worn as a badge of honor by over 300 domestic and international businesses operating in Ireland.
Guaranteed Irish welcomes businesses that are committed to creating a better Ireland. When assessing an applicant for membership in Guaranteed Irish, we look at three criteria: jobs, origin and community.
A golden – awarded hand crafted in small batches using traditional techniques.
Triple distilled in Ireland with grain and malted barley.
Patiently nurtured and matured for 10 years in American Oak bourbon barrels and finished in European Oak Sherry Casks. Non-chill filtered
“Wonderfully complex with intense flavors of dried fruits, honey and magical notes of glove blossom and spice. Strong finish full of vanilla and citrus’ zest aromas”
Τasting notes and observations from the «Irish Wiskey Society, Cork Chapter
An awarded hand -crafted whiskey created in small batches using traditional techniques
Matures for more than 3 years in first-fill bourbon barrels
Its blend consists of 3 year old grain blended with old malts up to 15 years old
“...it is certainly a fragrant young grain element that comes across first on the nose and...it is pushed to the side by dry malty aromas accompanied by a low rumble of wood phenolic and a fleeting wisp of charred oak. There’s a touch of dustiness (aged casks?) and a definite hint of salted caramel, perhaps that briny quality as a result of maturation in warehouses that are licked by sea air. The mouthfeel is of medium intensity on a wood and rubber background - and the medium finish is all pepper and spice.”
Tasting notes and observations by the Irish Whiskey Society, Cork Chapter
