Ep.71: Sliabh Liag Distillery with Founder James Doherty

Author: David Levine
Published: Wed 21 Dec 2022
Episode Link: https://whiskeyringpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep71-sliabh-liag-distillery-with-founder-james-doherty/

Pronounce it once with me - Sleeve League, with a little "sh" on the "s". Sliabh Liag, translating to "mountain of stones" or "mountain of stone pillars", is a postcard-perfect spot on the northeast coast of Ireland by Donegal. The county, according to Sliabh Liag Distillers Founder James Doherty, is sometimes called "the forgotten county" because it borders more of Northern Ireland than the Republic of Ireland (it's part of the latter but shares only a 5 mile border) and is forgotten by both governments.

Maybe the distillery could change that. It's not their goal, to be clear, but it is their goal to show the world what Donegal and true, historically northern Irish whiskey is all about. Midleton and Bushmills have held down the fort while Irish whiskey fell and rose again - now it's time for the newbies to reclaim that local character.

Whether it's Sliabh Liag in Donegal, Waterford, or Dingle, the new distilleries on the island of Ireland are doing incredible, noteworthy things. Peated Irish whiskey used to mean Connemara - no disrespect to Connemara, but no longer. Thanks to James and Moira at Sliabh Liag, we're about to see a new age of Irish whiskey that hearkens to the old and brings us to the new. I'm damn excited to see where it goes.

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Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

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Thanks for reading! Now here’s James Doherty of Sliabh Liag Distillers.

Sliabh Liag Distillery