US leader Whistlepig collaborates with new Limavady Irish Whiskey
WhistlePig, the leading distiller in the ultra-premium and luxury rye whiskeys in North America, has joined forces with Darryl McNally and Limavady Irish Whiskey in Northern Ireland to fulfill his dream of creating the world's first Single Barrel Irish whiskey.
The addition of Limavady, alongside WhistlePig’s collection of ground breaking rye whiskeys, marks the company’s growth from the leading independent American whiskey to a global craft portfolio.
WhistlePig will manage bottling and distribution of the whiskey under McNally’s direction, helping Limavady establish the single barrel Irish category, much the same way that WhistlePig has done with aged and experimental rye. McNally will directly manage the production and innovation and will bring the Limavady story and spirit to life.
“We originally met Darryl at an industry event and then stayed in touch over the years,” says Jeff Kozak, chief executive of WhistlePig. “When we understood his desire to reimagine the category and learned of his plans to revive Limavady Whiskey, we jumped at the opportunity to partner with him. We visited Limavady and experienced the historic distillery grounds. While the brand draws its inspiration from the past, we are looking to the future of Limavady as Darryl takes Irish whiskey to the next level,” adds Mr Kozak.
Both WhistlePig and Limavady are super premium craft whiskeys that push the boundaries of what their respective categories are defined by. WhistlePig led rye in maturation and farm-to-bottle distilling, while Limavady will epitomize single barrel single malt, showing the world how distinctive and high-quality Irish whiskey can be.
WhistlePig believes Irish whiskey is a category that needs to stretch and break through stereotypes established by industry giants. The award-winning rye whiskey company also feels Irish single malt, and moreover single barrel, deserves the same recognition as both single malt scotch and craft American whiskey.
“I’ve been working in the Irish whiskey industry for a long time and reclaiming the Limavady whiskey name has been a long-held dream of mine, so finally bringing it to market is already a huge leap for me but teaming up with a visionary company like WhistlePig to do so makes it even more exciting,” says Darryl McNally (46).
“Forward-thinking and not afraid to push the boundaries of innovation, WhistlePig is the perfect match for Limavady, and I couldn’t wish for a better partner in taking Irish Whiskey to new heights,” adds Mr McNally, who will be master distiller, Limavady Irish Whiskey. He has been in whiskey distilling for 23 years, starting his career with Old Bushmills in county Antrim.
Limavady is poised to begin selling in select markets throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland as soon as August. In the United States, Limavady will be distributed through WhistlePig's existing distribution partners, which include Republic National Distributing Company, BreakThru Beverages and Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits.
Founded in 2007 in Vermont, WhistlePig has become the number one distiller in the ultra-premium and luxury rye whiskey category in North America, featuring the bold and often untapped flavour of rye. WhistlePig is leading a surge of innovation in the emerging field of North American whiskey.
As the most decorated rye whiskey – having received the coveted ‘Best in Show Whiskey’ title from the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, WhistlePig is widely viewed as the world’s finest rye. With the opening of its distillery on its 500-acre Vermont farm in the fall of 2015, WhistlePig has also become one of the leading farm-to-bottle rye whiskeys in the world. For Additional information please visit
Limavady Single Barrel Irish Whiskey, one of Ireland’s oldest whiskeys dating back to 1750, is reborn and breaking new ground for the fast-growing Irish whiskey category. Darryl McNally, an international recognised master distiller, and descendant of the Limavady Distillery’s 18th century owners is leading the revival in partnership with WhistlePig Whiskey, declaring a new era of Irish whiskey with single malt quality and single barrel distinctiveness