As I said in my previous post, I had the pleasure of meeting brothers and co-founders of Boann Distillery, Peter and James Cooney, after Whiskey Live. They kindly invited me to a personal tour of their distillery in Drogheda, co. Meath. Even though I have been to Ireland many-a times now, I have not been around much, so going to Drogheda was a welcome break from busy Dublin.
It was impossible to get a wheelchair taxi at 3:00 PM; apparently, the kids of Drogheda needed a way of getting home from school, but thankfully the weather was sunny and warm, and I ended up walking from the bus station to the distillery instead. There is little to see along the road, and the sidewalks are far from the best, but you can enjoy the view of beautiful green hills and fields in the distance. The walk took about an hour and was worth it when I walked through the doors of the beautiful Boann Distillery.
Boann Distillery is a family-run distillery, and on the floor behind the stills, they had apple blossoms from their orchard drying to use in their Silks gin. I tasted honey from their mother’s bees and smelled dried hawthorn blossoms harvested around the distillery. Getting to taste the beer and the new make was amazing, and learning about their distillery process, and seeing how everything ran from the inside, tied the visit perfectly together. Such a fantastic experience!
Yes, I am a whiskey nerd, and no, I have never experienced having a cask opened for me to taste. It was such an exhilarating experience! I will only say a little about what I was tasting as I am uncertain whether I can spill the beans. Still, one of the main highlights – and I know this might sound strange coming from a self-proclaimed whiskey nerd – was when Peter treated me to a taste of a 60-year-old sherry straight from the cask. Magical, absolutely magical.
At the end of my tour, I met their father, Pat Cooney, and had the honour of listening to him and James whistling The Parting Glass before bidding them farewell for now. I’m intrigued by Boann and the things they have in store for future releases, and it’s worth keeping an eye on. I know I will.
I even got to bring a limited release from their Single Cask Series home with me, a bottle of The Whistler ex-Premier Crú Classé Bordeaux Wine Cask hand selected by Binny’s Beverage Depot for the US market. I’m very excited to taste it, and since whiskey is for drinking, I will enjoy it and share my thoughts about it soon!
To summarise, I had the best time at Boann Distillery and cannot thank Peter and James enough for inviting me. I am already looking forward to returning, although I will probably book a taxi in advance next time. If you get the chance to visit the distillery, then go!
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