Crolly opens pre-orders for its first single pot still whiskey
A new chapter in Donegal whiskey is opening in Crolly. The Gaeltacht distillery has released its first single pot still whiskey for public pre-order, with 1,000 bottles in the opening batch and dispatch due to begin on 1 November 2026.
Croithlí Cognac Single Cask Single Pot Still is bottled at a cask strength of 53.9% ABV and priced at €139 for 700ml. Every stage of production, from distillation through maturation to bottling, has taken place at The Crolly Distillery.
A milestone for Donegal
The distillery describes the release as Donegal’s first licensed single pot still whiskey in at least 185 years. Its website adds that it has found no evidence of an earlier licensed whiskey from the county documented as single pot still.
This is a big milestone for the team behind Croithlí and for the wider revival of whiskey production in Donegal. The new expression joins the distillery’s existing single malt range, which includes its Triple Cask whiskey, Coillín Darach Oak Series and limited PX and Oloroso releases.
Co-founder Conor McMenamin said the significance reaches beyond the distillery itself: “It’s a first for the ages, and every stage of crafting this special whiskey takes place right here in Crolly.”
A French connection in the Donegal Gaeltacht
The whiskey combines malted and unmalted barley and is made to the single pot still standards of the Irish Whiskey Geographical Indication. Fermentation lasts 72 hours, followed by double distillation using direct fire in vintage Charentais copper stills sourced from France’s Cognac region.
The French connection continues in the warehouse. The spirit spends its full maturation in 300-litre, non-charred French oak ex-Cognac casks supplied by Alter Oak Cooperage in Le Bouscat, Bordeaux. That full-term maturation is one of the release’s most interesting details: the Cognac-seasoned wood shapes the whiskey throughout its time in cask.
Master Distiller Julio Diana explains: “The extended copper contact refines the character of our spirit, while full maturation in Cognac-seasoned French oak imparts depth and complexity.”
The whiskey is bottled with natural colour and without chill filtration.
What to expect in the glass
In the tasting notes supplied with the release, Diana describes orange peel and toasted hazelnut on the nose, alongside Cognac and dried citrus. The palate is described as oily, with poached pear, honey and fruitcake spice, while dried apricot and pear carry into a warming finish.
How to pre-order
Public pre-orders are now open following a priority period for members of the Croithlí Le Chéile whiskey club. The first batch comprises 1,000 bottles, priced at €139 each, with dispatch scheduled to begin on 1 November 2026.
View the whiskey and pre-order directly from The Crolly Distillery.
Built in 1901, the distillery building was a former factory that once produced Donegal Carpets and later the famous Crolly Dolls.
