McConnell’s Irish Whisky strikes gold in Poland

Press Release – 17th November 2021

 

McConnell’s Irish Whisky 5 Year Old Blend has won a Gold Medal at the prestigious Warsaw Spirits Competition. The Warsaw gold medal award signals the entry of McConnell’s into the all-important Polish market via a new partnership in the region with Navigator – Spirit Depot. 

McConnell’s, founded in 1776 and now owned by Belfast Distillery Company has re-emerged strongly in the last 18 months supported by its new “Restoring The Legend” campaign. The result has been increased distribution in local and international markets, with McConnell’s attracting widespread acclaim for its taste and diversity. This was the 4th annual Warsaw Spirits Competition and each category was judged through blind taste testing with samples coming from 25 different countries. McConnell’s was scored for its aroma, taste, finish and overall impression with the whisky scoring 86.5 out of 100 points.

 

Commenting on the accolade, Belfast Distillery Company’s CEO, John Kelly said:

 

“[McConnell’s] 5 Year Old Blended Irish Whisky, is a fine marriage of Irish malt and grain whiskies which have been aged in carefully selected bourbon casks to create a unique and exceptional flavour profile. A lot of time, care and craftsmanship has gone into creating this super-premium product.

It is fantastic that [this] whisky is already taking its place among some of the most established brands globally and being recognised for its innovative flavour which contains multiple complimentary undertones including vanilla sweetness, smoky ripe fruits and pepper spice.”

 

“McConnell’s has deep roots in Belfast with the distillery successfully running for 125 years from its foundation through to the 1930’s which was a very difficult time for the whisky industry. We are proud to be re-emerging and thriving not only in Belfast but globally and I am delighted that Poland is now part of our expanding international distribution network.”

 

The distribution will be undertaken in partnership with Navigator – Spirit Depot, a distributor which has quickly established as a leading player in the Polish consumer market. 

 

John continued: “We have now secured a long-term partnership with Navigator – Spirit Depot in Poland and I am very impressed by their knowledge, trade relationship and passion for quality product. We are thrilled to partner with them in Poland.”

 

Speaking on behalf of Navigator – Spirit Depot, Grzegorz Suroweiecki, added: “We are excited to have secured distribution for McConnell’s Irish Whisky in Poland. We have seen the growth of the Irish Whiskey category over the last number of years and wanted to find the right strategic relationship. We are confident that we have done just that through our partnership with Belfast Distillery Company and McConnell’s Irish Whisky.”