Irish Whiskey

Wow, it’s been a crazy summer. It’s already October and I’m just now getting back to the content from my trip to Ireland in May. Well, continuing from the post on The Old Jameson Distillery we’re off to Kilbeggan!

After our time in Dublin and the surrounding areas, my wife and I headed west on the N6 to Kilbeggan. It’s actually pretty easy to get there. Off the N6 you turn on to R389 and take that north to R446 headed west and the distillery is just down the road on the right. Heading into the quiet town of Kilbeggan we meandered down the main road until we came to The Old Kilbeggan Distillery/Kilbeggan Distillery Experience (formerly know and the Old Locke’s Distillery). If you are smart you aren’t racing down any of the Irish country roads but heading through Kilbeggan you can drive right past the distillery if you aren’t paying attention. Hang a right just past the distillery and the parking lot will be on your right behind the distillery.

As soon as you get out of the car you’ll see barrels off in the distance and smell that tell tale whiskey distillery aroma of distilled water of life, grain, and fermenting distiller’s bear/mash. Let’s take a moment to level set expectations. This is not where Cooley makes all their Kilbeggan. That facility isn’t open to the public. They make a very small amount of whiskey here. More of this site is still dedicated to the shuttered remnants of the Old Locke Distillery than the new active distillery operation. It’s not a deal breaker for a visit. I just want you to realize when you are outside the distillery that only a relatively small part of what you are looking at is actually devoted to active production. Also, most of the “tour” is the Old Locke’s part and you only get to see a little of what is used to make the new stuff. I’m not sure why the Irish are so shy about their production facilities but at the time of this post Bushmills is the only distillery doing a tour anywhere close to what bourbon and scotch fans have come to know.

So with that disclaimer out of the way let’s head around front from the parking lot and go inside. As you enter the front there is a lovely little bar to the right and a desk to the left where you pay your seven euros per person for the tour. At the time of my visit in May 2012 they were not taking plastic. Cash only so come prepared. Now that I think about it that’s a good general tip for traveling in Ireland, especially for plastic dependent Americans.

After you pay your euros you’ll get a copy of the tour guide. Yep. Not tour guides. It’s a paper packet with notes for the various numbered tour stations throughout the Old Locke’s Distillery. For those of you who have toured other active distilleries this is a little anti-climatic. It’s really more of a museum at this point than a distillery tour. (According to the website Kilbeggan now offers guided, self-guided, and group tours seven days a week. I guess I went for a visit a little too soon.)

Once you make your way through the museum portion you can head across the breezeway and up the stairs to a small area housing actual Cooley whiskey. You can head to the back and overlook the active still. (According to Cooley this is the oldest pot still in production.) That’s as close as you’re going to get to active production here. Head back downstairs and follow the signs to the gift shop. Here you can get your shot glasses, minis, and other Cooley/Kilbeggan swag.

After you stock up on souviners head back over to that bar you passed on the way in. Here you can get your dram of Kilbeggan included in the tour price. This is really a neat little bar. They also have Guinness on tap and you’re just as likely to be sitting next to a local having a pint as you are to be sitting next to a tourist. You can also buy minis and bottles of many different Cooley offerings. Special among these is the Distillery Reserve version of Kilbeggan. This is actually what’s being made here at the distillery. It’s young and it’s pricey. I bought a bottle. I kind of wish I hadn’t. If you really want one then I recommend waiting and picking one up duty free at the airport in Dublin. It’s A LOT cheaper.

All in all it’s an interesting little jaunt going to Kilbeggan. I wouldn’t plan a whiskey pilgrimage around it but if it’s on your way why not stop by for a visit. My hope is that they continue to expand this facility and open the Cooley Distillery in County Louth to tours. Until then this is as close as you’re going to get to the birthplace of Kilbeggan or Cooley whiskey.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

The Old Jameson Distillery is located in Dublin. If you’ve never been to Dublin then let me tell you that in early May it can be rainy and cold as hell. In all fairness it was only in the upper 40’s when I was there but the drizzling rain and gusting wind made it feel much colder. So with that as my weather back drop my wife and I were looking for things to do inside while we were in Dublin. The Old Jameson Distillery fit the bill quite nicely. Honestly, my wife and I both love Irish whiskey so it wasn’t really a hard sell. The distillery is located in the Smithfield area of Dublin and is open for tours seven days a week. Tours runs every 25 minutes with the last one starting at 5:15 PM. Tickets are 13 Euros per person and that includes a drink of Jameson at the end. Unlike some Scottish distilleries the ticket price cannot be put toward any subsequent purchases in their gift shop.

If you decide to go for a visit you go in and get your tickets and then you wait. And wait. This is one of the top visitor attractions in Dublin. It’s big with the international crowd. You definitely won’t be the only foreigners there. Jameson is enjoyed around the world. You will likely be with other Americans, Germans, French, Russians, Japanese, and a whole host of others. Tours are generally conducted in English unless there is a tour group that makes other arrangements in advance. While you are waiting for your tour to begin you can do some early reconnaissance in the gift shop; have a drink of any of Irish Distillers fine whiskeys, cocktails, or Irish coffee in JJ’s bar; or head upstairs to the 3rd Still Restaurant for an a la carte meal. The restaurant is quite nice and all the staff throughout the distillery are very friendly and helpful.

Now they finally called your tour number. What are you going to see? First, let’s level set expectations a little bit. This used to be a distillery. Now it’s the Jameson Experience. Think of it like an homage to Jameson Whiskey. Spirit hasn’t flowed here since 1971, shortly after to merger in 1966 that created Irish Distillers from John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son, and Cork Distillery Company. The only “real” distillery tour (by bourbon and scotch standards) that you will find in Ireland now is up at Bushmills. Don’t let that dissuade you. It’s still a nice little joint. So with that we go on our tour. You start off with an intro speech from the tour guide and a video extolling the wonder that is Jameson Irish Whiskey. It’s a cute propaganda video that’s not too long and somewhat entertaining. After that you begin the tour proper. You are guided through the facility to different preset stations, each highlighting a different aspect of the whiskey making process. It’s not too exciting and anyone who regularly follows this site or reads up on whiskey probably won’t learn much.

At the end of the tour the guide will select six to eight people from each group to do a special tasting. As you are ushered into the tasting room most people will choose a Jameson beverage immediately to the right. You can get your Jameson straight up, with ginger ale, with cranberry juice, with Sprite, or over ice. Between my wife and me we got it neat and with ginger ale. Those individuals chosen for the special tasting will taste Jameson head to head with Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker Black. The guide then takes a poll on who likes Jameson the best and presents the participants with a Whiskey Taster Certificate. You get a closing speech from the guide and then conveniently come out near the gift shop.

The gift shop was my favorite part. You can get all the Jameson gear you could want including t-shirts, sweaters, umbrellas, hats, chocolates, and a bunch more. You can also buy just about every whiskey Irish Distillers makes. The Distillery Reserve is an interesting pick as it’s only available at the The Old Jameson Distillery and The Old Midleton Distillery gift shops and you can get a bottle personalized. For everything else you would do better buying it at home or duty free because the prices (taxes) are steep.

That’s it. Is this a Mecca or utopia of Irish whiskey? No, but it’s a fun diversion if you are in Dublin and are inclined to go.

The Old Jameson Distillery
Bow Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7
353 1 807 2355
Open 7 Days a week from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
3rd Still Restaurant open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM