A LETTER FROM OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR RICHARD TYRONE WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS 2024
2023 has been an eventful year for Curraghmore whiskey. We actively planned to start the journey of exposing our whiskey and our brand to the world focusing on the Irish Market.
On a personal level it certainly was a momentous occasion for my family to bottle our Inaugural Release back in July. Having founded the business in 2016 with my parents it has been a long time coming in getting our single estate whiskey into a bottle. A process we never wanted to rush with the aim of delivering an exceptional and rare irish whiskey with provenance like no other. We could not have done this without the help and expertise of Noel Sweeney. Noel has been a huge influence on the flavour profile of what will be our household whiskey the triple cask matured style in which we believe offers different flavour compounds within the pot still category not seen before. This is produced from not only the influence of the terroir of Curraghmore grain but the combination of the three casks married together. Virgin oak is a big influencer and we plan for this cask choice to be a pilar of our flavour compounds. Whiskey was invented by the irish monks filling ancient irish oak casks with new fill whiskey spirit. We want to cherish this history through the use of eventually casks made from Curraghmore oak amongst other oak origins delivering a truly single estate whsikey using grain and wood from the same terroir in County Waterford, Ireland. Please watch this space.
I must also mention the huge influence of Brian Watts who sadly passed away unexpectedly in October 2022. Brian distilled our first 5 batches at Great Northern Distillery and was a huge influence on the mash bills selected. His knowledge, guidance and kindness has been imprinted on our spirit and brand. Our inaugural release is an example of his supreme skill in distilling world class whiskey and an example of the huge legacy he left behind in the irish industry. We cherish the memory of Brian and the memories working with him.
The Curraghmore whiskey cask membership has grown this year from 144 to 164 members. We now have members from across the globe in particular a big South African Contingent thanks to The Whiskey Vault. We also have a new syndicate The Canuck Whiskey clan from Calgary, Canada amongst others. Members have visited Curraghmore throughout the year participating in catered lunches in 10 stalls, clay pigeon shooting, attending The Alltogethernow festival, hiking Coumshingaun loop in the Comeragh mountains. We intent to sell a further 12 casks in 2024 so please register your interest through this link to access our membership.
We have had two key strategic members join our team as non-executive directors in Stephen McGivern and John Summers. Both chartered accountants they have extensive experience working with financial whiskey business models and raising EIIS funding exposed to projects such Walsh Whiskey, Powerscourt, Gunpowder Gin and BAK bulk services. We are very lucky to have their experience and expertise and both their passion for Irish Whiskey.
Curraghmore Whiskey has also signed a contract with Noel Sweeney’s consultancy firm Next Level Distillers to continue advising us on maturation programmes and bottling going forward.
Mark Feehan leaves his maternity cover role as Marketing and Sales Manager. We thank Mark for his invaluable contribution. May Stokes returns after welcoming her son Patrick to the world. She has some very exciting plans and we can’t wait to see them in action. Welcome back to the family May.
Stephen, John and I had a very busy Q4 raising the Curraghmore Whiskey EIIS 2023 fund. We had incredible support from existing members and MC2 accountants in cork raising a total of €2.1m. We have a strategic plan in place to use this funding to grow the next key founding blocks to our business on 2024. Increasing single estate pot still and single malt stock production with Great Northern Distillery. An increased marketing budget and to build the first stage of our planning permission in a bonded warehouse giving us the ability to mature our whiskey on site at the Farmyard Curraghmore Estate and bringing us one stage closer to the full cycle single estate whiskey production process. Our members casks will also come home to their rightful place something we are very excited to deliver. It will be a special day when our members can visit their own casks at Curraghmore Estate
Rome certainly wasn’t built in a day and with your help as our valued members we will continue to strive to grow the business in a structured manner leading us to eventually distilling whiskey on site at Curraghmore.
We are excited to announce we will be releasing four new products in 2024. Three single cask whiskies and an older age statement of our triple cask release. This range intends to delve deeper into how each harvest can deliver different flavour profiles and how the three single casks that make up our triple cask whiskey on their own are a totally different experience altogether. Then the triple cask matured whiskey itself being the culmination of all parts. Please keep following us to receive further information on these exciting releases.
As we venture into 2024 I would like to take this opportunity in thanking you our valued members for your continual support. We look forward to hearing and seeing you all as soon as possible and wish you a very healthy, happy and prosperous new year.
