The home of whiskey distilling, the country that has produced whiskey for longer than anywhere else and the birthplace of world-famous brands such as Bushmills, Jameson, Kilbeggan and Teeling, Irish whiskey has a reputation for a depth and diversity that is unrivalled.
Now Boann Distillery, based in the Boyne Valley in the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East, is the toast of the whiskey industry after lifting the world’s best new whiskey title at Whisky Magazine’s 2021 global awards.
The family-run distillery’s ‘New Born’ single pot still whiskey was chosen as the world’s Best New Make and Young Spirit 2021 in the World Whiskies Awards.
Celebration glasses were also raised for Redbreast 21 Year Old, distilled in County Cork by Irish Distillers, which was crowned the World’s Best Pot Still Irish Whiskey in the same category.
Commending the best and brightest in the world of whiskey, the prestigious international awards include annual presentations in three categories, the World Whiskies Awards, Icons of Whisky and the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame.
With the Irish taking away a total of five accolades, there were two more wins in the Icons of Whiskey category. Sabine Sheehan of the Dublin-based Lambay Irish Whiskey Company won the Icons of Whisky Award Global as Irish Whiskey Brand Ambassador 2021, while Padraic Rafter, the general manager of the Paris Texas Bar and Restaurant in Kilkenny city was awarded the title of World Whiskey Bar Manager of the Year.