Full-flavoured Donegal whiskeys that ‘challenge without scaring you’

Earlier this week I retasted The Midnight Silkie Irish Whiskey from Sliabh Liag distillery in Donegal. It was released last year and recently won a double gold in its first competition at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. “All three of our whiskeys have now won double gold or better and been category champions,” says founder and co-owner James Doherty. “Flavour-wise they are outliers compared to most Irish whiskey. The trade and consumers were not always so receptive, but that has really changed. They went down really well at Whiskey Live. We are not like an Islay whiskey; there is no TCP or medicinal flavours. They challenge without scaring you. The Midnight gives you a rounded malty approach.”

The Midnight joins two other whiskeys in their core range, The Legendary Silkie and The Legendary Dark Silkie. It is a blend of five different single malt whiskeys, one peated, the others finished in oloroso sherry, virgin oak, red wine, and Imperial stout. It makes for a full-flavoured whiskey with peat fires, spicy baked apples with dried fruits and brown sugar. It is dry but with a lovely smooth sweetness of fruit.

Sliabh Liag distillery also produces the saline seaweed infused Dúlamán, one of my favourite gins. Doherty had just come in from picking seaweed when I talked to him. “It is very therapeutic,” he says. “We harvested about two kilos today, then some more the other day too. We now have enough to make 11 batches of gin.” The Midnight is available for €46 from SliabhLiagdistillers.com and specialist off-licences.