| Country | ireland |
| Region | County Mayo |
| Established | 2015 |
| Owner | McKay family (IrishAmerican Trading Company / IrishAmerican Whiskeys) |
| Type | Irish whiskey distillery (single malt and blended) |
| Number of stills | Copper pot stills |
| Visitor center | Yes |
| Status | Active |
| Phone | n/a |
Achill Island Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery located at Bunacurry (Bunnacurry) on Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland. It was founded in 2015 and is currently owned and run by the McKay family, trading under the name IrishAmerican Whiskeys. It is promoted as Ireland's first and only distillery sited on an island, using water drawn from Lough Corrymore, the highest mountain lake in Europe.
Achill Island Distillery was established in 2015 by John McKay, who set out to combine Irish distilling heritage with an American commercial outlook, trading as the IrishAmerican Trading Company. The business remains family-run: it is now operated day to day by John's sons Sean and Michael McKay, with Marion McKay overseeing operations and daughters Kelly-Ann and Katie handling marketing. The distilling team trained under distiller Jack O'Shea before taking on production at the Achill Island site.
Because the distillery is relatively young, its range spans both whiskey distilled on site under the "Achill Island" single malt label and older stock bottled under the "IrishAmerican" name, including aged expressions such as a 10 Year Old and a 19 Year Old Founder's Reserve. The site was built with visitors in mind: a purpose-built platform brings guests up to the copper pot stills, guided tours (around 2 to 2.5 hours) cover the process "from barley to barrel," and each visit ends with a tasting at the on-site Barley Field Bar. The distillery has won awards including Double Gold at the WSWA Awards (2017–2019) and Double Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2018).
Achill Island Distillery's own single malt line includes the Achill Island Single Malt (Bourbon Cask) at 44% ABV, matured in first-fill Kentucky bourbon barrels; the Achill Island Single Malt (Bordeaux Cask Finish) at 44% ABV, finished in Bordeaux red wine casks; and the Achill Island Peated Single Malt, bottled at 44% ABV with a cask-strength 60% ABV version also released. A limited Achill Island Pot Still 2023 Special Edition (47% ABV, matured in bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, 1,000 bottles) has also been released. Under the IrishAmerican name the distillery also bottles the IrishAmerican Classic Blend and IrishAmerican 10 Year Old Single Malt, both from first-fill ex-bourbon casks, alongside a limited Founder's Reserve 19 Year Old Single Malt finished in Jamaican rum casks (625 bottles).
Achill Island distillery is located at Unit 2, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Bunacurry, Achill Island, Westport, Co. Mayo, F28 AY75, Ireland.
Achill Island distillery was founded in 2015.
Achill Island distillery is owned by McKay family (IrishAmerican Trading Company / IrishAmerican Whiskeys).
Achill Island distillery is from County Mayo, ireland.
Yes, Achill Island distillery welcomes visitors.
You can buy Achill Island whisky at Glenbotal.co.uk. We currently stock a selection with free UK delivery on orders over £99.
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About Glenbotal
The idea of Glenbotal came to us naturaly: as whisky lovers, we were always on the lookout for new experiences in the whisky world. That’s why we created Glenbotal and became our very own first customers. We buy unique and hard to find spirits from auctions, ballots, and private collections. Then, we share them with a small circle of friends and people who can appreciate a good dram.