| Country | ireland |
| Region | County Donegal |
| Established | 1814 |
| Owner | William Leathem (founder; closed since 1841) |
| Type | Irish grain whiskey (pot still) |
| Number of stills | One 49-gallon pot still (recorded 1821) |
| Visitor center | No |
| Status | Closed |
| Phone | n/a |
Burt Distillery is a former Irish whiskey distillery that operated near the village of Burt (at Bohullion), in County Donegal, Ireland. It was founded in 1814 by William Leathem and closed in 1841, after 27 years of production. It stands out as the only licensed distillery known to have achieved sustained commercial success in a part of Donegal long associated with illicit poitín-making.
William Leathem established the Burt distillery in 1814 at Bohullion, in the parish of Burt, near the shores of Lough Swilly in County Donegal. Where local producers turned out poitín — an unlicensed spirit typically distilled from barley and molasses and sold within weeks — Leathem set his operation apart by producing a licensed, grain-based whiskey matured for at least a year before sale. By 1821 the distillery was working a 49-gallon still, and output grew through the 1820s: in 1828 alone it produced more than 53,000 gallons (around 53,873 gallons) of proof spirit, a substantial volume for a rural Irish distillery of the period.
Burt distillery closed in 1841. Despite its early success, it could not sustain itself against pressure from two directions: cheap illicit poitín still widely made across rural Donegal, and large, well-capitalised legal distilleries that had by then been established just across the border in nearby Derry. No whiskey from Burt is known to survive on the collectors' market, and the distillery left no lasting brand or bottlings still in circulation, so its significance today is historical rather than collectible. Part of the original distillery building — identifiable by its tall chimney — still stands as a farm outbuilding, visible from the N13 road between Derry and Letterkenny, a quiet reminder that Donegal had a legal whiskey industry more than a century before its 21st-century revival by producers such as Sliabh Liag Distillers.
Burt distillery is located at Bohullion, Burt, County Donegal, Ireland.
Burt distillery was founded in 1814.
Burt distillery is owned by William Leathem (founder; closed since 1841).
Burt distillery is from County Donegal, ireland.
You can buy Burt 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.