Clonakilty Distillery — County Cork Single Malt Whisky

Clonakilty Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery located on the waterfront of Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland. It was founded in 2016 by the Scully family and is currently owned and operated by them as an independent, family-run business. It is notable for being built on a farm that the Scully family has worked for nine successive generations, and for its focus on triple-distilled, farm-to-bottle whiskey made largely from barley grown on its own land.

History

Clonakilty Distillery grew out of an existing family farm on the coast of West Cork, where the Scully family had grown barley for generations before deciding to turn that heritage grain into whiskey themselves. Founder Michael Scully, together with family members including Helen and Pádraig Scully, established the distillery in 2016 on the waterfront of Clonakilty town, on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way. The site includes a working distillery, an in-house bottling facility, a warehouse overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and a deep artesian well used for the distillery's water. Clonakilty distills its spirit through triple distillation and uses extended fermentation, drawing on barley sourced from its own farm and from other growers in County Cork. Alongside whiskey, the distillery also produces Minke Irish Gin and Minke Irish Vodka. It operates a visitor centre and shop on-site, offering guided tours, tastings, and a gin-making experience, and the company has been certified as a B Corp in recognition of its sustainability practices.

Quick Facts

• Region: County Cork, Ireland
• Founded: 2016
• Owner: Scully family (independent, family-owned)
• Status: Active
• Stills: Copper pot stills (triple distillation)

Core Range

Clonakilty's core whiskey range includes Clonakilty Single Pot Still, Clonakilty Double Oak, Clonakilty Port Cask, and the Clonakilty Galley Head series, which spans a blended expression and a Single Malt bottling. Specific ABV figures vary by release and are not uniformly published by the distillery; buyers should check the individual bottle for exact strength. The distillery also produces Minke Irish Gin, Minke Irish Vodka, and a Sloe Gin under the same site.