Irish Whiskey Awards - BourbonSphere

Is the Luxury Whisky Investment Market Softening?

Whisky has become more attractive as an investment asset in recent years, but a new report indicates the value of luxury whiskies has declined over… Read More

Whisky has become more attractive as an investment asset in recent years, but a new report indicates the value of luxury whiskies has declined over the past year. We’ll talk with the report’s author, Duncan McFadzean of Scotland’s Noble & Company, on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, lots of hardware was handed out at this week’s awards ceremonies in Scotland and Ireland, and we’ll have the details. Chivas Brothers faces strikes by its union workers next week, and there’s less than a month left before American whiskies face European import tariffs again.

Episode 1033: December 3, 2023

Midleton Distillery Shut Down by Flooding

Unprecedented flooding has forced the shutdown of Ireland’s largest distillery, the Irish Distillers facility at Midleton, County Cork. While the distillery itself is on a… Read More

Unprecedented flooding has forced the shutdown of Ireland’s largest distillery, the Irish Distillers facility at Midleton, County Cork. While the distillery itself is on a hill above the flooding and wasn’t damaged, the distillery has been shut for safety reasons.

However, the brand-new Midleton Distillery Experience visitors center suffered extensive damage, and is reported to be under one meter of water. Irish Distillers social media posts note that the Experience will be closed until further notice, and all previously scheduled tours in the coming days have been cancelled. The attraction opened September 30 after a multi-million dollar renovation, and was scheduled to host the Irish Whiskey Awards later this month. That ceremony has been postponed while organizers secure an alternative venue.

According to The Irish Independent, Storm Babet dumped a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours, flooding the town of Midleton and nearby villages along the River Dungourney. So far, no injuries have been reported, though businesses on Midleton’s high street remain under water as of Thursday evening.

WhiskyCast has reached out to Irish Distillers executives for more details on the extent of the damage, and this story will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.

Links: Irish Distillers