Sean Gael, The sum of all parts

AN ANCIENT
GAELIC DISTILLING
HERITAGE REVIVED

Burren Distillers revives Sean Gael heritage whiskey-making by creating a spirit which predates contemporary expressions of Irish whiskey.

From barley to barrel to bottle to you

Sean Gael,
A celebration of spirit

Modern whiskey was shaped by considerable changes in distilling and maturation strategies during the 18th century. Burren Distillers stay true to Sean Gael production, an original Gaelic method rooted in the 13th century. Sean Gael can be understood as the sum of all parts.

Noel O’ Lochlainn, Burren Distillers’ founder and proud descendant of the 17th century clan that once ruled The Burren, speaks about the historical context of Sean Gael

TERRA NADER TE A

An original Gaelic Method

the sean
gael method

An original Gaelic Method

the sean
gael method

Harvesting

The barley we use in crafting our single malt is locally grown. Nurtured by unusually temperate weather, the crop is gently misted by saline winds from the wild Atlantic Ocean before harvesting with traditional Irish equipment and processes.

Floor-malting

As a micro-distillery, our malting batches are relatively small. We floor-malt by hand, carefully aerating the grain to optimum moisture content and ensuring an even germination process. By allowing nature to take its course, the end result is a greater sweetness and lower acidity.

Mashing

After malting, the barley is kiln-dried then mixed with the distillery's well water to extract the juices, sugars and enzymes. Mashing takes place in traditional oak vats to prevent rapid temperature changes. This allows the delicate mash to heat and cool gently, thus preserving the broad flavour profile of the grain.

Fermentation

Following tradition, we direct-fire our stills and triple distil our spirit for a softer, fuller flavour and more concentrated whiskey. Our distillers manually guide the distillation process and skilfully separate the perfect heart.

Triple Distillation

Our stills are made from copper inside and out, maximising copper exposure for a unique flavour profile. Following tradition, we direct fire our stills and triple distil our spirit for a softer, fuller flavour and more concentrated whiskey. Our distillers manually guide the distillation process and skilfully separate the perfect heart.

Maturation

Burren™️ Irish Whiskey Single Malt is aged and finished in barrels custom-made from Irish sessile oak - dair ghaelach - sourced from Birr Castle in Ireland's County Offaly and the Kelly estate in Ballymahon. The staves are handcrafted in Clonasle. Over time the barrels will infuse the whiskey with unmistakeable aromas, flavours and tannins.

Our manual techniques, traditional equipment and willingness to let nature take its course, make our process deliberately slow and extremely rewarding. The outcome is a spirit of another time and place, a revival of an ancient profile: complex, round and deeply satisfying.

Sustainability

Distillers and stewards
of our lands

Ancient and Rewarding

As far back as the 13th century, by means of Brehon laws, the people of The Burren upheld a system of ecological and social harmony which was evident in all aspects of life – whiskey included.

Resource Management

Our heritage barley is grown just 12 kilometres away from the distillery, in fields where crops are rotated and where neighbouring wild flower meadows encourage biodiversity.

Our distillery uses water sourced from our own well, and collected rainwater. We monitor usage and use recycled water for chilling and cleaning.

CHEMICAL FREE

All our equipment is steam-cleaned after each use. By removing the need for caustic cleaning agents we protect our land and create a healthy work environment for our team.

IRISH OAK

Apart from our copper stills all equipment needed for malting, mashing, chilling and fermentation is made according to tradition – from Irish oak. To protect this precious resource, as part of our Origin Green strategy, we plant 100 oak trees each year.