Royal Oak Distillery Enters A Crowded Market For Irish Whiskey.

Irish Whiskey sales are soaring, with more than 6 million cases sold in the U.S. last year. The Irish Whiskey Association has revealed the record figure using CSO Eurostat data and the popularity of Irish Whiskey is continuing to increase around the world, as exports in 2022 passed €1 billion for the first time. Is the market in danger of being tapped out? Apparently not. I asked Woody Kane, Global Brand Ambassador for The Busker at Royal Oak, and Caroline Martin, the distillery’s master blender, about why they got into a crowded market.

How is the Royal Oak Distillery unique? Why is that so critical for the brand?

Kane: The Royal Oak Distillery is producing hand-crafted Irish whiskey, proudly located on an 18th century estate in Ireland’s Ancient East region. The Royal Oak Distillery is the home of The Busker Irish whiskey, where we distill all three styles of Irish whiskey: Single Grain, Single Malt and Single Pot Still, all under one roof, balancing tradition with innovative and modern techniques. We source the highest quality ingredients, from the barely to the water, and work with highly trained distillers who are passionate about what they do and watch carefully over the whole process of production. We select the barrels to suit the needs of each whiskey, and, when ready, our blender meticulously works to ensure that consumers get the highest quality products.

When and why did you get into the business?

Kane: I entered the professional spirits world in 1999, when I began assisting the research and development team at The Hot Irishman with their Irish Coffee and Irish Cream. In 2006, I took on a role by setting up trade show experiences in various markets and training bar staff around Ireland. Around 2014, I joined the Royal Oak Distillery as its ambassador with the goal of creating a world class distillery in County Carlow.

Describe the styles of Irish whiskey Royal Oak makes. Have you discontinued the single pot still?

Kane: As noted, we make all styles of Irish Whiskey: Single Malt, Single Pot Still, Single Grain, and a blend of all three single expressions. Our Single Malt whiskey is matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks to bring you great complexity. We also have our Single Pot Still expression, which is very distinctive to Ireland, and was created to take consumers on a journey of rich and intense flavors. For our Single Grain bottle, the secret is choosing the highest quality spirits and combining them with our hand-selected bourbon and marsala casks. And finally, we have our extraordinary blend, made with Single Grain, and a very high percentage of Single Malt and Single Pot Still with an extraordinary smoothness given by the three-cask influence (Bourbon, Marsala, and Sherry).

When Scotch producers focused in on single malts and everything from cask to vintage labels, it created a swell for a very upscale market but decreased interest in traditional blends and premium Scotches. Has this happened with entry level Irish whiskies?

Martin: I’d like to challenge that concept! Yes, I agree that single malt Scotch does get a lot of visibility, but in reality, blended Scotch whiskies deliver 90% of demand volumes and single malt 10%. The recent upsurge in Irish whiskey production means that the market is still young, compared to Scotch. I think it’s important that some of these whiskeys must be accessible to all consumers and across all formats, blended and singles, especially to new whiskey drinkers. Consumers are still eager to find out everything about Irish whiskeys, including traditional blends and premium offerings. There’s room in the market for all good quality whisk(e)y – Scotch, Irish, and beyond. People have different taste preferences; the fun is about seeking out and finding your favorites.

Is the alcohol by volume an important factor when it comes to the quality of the whiskey? Martin: In my experience, it’s more complex than being just about the bottled alcoholic strength of the whiskey that conveys quality. The quality of a whiskey is all about the flavors for me, how they are perceived, do they appeal to the consumer? It’s also about the serving: do the consumers prefer their whiskey served neat, over ice, or in a cocktail? In my experience, the higher the alcoholic strength the more “closed in” the aroma and taste profile initially tends to be. In the main, “opening up” the whiskey has the tendency to reveal amazing aromas and flavors. It’s important to acknowledge that all consumers are different and to some, a higher alcoholic strength—as in cask strength—will always be an important quality factor, but it should not be the only one.

What makes one whiskey cost so much more than another, as far as the distilling is done? Some casks don’t cost any more than another cask, do they?

Martin: Every part of the whiskey supply chain brings its associated cost with it. That includes different cask types. Some casks are very expensive because they can be very rare and/or very sought after. Whiskeys, too, can range significantly in cost because they may be from closed distilleries, no longer producing newly made spirit. So the finite volume available in the cask can be highly sought after and command high prices. The length of time whiskey is in a cask also has an impact on the cost of bottled whiskey. The longer the maturation time, generally the higher the cost. Finishing a whiskey (in a different cask type) brings with it an added cost. Over and above this, there will be annual fluctuations in the price of raw materials, e.g. malted barley, because of good/bad harvests. All of this drives differences in pricing—and branding will also have an impact on the price to markets.

Do your whiskies make for good cocktails?

Kane: Yes, sure. We always suggest drinking our Whiskies neat to taste the quality of the liquid, but we collaborated with many important bartenders that created outstanding cocktails with The Busker. Jeffrey Morgenthaler, who is the author of The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique, and now co-owner of Pacific Standard lobby bar in Portland, created for a special event the Slan Leat cocktail with Busker Single Grain, Lillet Blanc and Cynar. Simone Caporale from Sips Drinkery House in Barcelona created his wild vision of a Whiskey Sour. Hiroyasu Kayama from BenFiddich Bar (Tokyo) has created special cocktails with our Blend.

Where are most of your sales?

Kane: The Busker is biggest in the U.S. and growing a lot in Japan and Holland.

Is there a stratum of drinkers you aim at most—GenX, Millennials, etc.?

Kane: Millennials are our main target.

How do you work together with a distillery in the production of a whiskey before being put in cask?

Martin: As the Master Blender at Royal Oak Distillery it’s part of my role and that of the Lead Blender to work with the distilling team in creating new-make spirits that will support our current whiskey portfolio: The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth, and the 3 Busker single bottlings—Single Grain, Single Malt & Single Pot whiskeys. It’s important the blending team sign off on the quality of each new-make spirit, including the flavor styles required. Thereafter it’s about ensuring the consistency of the three newly made spirits before they are filled to cask. Sensory and chemical analysis is performed on a daily basis. Significant experience in the science and technology of whiskey making is vitally important in ensuring the distillery produces a spirit that is fit for purpose.

What is a “new-make spirit”?

Kane: A new-make spirit is a high-proof alcohol that comes straight off the still during spirit production before being transferred to the barrel for aging so it can legally be called whiskey. Moonshine and Malt Spirit are two other names for a new-make spirit. While the new-make flavor has an effect on the whiskey, the wood in which it is aged contributes significantly to its flavor and color.