Slane releases special whiskey to celebrate four decades of live music

Some 80,000 people attended the first concert in Slane Castle on August 16th, 1981. Doubtless they will be interested in this latest whiskey release, delayed by a year by Covid. Just over 40 years after the concert, Slane Distillery, located in the castle grounds, has released just 2,928 bottles of Slane Special Edition, a whiskey that commemorates 1981 and the music from the names that have played there.

The label features artwork inspired by 1981. The gift box it comes in will include exclusive access to a 40th-anniversary Spotify playlist curated by Alex Conyngham, son of Lord Henry and co-founder of Slane Irish Whiskey. Naturally it will feature artists who performed at Slane over the years.

“It is a tribute to Lord Henry, for having the bravery to go ahead with the concert. We wanted to make something special, worthy of the anniversary,” says Slane master distiller Dr Gearóid Cahill. “The triple cask is integral to our blended whiskey, and we wanted to keep that. We had multiple sessions with the team, Alex and sensory experts from Brown-Forman. The virgin oak kept coming back, making it something special. The casks we get are heavily toasted to our specification, so you get lots of vanilla and wood spice that adds to the character of the whiskey bringing extra complexity and depth. It’s about dialling up the oak.”

Slane Special Edition is available to buy nationwide in selected Tesco, Dunnes, SuperValu and O’Briens stores, as well as specialist off-licences nationwide and at Slane Distillery from February 28th, with a recommended retail price of €39.60 for a 700ml bottle.