New whiskey launched in North West region
The first Irish Whiskey from the Tyrone and Derry/Londonderry region in more
than a century has made history when it was launched on December 21 st . The
opening of the inaugural cask of The IslandMen fittingly named the 1921
Release comes over a century after the closure of the region’s Watt Distillery in
Derry in 1921.
The IslandMen 1921 is the first whiskey release from award-winning Wild
Atlantic Distillery, a Food NI member, based in Aghyaran, Castlederg. The
exclusive release of the single malt Irish whiskey will see approximately 350
bottles drawn from Cask 001.
Following the bottling on December 21 st , a lottery will take place for 195 bottles
being made available to the public. Those interested in their chance to secure
one of the historic bottles can register up to 20 th December. The remaining
bottles are reserved for members of 1921 Whiskey Club, Wild Atlantic
Distillery’s whiskey club.
December 21st, 2021 was chosen to distil the first IslandMen as a nod to Watt
Distillery’s closure in 1921. Three years later to the day, the cask was opened
and bottling began. Only then, will the exact bottle count be determined.
Co-founder of the Wild Atlantic Distillery, Jim Nash says December 21 st marked
a momentous occasion for the Northwest.
“Over one hundred years after the last bottle of whiskey was distilled in the
Tyrone/Derry region, we bottled IslandMen for the first time. We are immensely
proud to revive the rich tradition of Irish Whiskey making in the Northwest.
IslandMen pays homage to the past, but we will be certain to raise a glass to
the future. It’s a new beginning!”
Established in 2019, Wild Atlantic Distillers has won international awards for its
Wild Atlantic gin and vodka. It has built a strong reputation for quality and a
deep connection with place and heritage.
