AN ANCIENT oak tree which was brought down by a storm in Ireland has been recycled into whiskey casks.
The 1,000-year-old tree came down in the Preston Estate at Swainstown Farm in Kilmessan, Co. Meath in 2023 during Storm Elin.
It has now been crafted into three rare Irish oak whiskey casks.
Mark Quick of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel with Peter Cooney, centre, of Boann Distillery and Ian Leonard of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel on Swainstown Farm in Co Meath, shortly after the 1,000 year old oak tree was toppled by Storm Elin in 2023. (Pic: Brian Connolly/Bang Bang Visual)The casks are the creation of a collaboration between the Boann Distillery in Co. Meath and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel in Co. Kildare.
Between them they salvaged wood from the oak tree to be recrafted into the whiskey casks which will be filled with matured whiskey from the Drogheda based Boann Distillery.
Head cooper Ian Leonard at work transforming the ancient Irish oak into one of three rare whiskey casks at Newbridge's Kentucky Bourbon Barrel. (Pic: Brian Connolly/Bang Bang Visual)Ian Leonard, who is head cooper at the Newbridge-based Kentucky Bourbon Barrel, worked on the three 225-litre casks, which were completed this week.
It marks the first time in over a hundred years that Irish oak whiskey casks have been coopered by Irish craftspeople in Ireland.
Mr Leonard with one of the almost-completed casks which will be filled with matured whiskey from Boann Distillery in Drogheda. (Pic: Brian Connolly/Bang Bang Visual)The finished whiskey is expected to be bottled next year.
“This oak stood at Preston’s Estate for around 1,000 years, and its story could easily have ended when it fell during Storm Elin,” said Peter Cooney of Boann Distillery said.
“Instead, it has returned to Ireland to begin a new life as three extraordinarily rare whiskey casks.”
He added: “Using the wood to mature Preston’s Irish Whiskey creates a direct connection between the Preston family’s land, its historic whiskey-bonding legacy and Boann’s work to revive old Irish whiskey recipes.”
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See More: Irish Oak Tree, Kildare, Meath, Storm Elin, Whiskey Casks
