A Cognac-Cask Pot Still From the Donegal Gaeltacht
The Crolly Distillery has announced Croithlí Cognac Single Cask, Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, which it describes as Donegal's first-ever licensed single pot still whiskey. Co-founder Conor McMenamin said: "This is Donegal's first-ever licensed single pot still whiskey." The bottling is limited to 1,000 bottles at 53.9% ABV and an RRP of €139. Pre-orders are open through the distillery's website, with release set for November 1.
Whiskey has not been made at any scale in Donegal for generations, and the distillery sits in the Gaeltacht, the Irish-speaking region on the northwest coast. A first pot still release is the sort of milestone small Irish distilleries wait years to reach.
What Single Pot Still Means
Single pot still is a distinctly Irish style: a mash of both malted and unmalted barley, distilled in copper pot stills at a single distillery. That sets it apart from the distillery's existing single malt range, which is made entirely from malted barley. The unmalted portion is the traditional source of the spicy, creamy texture that Irish pot still drinkers prize, and it has been part of Irish whiskey for centuries.
The style fell out of fashion for much of the twentieth century, as lighter blended whiskeys took over, and it has been revived by modern distillers who want a flavor that sets Irish whiskey apart from Scotch.
Stills, Casks and Mash Bill
Crolly distills in vintage Cognac Charentais copper pot stills from France, double distilled over direct fire. Direct firing, where a flame heats the still itself, tends to produce a heavier, more characterful spirit than steam heating. The whiskey is matured in 300-litre, non-charred French oak casks that previously held Cognac, supplied by Alter Oak Cooperage in Bordeaux. Master Distiller Julio Diana linked the elements together: "That French connection runs through a whiskey made entirely here in Donegal."
The mash bill mixes malted and unmalted barley, though the exact proportions were not given in the announcement. The age is not stated, so the 1,000 bottles carry no age statement on the available information.
Why Non-Charred Casks
Most bourbon and many Scotch casks are charred or toasted inside, which brings out vanilla and caramel. A non-charred French oak cask that held Cognac gives a different result: more fruit, more subtle oak, and flavors carried over from the brandy. For a spirit already full of character from direct-fired pot stills, that gentler influence leaves room for the grain to speak.
Tasting Notes
The distillery's notes describe a nose of orange peel, toasted hazelnuts, Cognac aromas and dried citrus. On the palate come poached pear, dark honey, spiced fruitcake and warming oak. At 53.9% ABV, the whiskey is bottled at a strength that is likely to carry those flavors without chill filtration, though the announcement does not describe the filtration.
How Crolly Got Here
The distillery opened in September 2020 and laid down its first single malt cask that October. Pot still casks followed in September 2021, so the earliest pot still spirit would be around five years old. Crolly produces both single malt and single pot still whiskey, using a pair of direct-fired copper pot stills from the Cognac region, and every stage of production takes place in Crolly.
The distillery has already released single malts under the Croithlí name, including an Oloroso Single Cask. It has also sold cask-ownership offers, including a limited release of 50 casks of single pot still whiskey under the name Tír Chonaill Abú, in which buyers received full ownership of a 200-litre cask. That offer is listed on the distillery's site, and its relation to the new bottling is not stated.
Where It Fits in Irish Whiskey
Ireland had six distilleries in 2010 and about 50 by March 2025, according to industry figures. Exports were valued at about €930 million in 2025, down 5% as U.S. market pressures weighed on sales, after surpassing €1 billion in 2024. In that setting, a small independent distillery launching its first pot still with a 1,000-bottle run and a €139 price is making a bet on collectors and enthusiasts, not mass distribution.
The price puts it in the range of premium Irish releases, and the single-cask format gives it a limited, collectible angle. The French connection, from the Cognac stills to the Bordeaux-made casks, also gives it a story that is different from the bourbon-cask maturation common across Irish whiskey.
What Buyers Should Know
With a short run and pre-orders open to the public, expect it to move quickly. Collectors who followed the distillery's cask offers may already have some familiarity with the spirit. For everyone else, this is the first bottled look at what Donegal's pot still tastes like. Check the distillery's site for shipping destinations and timing, since release details have shifted in the past, and one review mentioned a pot still release coming in December, which conflicts with the November 1 date.
