New Wexford whiskey commemorates the fallen heroes of the 1798 Rebellion

John Stafford runs the family business at Slaney Farms and says the departure into whiskey was a natural step after the release of its gin three years ago.

“We decided we would make our own whiskey from the malt and barely we grow ourselves,” he explains. “However, it takes 3-4 years for a whiskey to mature in the cask, so in the meantime we have made a blended whiskey which we called Bold ‘98. We wanted to commemorate those involved in the 1798 Rebellion and if you look at the emblem on the bottle it features a pike and barley, the latter is significant because it’s said that those who died in the rebellion carried barley in their pockets and, when they died, they were buried in shallow graves and the barely sprouted up from their burial places.”

On sale in Pettitt’s and in hotels and bars across Co Wexford, John says Bold ‘98 has proved popular with the public since its launch in February.

“It’s a mild whiskey, very palatable, it doesn’t burn your throat and is best drank with ice. We’ve done some blind tasting and it has received a very positive reaction, its unique flavour comes from the blending process. Our own whiskey is still maturing and will be ready in a few years, that will carry the Stafford name and will be a total seed to sup whiskey,” he said.