The Connacht Whiskey Company, based in Ballina, recorded a major breakthrough earlier this week at the Irish Whiskey Awards when its Connacht Single Malt Distillery Exclusive was named ‘Best Cask Strength Irish Whiskey of the Year’.

The distillery also received a Gold Medal for its Straw Boys Poitín.

The Irish Whiskey Awards competition is now in its tenth year and features Irish whiskey and spirits in twenty categories.

The awards were held at the Jameson Bow Street Distillery in Dublin.

The delighted CEO of the Connacht Whiskey Company, Thomas Jensen says, “the fact that our five and a half year old single malt can not only compete but win against some of the greatest whiskey brands in the world gives us confidence that we are doing things right”.

CWC’s whiskeys are heavily influenced by Ireland’s maritime climate and it’s used as a key selling point that every bottle has been crafted by the Atlantic at the Ballina distillery.