Royal Oak Distillery
Royal Oak Distillery is a purpose-built Irish whiskey distillery on the historic Royal Oak estate in County Carlow, opened on 21 June 2016 by Bernard and Rosemary Walsh at a total investment of €25 million. The Walshs had founded Walsh Whiskey in 1999, initially producing The Irishman and Writers' Tears from sourced stock, before constructing their own facility. Royal Oak is the only independent Irish whiskey distillery producing all three traditional styles — pot still, single malt, and grain — under one roof, using both copper pot stills and column stills across two separate production lines. The estate setting, a working farm in the rolling Carlow countryside, gives the distillery a distinctive rural character.
The distillery gained international recognition quickly, with Writers' Tears and The Irishman both receiving awards across the whiskey world. A major ownership change in 2019 altered the company's structure, but production has continued uninterrupted at the Carlow site.
Tours
Available
On-site Shop
Open
Online Shop
Available
History
Walsh Whiskey was founded in 1999 by husband and wife Bernard and Rosemary Walsh, initially producing and marketing Irish whiskey from third-party distillates while working towards their own facility. After years of planning and fundraising, they broke ground on the Royal Oak estate in County Carlow, completing Ireland's most ambitious new distillery project at the time.
The distillery became operational in March 2016, with the first low wines produced on Good Friday and the first spirit running on Easter Sunday — a fitting date that resonated with the founders. The official public opening followed on 21 June 2016.
In 2016, Illva Saronno — the Italian spirits group behind Disaronno Amaretto — entered into a partnership with Walsh Whiskey, investing in the business in exchange for a stake in the company. This partnership provided commercial muscle for international expansion. However, by 2019 the relationship had ended, with Illva Saronno acquiring sole ownership of the Royal Oak Distillery and its infrastructure. Walsh Whiskey (Bernard and Rosemary Walsh) continued separately as a brand business.
Despite the separation, The Irishman and Writers' Tears brands remain associated with the Royal Oak site, and production continues there. The distillery remains unique in the Irish whiskey landscape as the only facility producing all three legally recognised styles of Irish whiskey on a single site.
Production
Royal Oak's two production lines reflect its dual identity. The pot still line uses traditional copper pot stills and produces both single pot still whiskey (from a mash of malted and unmalted barley) and single malt whiskey. The grain whiskey line employs column stills to produce lighter, continuous-distillation spirit for blending and as standalone expressions. This combination is rare in Ireland and entirely unique among independent distilleries.
All whiskey is triple distilled in keeping with Irish tradition. Water is drawn from a private borehole on the Carlow estate. The distillery is capable of producing approximately 650,000 litres of pure alcohol annually. Gin is also produced at the site.
Tasting Character
Writers' Tears is the distillery's flagship — a copper pot blend of single malt and single pot still Irish whiskeys, designed to be accessible, mellow, and gently sweet. Core expressions include Copper Pot (the standard expression), Double Oak (finished in ex-bourbon and virgin oak), Red Head (single malt, sherry cask finish), and a series of special cask finishes including Japanese Cask, Marsala Cask, and Inniskillin Icewine Cask.
The Irishman range spans The Harvest (a blended whiskey), a 12 Year Old, a 17 Year Old, Single Malt, and Caribbean Cask Finish. Both brands are triple distilled and offered at natural colour, reflecting the distillery's commitment to craft integrity. The house character leans towards a clean, honeyed sweetness with gentle fruit and vanilla — quintessentially approachable Irish whiskey.
What They Produce
Notable Bottlings
- Writers' Tears Copper Pot — Flagship blend of single malt and single pot still, 40% ABV
- Writers' Tears Double Oak — Dual-wood finish adding vanilla richness and toast
- Writers' Tears Red Head — Single malt, Oloroso sherry cask finish, 46% ABV
- Writers' Tears Japanese Cask — Limited edition, Mizunara oak influence
- Writers' Tears Marsala Cask — Sicilian wine cask finish
- Writers' Tears Inniskillin Icewine Cask — Canadian ice wine cask, ultra-limited
- The Irishman The Harvest£26.95 — Approachable blended Irish whiskey
- The Irishman Single Malt£36.25 — Unpeated single malt expression
- The Irishman 12 Year Old — Aged statement expression
- The Irishman 17 Year Old — Premium aged expression
- The Irishman Caribbean Cask Finish£26.95 — Rum cask influence, tropical notes
Visiting
The Royal Oak Distillery welcomes visitors at the estate in County Carlow. Tours cover the production facilities and include tastings. An online shop is available, and a physical shop operates on site. The estate setting adds to the experience, with the historic Royal Oak House providing context for the ambition behind the project. Check royaloakdistillery.com for current opening hours and booking.