Irish Whiskey
Merchants' Quay BLUE LABEL Blended Irish Whiskey
Our unique blend of three whiskeys – grain whiskey, double distilled and triple distilled malts – aged in four different casks, delivering a complex nose and smooth taste. Perfect for sipping neat, or with water, or enjoy as part of your favourite whiskey cocktail. Why not head to our cocktail page for great whiskey serves.
Celebrating the historic quay at Donaghadee harbour, where ships have been launched, casks have been landed and glasses raised for generations.
40% ABV
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26.1 Cask Strength Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Introducing our first release of 2026, 26.1.
Voted ‘Best Single Malt in Ireland under 11 Years Old’ at the 2025 Irish Whiskey Awards.
Copeland Distillery double-distilled Single Malt Irish whiskey, matured in a combination of ex-Pinot Noir and ex-Syrah (Shiraz) barriques that previously held our overproof rum. As always, our single malts have been aged for a minimum of 5 years with this release bottled exclusively at cask strength, 57.8%.
Crafted from a mash bill of 100% malted barley & distilled twice in our copper pot stills, matured on the Ards Peninsula and bottled by the Distillery.
860 bottles | 57.8% alc. | 700mlNon-chill filtered | Natural colour
*Collection available from 9am, Friday 27th February 2026 at the Distillery
Build a Firkin
Ulster Rugby ‘Centenary’ Irish Whiskey
Ulster Rugby Blended Irish Whiskey
25.1 Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Introducing 25.1 Single Malt Irish Whiskey – Batch 1.
Batch 1 is a Double Distilled Chocolate Malt mash bill (10% chocolate malt, 90% malted barley), produced on Pam, our first commissioned still.
We’ve blended three, 200L American Bourbon first fill casks, aged for 4 years and 9 months, then transferred the whiskey to Virgin American Oak (char level 4) casks for a 5-month finish, totalling 5 years and 2 months of maturation. Additionally, we have added a quarter cask, fully matured for 5 years and 5 months in a first-fill Oloroso sherry cask .
25.1 | Single Malt Irish Whiskey; a delicate whiskey, made big, bold and very special, and like nothing else on the shelf!
25.3 Cask Strength Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Introducing 25.3 Single Malt Irish Whiskey - Cask Strength.
This edition of 25.3 uses the same Single Malt mash bill, made entirely from 100% malted barley and double distilled and has been matured for a minimum of 5 years.
Ranging from 5 years and 2 months, to 5 years and 7 months in age, this release this release blends eight selected casks from the original 125 cask owners, chosen for balance and depth. The mix includes first-fill American Bourbon barrels and a single Oloroso sherry quarter cask, creating a rich, layered whiskey.
To build extra complexity, we finished portions from two casks, one Bourbon and one Oloroso, in an ex-California Pinot Noir 225L cask, previously used to finish in our Smugglers Reserve Rum. The whiskey spent three months in this cask, gaining a subtle rum and Pinot Noir influence and enhancing the sweetness, spice, and fruit notes.
The result is a beautifully rounded, layered spirit that balances fruit, spice, and malt complexity while maintaining a smooth, lingering warmth.
700ML / 70CL / 0.7L
58.4% ABV
what is the history of whiskey?
Whiskey has had a rich history, believed to have been first distilled in Medieval Ireland and Scotland. Although there is evidence that Irish Whiskey was distilled as early as the 12th century, with Monks bringing back ethanol-based perfumes from Southern Europe. This wouldn’t have tasted like the whiskey we have now, as it was more aromatic, and not aged.
What makes Irish Whiskey unique?
Irish whiskey, or Uisce beatha (‘water of life), is often seen by drinkers as a smoother, more accessible whiskey than Scotch whisky (spelt without an ‘e’) with a variety of flavour profiles driven by the use of a more diverse range of casks for aging and finishing.
Whilst a number of Irish whiskey distilleries, including Copeland, produce a peated whiskey, Irish whiskeys tend to be non-peated and use a variety of grains including single grain, single malt, Chocolate Malt or rye for distillation. Mainly distilled in pot stills (as opposed to column stills), Irish whiskey can be triple or double distilled, which is the case for all of Copeland’s 5-year-old Single Malts and Pot Still whiskeys.
And most importantly, Irish whiskey must be distilled in Ireland (Republic or Northern Ireland) and matured in wooden casks for at least 3 years.
What types of Irish Whiskey are there?
Single malt Irish whiskey
A Single Malt whiskey is made from 100% malted barley within one (single) distillery.
Single pot still whiskey
Being made from a mixture of malted and un-malted barley ( a minimum of 30% of each) or other cereals, single pot still whiskey is distilled in one distillery. The main difference between Pot Still and single malt Irish whiskey is the use of raw and un-malted grain. This gives the whiskey spicy and fruity flavour notes and an oily, creamier mouth feel, and is more delicate than Single Malt.
Grain whiskey
Using a variety of grains including corn or wheat, grain whiskey is usually produced in a column still (as oppose to a pot still) and tends to be a lighter, sweeter and more approachable whiskey. Flavour wise, expect vanilla or caramel notes - almost bourbon-like in taste. Grain whiskey is usually made for use with blended whiskeys, but there are some whiskeys on the market that are purely distilled from grain in one distillery (i.e. Single Grain).
Blended whiskey
By taking a mixture of the various kinds of Irish whiskey, blended whiskey uses grain, single malt (either double or triple distilled) or single pot still whiskey. Blended whiskey is the most common type of Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky in circulation as it is easier to mass produce and tends to be lower in price for consumers.
What makes Merchants' Quay Blended Irish Whiskey unique?
Copeland’s Merchants’ Quay range offers whiskey lovers three different blended whiskeys, each with a distinct flavour profile.
Using different whiskey’s – grain, double distilled malt and triple distilled malt – and unique combinations of cask aging and finishing, means the Merchants’ Quay Irish whiskey range offers something for everyone.
Merchants’ Quay Green label (launching March 2026) uses malt and grain whiskey, finished in Banyuls dessert wine casks and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for a light, fruity easy drinking whiskey.
Merchants’ Quay Blue label is a blend of three different whiskeys – grain, double distilled malt and triple distilled malt – aged in four different casks for a rich, complex whiskey full of flavour.
And Merchants’ Quay 5-year-old Single Grain whiskey has been aged for five years in American bourbon casks and finished in Muscatel wine casks and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks to create a bright, sweet whiskey with honey, floral and gentle sherry flavours. Winner of the Best Single Grain Irish whiskey under 12-years-old at the 2025 World Whiskies awards, this is a whiskey you really must try!
