The Quiet Man 8 Year Old Irish Whisky
The Quiet Man 8 Year Old Irish Whisky is an 8-year-old single malt from Derry, Northern Ireland — 80 proof (40% ABV), 750mL, triple-distilled from 100% malted barley and finished in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. Made by founder Ciaran Mulgrew's Niche Drinks in partnership with Luxco, it was the first Irish whiskey bottled in Derry in more than a century — and it took a Double Gold at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 8 years in oak; finished in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels
- Style: Irish single malt — 100% malted barley, triple-distilled
- Origin: Derry, Northern Ireland (Niche Drinks / Luxco)
- Awards: Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2016
Derry's Comeback Pour
The brand is a tribute to John Mulgrew — "An Fear Ciuin," the Quiet Man — who tended bar in Belfast for more than fifty years, heard every story, and repeated none. His son Ciaran named the whiskey for him and set up in Derry, where the sourced spirit is married and bottled while the brand's own distillery came online. The eight-year-old is the single-malt flagship: eight years in oak, then re-casked in first-fill bourbon barrels for a honeyed, vanilla-forward finish.
Tasting Notes
Expect golden honey, baked orchard fruits, toasted oak, and gentle nutmeg on the nose. The palate brings ripe apple, vanilla custard, caramel drizzle, and a hint of spiced almond, with a medium-long finish of warm oak, dried citrus peel, and soft malt sweetness — a clean, rounded single malt that stays approachable at 80 proof.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a splash of water to open the honey and fruit. It also makes a refined Irish whiskey highball — a lighter, maltier change of pace from the standard blend, and a natural next step for drinkers of the Quiet Man range.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ABV of The Quiet Man 8 Year Old? 40% ABV (80 proof), in a 750mL bottle.
Is The Quiet Man 8 Year Old a single malt? Yes — 100% malted barley, triple-distilled in copper pot stills, aged eight years.
Who makes The Quiet Man? Founded by Ciaran Mulgrew, produced by Niche Drinks in Derry, Northern Ireland, in partnership with Luxco for the US market.
Named for a Belfast barman who never told a tale — taste his son's tribute by ordering The Quiet Man 8 Year Old from Del Mesa Liquor.