Sliabh Liag The Legendary Red Silkie Irish Whiskey
Sliabh Liag The Legendary Red Silkie Irish Whiskey is a 46% ABV (92 proof) whiskey in a 750mL bottle — the Legendary Silkie blend of peated single malt and creamy grain whiskey, finished six months in Spanish red wine casks: Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Inspired by Red Hugh O'Donnell, Donegal's last chieftain, whose final journey to Spain gives the finish its story — Rioja for his meeting with King Philip, Ribera for the monks of Simancas. Made by Sliabh Liag Distillers in County Donegal, Ireland. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 46% (92 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: blended Irish whiskey — peated malt + grain
- Finish: 6 months in Rioja and Ribera del Duero red wine casks
- Region: County Donegal, Ireland
- Edition: limited release, first in the Silkie Cask Collection
Donegal's Chieftain, Finished in Spanish Wine
Red Hugh O'Donnell sailed for Spain after Kinsale and never came home; Sliabh Liag bottled the journey. The Rioja casks bring raspberry and red-berry sweetness; the Ribera del Duero casks add drier sandalwood and tannin; the lightly peated Silkie base keeps it unmistakably Irish underneath. Deep amber, aromatic, and drying at the finish — a whiskey that tells you where it's been. For more, explore whisky, spirits and the Sliabh Liag collection at Del Mesa Liquor.
Tasting Notes
Nose: spicy with red-berry sweetness — strawberry laces, sandalwood, nutmeg, dried apple. Palate: aromatic and sweet — strawberry coulis, marmalade, dried fruit, dry wine notes and oak tannins. Finish: resin-sweet, drying wine tannin, a hint of smoke that ebbs away.
How to Enjoy
Neat to catch the wine-cask interplay, or with a teaspoon of water to open the berry character. Pair with dark chocolate or a cheese board; the tannin structure handles rich food well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Red Silkie? A limited-edition blended Irish whiskey from Sliabh Liag Distillers in Donegal — peated malt and grain whiskey finished in Spanish red wine casks.
What casks was it finished in? Rioja and Ribera del Duero red wine casks, honoring Red Hugh O'Donnell's journey to Spain.
Is it peated? Lightly — the malt component carries Donegal peat character, balanced by the wine-cask fruit.
A legend of Donegal, finished in Spain — order Red Silkie Irish Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.