The Sazerac Company debuts its first Irish whiskey from Hawk’s Rock Distillery with Garavogue 20 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, marking a significant milestone for the spirits giant. Master Blender Helen Mulholland, the first female Master Blender in Irish whiskey history, crafted this inaugural release that showcases innovative maturation techniques.
The whiskey takes its name from the river flowing past the distillery through Sligo town into the Atlantic Ocean. Sazerac positions Garavogue as a bridge between tradition and innovation, with every small-batch release designed to be limited and experimental in nature.
Garavogue 20 Year Old Irish Single Malt
Garavogue 20 Year Old Irish Single Malt undergoes an intricate aging process that sets it apart from traditional Irish whiskeys. The double-distilled spirit initially ages for a minimum of 14 years in ex-bourbon American oak casks before transferring to various finishing casks.
The finishing process uses French Muscat, French Sauternes, Spanish Pedro Ximénez Sherry, and Barbadian Rum casks for additional maturation. This multi-cask approach creates a 94-proof whiskey with distinctive flavors. According to official tasting notes, the Sauternes cask influence contributes vanilla, warm peach, and spun sugar aromas, while Muscat and Sherry casks add floral and raisin notes on the nose.
The palate delivers vanilla and citrus sweetness complemented by buttery ripe apples. Fresh fruit flavors from the rum cask create a prominent sweet finish that distinguishes this expression from typical sherry-finished whiskeys.
“The current trend is for whiskey to have a rich sherry finish, but Garavogue is purposefully different,” says Master Blender Helen Mulholland. “We believe that complexity and subtlety can work hand in hand. It is unusual for a whiskey to be blended with this number and variety of casks, but just as the river ebbs and flows, the flavors create a wonderful blend as they weave together in this 20-year-old single malt.”
Availability and Hawk’s Rock Distillery Rebrand
Garavogue Whiskey begins rolling out in limited quantities starting June 2025 at a suggested retail price of $199 for a 700ml bottle across the United States, Ireland, United Kingdom, and Duty-Free locations through Sazerac’s distributor networks. Limited supplies will also be available through Legacy de Forge, Sazerac’s new global platform powered by Blockbar for premium bottle purchases.
The release represents the first whiskey from Sazerac’s recently rebranded Hawk’s Rock Distillery, formerly known as Lough Gill Distillery. The distillery takes its new name from a prominent outcrop in the Ox Mountains that inspired Nobel Prize-winning poet William Butler Yeats, who called Sligo his “spiritual home.” Sazerac announced the rebrand in April 2025 as a reflection of the company’s vision blending curiosity, innovation, and respect for Sligo’s heritage.
“We hope that Garavogue Whiskey invites Irish Whiskey fans to linger, explore and uncover the hidden stories of Sligo,” remarks Jess Scheerhorn, Vice President at Sazerac. “The Garavogue River shaped this beautiful landscape for millenniums, and Garavogue Irish Whiskey aims to shape new experiences, connections and traditions – one sip at a time.”
The distinctive bottle features a reversed crescent shape with a blue label reflecting the Garavogue River’s influence, including subtle wave patterns and imagery of the historic Hazelwood House Windmill located on the distillery grounds.
Read the full article at Sazerac Launches Garavogue 20 Year Old Irish Whiskey from Hawk’s Rock Distillery
