The Legendary Midnight Silkie

The mountainous and scenic County Donegal along the Wild Atlantic Way is home to Sliabh Liag Distillers. Construction of their Ardara Distillery started in 2020 with first casks laid down in 2022 in the small village a short distance from the renowned cliffs of Slieve League for which the company is named. Part of the company's mission is to bring smoky Irish whiskey back to Donegal, a county known for producing this traditional style back during the industry's golden age.

While their distilled spirit matures, Sliabh Liag has created a range of sourced Irish whiskeys containing peated components. Released under The Legendary Silkie range, the whiskeys are named for the mythological Celtic creatures which live as seals in the sea and man on land. The range consists of numerous blended expressions which include varying amounts of peated, double, and triple distilled malt and grain whiskeys matured in combinations of bourbon, sherry, red wine, and virgin oak casks. These blends are all bottled at 46% abv.

The Legendary Midnight Silkie is the smokiest expression in the core range. Unlike the other offerings, the Midnight version is a blend of only triple distilled single malts. Five single malts make up the recipe:

30% in Sherry & Virgin Oak finish, 20% in imperial stout cask, 10% in red wine cask finish, and 5% in oloroso finish. 

The remaining 35% is a peated single malt matured in bourbon casks.

This is a non-age statement single malt bottled at 46% abv with no coloring added and non-chill filtered. The peated component starts at 55 ppm before distillation. After being triple distilled, the phenol level comes in at around 22 ppm in the bottle. For comparison purposes, 22 ppm is consistent with popular peated Scotch whiskeys from Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Bowmore. However, those whiskeys consist of 100% peated liquid. With only 35% of Midnight Silkie represented by peated malt, the phenol level is effectively reduced in the overall tasting profile. 

Subtle sweet barbecue smoke is evident on the nose. It is similar to the lingering smell from opening a grill after cooking ribs with a sweet sauce. Honey and fruit are also present providing an overall interesting aroma different than typical Irish Whiskeys. The taste profile is consistent with the aromas. The blended malts are well balanced. The charred virgin oak complements the turf component with the bourbon and stout casks rounding out the flavors nicely. 

The whiskey has nice weight. Not chewy like an aged single pot still but solid mouthfeel particularly given the relatively young age. The finish is medium to long. The packaging might be considered polarizing but it fits a peated style whiskey. The bottle is extra tall and slender (similar to Writers' Tears) with a striking label featuring the mythical Silkie. It can be more difficult to fit on traditional shelves given its length but it does tend to stand out in retail stores.

The Midnight Silkie provides a beautiful introduction to the peated style. This is a great example of how turf can be incorporated into a vatted malt. Those expecting a "peat bomb" might be disappointed as this is more subtle. A very drinkable Irish Whiskey, this can be enjoyed casually without much contemplation. Those intrigued by Midnight Silkie may want to also explore the other Silkie varieties before expanding into heavier peated whiskeys. Overall, Midnight Silkie serves as a worthy Irish Whiskey representative of the "turf" style.