Kilbeggan Distillery: Difference between revisions

Kilbeggan Distillery

Location	Kilbeggan
Owner	Beam Suntory (Suntory)
Founded	1757
Status	Operating
No. of stills	2 pot stills (wash still: 3,000 L, spirit still: 1,800 L)[1]
Mothballed	1957, reopened 2007
Website	www.kilbegganwhiskey.com
Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve Single Malt
ABV	40%
Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye
ABV	43%

Kilbeggan Distillery (formerly Brusna Distillery and Locke's Distillery) is an Irish whiskey distillery situated on the River Brosna in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, Ireland. It is owned by Beam Suntory.

A small pot still distillery, the licence to distil dates to 1757, a copy of which can be seen in the distillery.

Similar to many Irish distilleries, Kilbeggan endured financial difficulties during the early 20th century, and ceased operations in 1957. However, the distillery was later refurbished, with distilling recommencing on-site in 2007.

Noted devotees of the distillery's whiskeys include British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, and Myles na gCopaleen, the Irish playwright.^[2]

The distillery was founded in 1757 by Matthew MacManus, who may have distilled elsewhere before founding Kilbeggan.^[3][2] Although information about the early years of the distillery is scarce, documentation suggests that in its early years the distillery operated with a 232 gallon still, and an annual output of 1,500 gallons.^[4] By 1798, the distillery was in the hands of Matthias McManus, whose son was executed in Mullingar due to the part he played in the United Irishmen rebellion of that year.^[5]

By the early 19th century, the distillery was being run by a John and William Codd.^[6] In 1841, the distillery was put up for sale following the dissolution of the partnership between Cudd and Cuffee.^[7] The distillery at the time is listed as consisting of a brew house, still house with three pot stills (wash still: 8,000 gallons; low wine still, no. 1; 2,000 gallons; low wine still, no. 2: 1,500 gallons), run-room with five receivers, malt house, corn stores capable of storing 5,000 barrels, and oat-meal mills.^[7] Also included in the sale were 400 tonnes of coal, and 10,000 boxes of turf.^[7]

In 1843, the distillery was taken over by John Locke, under whose stewardship the distillery flourished.^[6] Locke treated his staff well, and was held in high regard by both his workers and the people of the town. Informal records show that the Lockes provided cottages for their employees, either for rent or purchase through a form of in-house mortgage scheme.^[2] In addition, all staff received a wagon load of coal at the start of each winter, the cost of which was deducted from salaries retrospectively on a weekly basis.^[2]

Testimony of the respect with which he was held is offered by an incident in 1866. Following an accident on-site which had rendered a critical piece of equipment, the steam boiler, inoperable, the distillery had come to a standstill. With Locke unable to afford a replacement, or obtain a bank loan to pay for one, the future of distillery lay in doubt.^[2] However, in gesture of solidarity, the people of the town came together and purchased a replacement boiler which they presented to John Locke, along with the following public letter of appreciation, which was printed in several local newspapers at the time:^[8]

An Address from the People of Kilbeggan to John Locke, Esq. Dear Sir - Permit us, your fellow townsmen, to assure of our deep and cordial sympathy in your loss and disappointment from the accident which occurred recently in your Distillery. Sincerely as we regret the accident, happily unattended with loss of life, we cannot but rejoice at the long-wished-for opportunity it affords us of testifying to you the high appreciation in which we hold you for your public and private worth. We are well aware that the restrictions imposed by recent legislation on that particular branch of Irish industry, with which you have been so long identified, have been attended with disastrous results to the trade, as is manifest in the long list of Distilleries now almost in ruins, and which were a few years ago centres of busy industry, affording remunerative employment to thousands of hands; and we are convinced the Kilbeggan Distillery would have long since swelled the dismal catalogue had it fallen into less energetic and enterprising hands. In such an event we would be compelled to witness the disheartening scene of a large number of our working population without employment during that period of the year when employment Is scarcest, and at the same time most essential to the poor. Independent then of what we owe you, on purely personal grounds, we feel we owe you a deep debt of gratitude for maintaining in our midst a manufacture which affords such extensive employment to our poor, and exercises so favourable an influence on the prosperity of the town. In conclusion, dear Sir, we beg your acceptance of a new steam boiler to replace the injured one, as as testimony, inadequate though it is, of our unfeigned respect and esteems for you ; and we beg to present it with the ardent wish and earnest hope that, for many long years to come, it may contribute to enhance still more the deservedly high and increasing reputation of the Kilbeggan Distillery.

In a public response to mark the gift, also published in several newspapers, Locke thanked the people of Kilbeggan for their generosity, stating "...I feel this to be the proudest day of my life...".^[8] A plaque commemorating the event hangs in the distillery's restaurant today.^[9]

In 1878, a fire broke out in the "can dip" (sampling) room of the distillery, and spread rapidly.^[10] Although, the fire was extinguished within an hour, it destroying a considerable portion of the front of the distillery and caused £400 worth of damage.^[10] Hundreds of gallons of new whiskey were also consumed in the blaze - however, the distillery is said to have been saved from further physical and financial ruin through the quick reaction of townsfolk who broke down the doors of the warehouses, and helped roll thousands of casks of ageing spirit down the street to safety.^[4][10]

In 1887, the distillery was visited by Alfred Barnard, a British writer, as research for his book, "the Whiskey Distilleries of the United Kingdom".^{[11] [6]} By then, the much enlarged distillery was being managed by John's sons, John Edward and James H., who told Barnard that the distillery's output had more than doubled during the preceding ten years, and that they intended to install electric lighting.^[6][5] Barnard noted that the distillery, then named the Brusna Distillery, after the nearby river, was said to be the oldest in Ireland. ^[5] According to Barnard, the distillery covered 5 acres, and employed a staff of about 70 men, with the aged and sick pensioned off or assisted.^[5] At the time of his visit, the distillery was producing 157,200 proof gallons per annum, though it had the capacity to produce 200,000.^[5] The whiskey, which was sold primarily in Dublin, England, and the British Colonies, was "old pot still", produced using four pot stills (two wash stills: 10,320 / 8,436 gallons; two spirit stills: 6,170 / 6,080 gallons), which had been installed by Millar and Company, Dublin.^[5] Barnard remarked, that at the time of his visit, over 2,000 casks of spirit were ageing in the distillery's bonded warehouses.^[5]

In the early part of the 20th century, the distillery, like many Irish whiskey distilleries at the time, entered a period of decline. This was due to the combined effects of loss and hampering of market access, due to prohibition in the United States, the trade war with the British Empire, shipping difficulties during the world wars, and Irish Government export quotas, as well as competition from blended Scotch, and disruption to production during the Irish war of Independence.^[12]

As a result, distilling ceased at Kilbeggan for a period of 7 years between 1924 and 1931, and most of the staff at the distillery were let go. During this time, the distillery slowly sold off its stocks of aged whiskey.^[4] Distilling resumed in 1931, following the end of prohibition in the United States.^[4]

In 1943, ownership of the distillery passed to Locke's granddaughters Mary Evelyn and Florence Emily.^[13]

In 1947, the distillery was put up for sale as a going concern, but no legitimate offer was received.^[6] However, the proposed sale gave rise to allegations in the Irish Parliament (Dáil Eireann) that there had been improper contact between Irish Government ministers, and potential purchasers from Switzerland, who had since been deported.^[6] At the time, an Irish opposition politician, Oliver J. Flanagan alleged under Oireachtas privilege that Fianna Fáil politicians were linked to the deal, and alleged that Irish Taoiseach Eamon DeValera had received a gold watch from the Swiss businessmen;^[14] a tribunal of inquiry discounted the allegations but the damage contributed to Fianna Fáil's defeat in the 1948 election.^[15]

With no buyer found, operations continued at the distillery. However, due to an increase in excise duties, operations ceased at the distillery again in 1953.^[4]

The distillery shut completely in 1957 and the building began to fall into disrepair.

In 1963, a German businessman, Karl Heinz Mellor purchased the distillery and made a substantial profit by selling off the remaining whiskey stocks and a rare Mercedes Benz owned by the distillery. Much to the dismay of locals in Kilbeggan, Mellor converted the distillery into a pigsty, smashing thousands of empty bottles to create the base for a concrete floor.^[4]

In 1982, almost thirty years after the distillery ceased operations, the Kilbeggan Preservation and Development Association was formed by locals in the town. Using funds raised locally, the Assocation restored the Distillery, and reopened it to the public as a whiskey distillery museum.^[4]

In 1987, the recently opened Cooley Distillery, acquired the license to produce and relaunch whiskeys under the Kilbeggan and Locke's Whiskey brands. Cooley later also took over the running of the museum, and began the process of re-establishing a working distillery on-site.

Whiskey production recommenced in 2007, the year in which the distillery celebrated its 250th Anniversary. The first official firing of the pot stills was witnessed by direct descendants of three families, the McManuses, the Codds, and the Lockes, who between them ran the distillery for over 200 years.^[16] One of the two copper pot stills being installed, was a 180-year old pot still dating from the early 1800s, which and was originally used to distill Tullamore Dew at the Old Tullamore Distillery.^[12] It is the oldest working pot still producing whiskey in the world today.

In 2010 Kilbeggan became a fully operational distillery once again, with the installation of a mash tun and fermentation vats.^[4]

Today the distillery is known as Kilbeggan Distillery, and includes a restaurant, The Pantry Restaurant, and a 19th-century waterwheel that has been restored to working condition. The distillery can also be powered by a steam engine, which is in working condition but rarely used. It was installed to allow the distillery to continue operating in times of low water on the river.

Prior to the recommencement of operations of Kilbeggan, the three brands associated with the distillery—Kilbeggan, Locke's Blend and Locke's Malt were produced at the Cooley Distillery in County Louth, before being transported to Kilbeggan, where they were to stored in a 200 year old granite warehouse.^[3][17] However, following the recommencement of operations at Kilbeggan, new whiskey produced on-site has been sufficiently mature for market since around 2014.

Since reopening, the distillery has launched a Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye, the first whiskey to be 100% distilled and matured on-site since its restoration was completed. The whiskey, which is double distilled, and produced from a mash of malt, barley, and about 30% rye, is said to reflect the common 19th century practice of using rye in the production of Irish whiskey - a practice, which has since virtually disappeared at Irish distilleries.^[18]

In late 2009, the distillery released small '3-pack' samples of its still-developing "new make spirit" at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years of age (in Ireland, the spirit must be aged a minimum of three years before it can legally be called "whiskey").

The distillery's visitor centre was among the nominations in Whisky Magazine's Icons of Whisky visitor attraction category in 2008.^[19]

• Machinery at the distillery
  Machinery at the distillery
• Historic view distillery buildings
  Historic view distillery buildings
• Distillery buildings with roof sign
  Distillery buildings with roof sign
• 
  View of the distillery from the 1900s

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kilbeggan Distillery.

• Kilbeggan Whiskey
• Locke's Distillery Museum

53°22′09″N 7°30′08″W / 53.36917°N 7.50222°W / 53.36917; -7.50222