MAKING IRISH WHISKEY- MEET THE MAKER
We build on centuries of craft, to create undiscovered, remarkable expressions.
(NOT JUST)
AN IRISH STORY
The Irish have been exploring for generations. Going away, coming back. Making and sharing stories. Building bonds and friendships. Sharing experiences and kindnesses.
"Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine"
“We live in the shelter of each other”
Irish proverb
irish whiskey
a unique and foundational legacy
Ireland – the homeplace of whiskey making. Irish monks are said to have brought the art of distillation to Ireland as early as the 12th century – hence the Gaelic origins of whiskey name - uisce beatha, “water of life.”
Irish whiskey dominated the world's premium spirits market through the late 1800s on the strength of its quality and pot-still craftsmanship. But a perfect storm from the mid 1800s through to the mid 1900s, reduced the number distilleries in Ireland from 90 to just 2 by the mid-1980s. The Irish industry rejection of the cost-saving Coffey Still. A devastating trade war with Britain. Prohibition in the U.S..
Since the late 1980s, whiskey making in Ireland has been in continuous renaissance - Ireland's legacy of outstanding whiskey making reclaiming its global prominence.
meet jack ó’sé,
infamous whiskey maker
“We concentrate on exploring new ways of looking at whiskey. Adding new whiskeys to the industry, but taste above all. taste is everything.”
Behind every Sailor’s Home expression is a lifetime of exploration. Dr. Jack Ó’Sé has spent more than four decades shaping Irish whiskey, learning, travelling, refining, experimenting.
Jack is one of Ireland's most respected whiskey makers - distiller, industry mentor and teacher, relentless explorer of flavour. Jack has distilled award-winning whiskeys, commissioned distilleries across continents, and worked alongside the world's finest maturation experts, blenders and coopers. He's gathered influences and craft knowledge from every corner of the globe.
He would never call himself a legend. But others do.
Whiskey making is just a labour of love, a marriage of science & art
Passionate about making, building on all that’s gone before. Breaking rules knowingly, to create new approaches. Constantly seeking new experiences for whiskey lovers.
“A LEGEND? It’s more important for me to work with people I like and respect for what they do. That’s Why some people might call me infamous rather than A LEGEND!”
The Sailor’s Home legacy is to reward those who push past the known horizons to adventure and possibility.
“We look to explore and go beyond, so new generations of whiskey lovers can join us on this journey of discovery.”
OF IRELAND, SHAPED BY THE WORLD.
OF IRELAND, SHAPED BY THE WORLD.
For Jack, this is just the beginning.
Single Cask. Cask Strength. 22 year old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
“Voyager means to travel in French. I have a poet friend who took me to visit a magnificent old church in Paris years ago. Beautiful stained glass from floor to ceiling, strips of light and colour, a masterpiece. She wrote a poem for me - about my discovery of it and reactions to it.
This expression reminds me of that moment - diverse flavours emerge from 4 years Cognac cask influence atop 18 years in American Bourbon.”
Shop OUR
MAKER SERIES
CELEBRATE THE EXPLORER’S SPIRIT.
TASTES TO RETURN TO, TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
