Powering Curraghmore’s Spirit - famous Waterford estate's whiskey journey

Time is of the essence when it comes to whiskey, just as it is when it comes to developing and building a product, brand and reputation.

For Richard de la Poer Beresford (Richard Tyrone), the Chief Executive of Curraghmore Whiskey, slow and steady would appear to be the key to staying the course in such a competitive market as opposed to winning the race. Just like his family, who have held the seat of Curraghmore Estate for 850 years, he’s clearly in this for the long haul.

“We had great feedback about the liquid from our first release, but one common theme was that the packaging didn't stand up to the price point,” said Richard, sitting in an office just off Curraghmore House’s vast courtyard.

“So we wanted to make sure we could deliver that before asking our consumers to pay that large sum of money for a single bottle of whiskey. We felt the experience had to reflect the price point and the packaging didn’t fully help with that the first time around.

“Projects like that don't happen overnight and we were never going to get it done ready for 2024 so we decided to miss a year and have it ready for the Christmas market this year. 

"And in terms of packaging, it's fantastic. And obviously the bottle itself is quite distinctive. So there obviously was a huge amount of thought and consideration put into, well, how are we going to package it? And how are we going to make it distinguishable from everything else? Because obviously, it's a relatively crowded market and you want to make your product stand out from everything else.” 

The packaging accompanying Curraghmore’s second release – the 2025 Triple Cask Edition – is undeniably stunning, featuring a map of the vast estate and many of its fields, which carry the names of those who spent their entire working lives there.

Embossed with the crest of the 9th Marquess of Waterford, the bottle is housed in a cotton-touch pack and gold foiling, which opens in a manner akin to the estate gates welcoming visitors to somewhere distinctive, memorable and enduring.

Before you’ve even opened the bottle, the striking aesthetic, which befits a product that’s going to set you back just over €200, will ensure that it’s a package which will take pride of place in one’s drinks cabinet.

The base into which the bottle sits features a slogan, in gold print: ‘EXPERIENCE AN 850 YEAR LEGACY’, this brand’s unique selling point in such a crowded and competitive market. Longevity is central to both the story of the estate and to the development of its whiskey, so weaving these strands together was clearly a prudent and attention-drawing decision.

“It's a high price point whiskey, something that you're going to enjoy as part of a special celebration,” Richard continued.

“So we wanted the packaging to reflect that special experience, but also to tell the story of Curraghmore Estate, the oldest family home in Ireland. Since 1167, my family have lived here and the estate is intertwined with Waterford’s history, something which many people throughout Waterford understood long before All Together Now was first hosted here – the connection to the land and the community that surrounds Curraghmore. Of course, the festival has developed the estate’s profile further among those who may not have known of it previously, but that has also proven beneficial in developing the brand…

“There’s a latin motto which features on the cork – ‘Tandem Fit Surculus Arbor’ – which means ‘from a small shoot grows a great tree’. It’s all about future planning.” 

As part of that future, Curraghmore Whiskey is currently open for investment via the Employment Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS), from which it hopes to raise up to €250,000 “to accelerate our current market expansion”.

In an email to mailing list members, Richard describes the scheme as “an exceptional chance to participate in the growth of Ireland’s next prestigious whiskey label”.

“We have already raised €2.9 million to date with zero corporate debt. Our ultra premium offering sold out its inaugural release within months, and our second release achieved 85% pre-sale before it even exited the cask. 

"Funds will be allocated to ongoing working capital to support both the Curraghmore Whiskey and The Mad Marquess (priced €30 per bottle), as well as developing our Whiskey Tourism Programme at the Estate.” 

The minimum investment has been set at €10,000 with Friday, December 19, set as the deadline for investors.

“We are leveraging centuries of heritage alongside an experienced and focused team to build a sustainable legacy that will thrive for generations to come,” Richard’s email concludes.

Experience is at the heart of Curraghmore Whiskey’s development, as its CEO noted. 

“Noel Sweeney, who is our master distiller, is known within the industry on a global basis and is among the world's most knowledgeable and qualified producers of Irish whiskey. 

"Noel started working with us at the beginning of 2023 before our inaugural release and reviewed our whole stock portfolio without initially knowing whether there'd be a whiskey there that he'd be happy to put his name to or not. But thankfully he was delighted with what we’d developed and that’s led to this Triple Cask, which he felt married exceptionally well together.” 

Richard continued: “It’s been matured in three different casks – an Ex-Oloroso Sherry European Oak, Virgin French Oak (both four years old) and Ex-Bourbon European Oak (five years old), and Noel is very happy with the product.

“We work with Ned Morrissey from Dunmore, who has been farming Curraghmore tillage land for the past 27 years. I've benefited enormously from his depth of knowledge and experience, which has been so important in terms of our whiskey production. Without high-quality raw materials, you don't get a high-quality product. The balance between producing a good product crop of malting barley, an average crop and a bad crop is very, very fine. And it takes real knowledge of the land and a huge understanding of how each field works. So I’m very grateful for Ned’s involvement and the input that he has brought to this project.” 

While the development of an on-site, carbon-neutral distillery in the nearby farmyard remains another exciting objective, consolidating the product is Richard’s immediate goal.

“We’re new in the game, we’ve assembled a team with tremendous experience while realising we’re fortunate to have so much to work with in terms of a brand opportunity given Curraghmore’s history. 

"But what we’re really focusing on now is trying to create an authentic and enduring product. That’s quite the challenge, but it’s a most exciting one.” 

For more information, visit https://curraghmorewhiskey.com/