The whiskey’s origins can be traced to a family recipe given to Ardara Distillery founder James Doherty.

The Ardara Distillery, home of Sliabh Liag Distillers, has released the second edition of Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey, building on the brand’s early growth in global duty free and international markets.

Released on 8 August to coincide with Ardara Show Day in Donegal, the 2026 Edition continues the distillery’s focus on reviving the region’s historic tradition of heavily peated Irish whiskey. The launch follows the inaugural 10,000-bottle release in 2025, which has since gained distribution in Germany, France, the UK and global duty free, with a US launch also imminent.

The whiskey’s origins can be traced to a family recipe given to Ardara Distillery founder James Doherty by his grandmother shortly before her death. The recipe had belonged to his grandfather, an illicit Donegal distiller, and inspired Doherty and his wife Moira to revive a smoky style of whiskey once associated with the region.

“When we released the first Ardara Single Malt in 2025, we took the ambitious step of releasing 10,000 bottles, and we’re delighted with the way that whiskey has performed in Germany, France, the UK and the global Duty-Free market,” said Doherty. “We’re just about to ship Ardara to the USA. For us, that’s hugely encouraging. It shows that there is an appetite for this style of Irish whiskey beyond Donegal.”

The 2026 Edition is produced using what the distillery calls “The Ardara Method”: heavily peated malt, an all-grain-in process and triple distillation. The whiskey subsequently rests in 6,000-litre Solera vats for 72 hours before being transferred into casks.

Bottled at 46% ABV, Ardara Single Malt offers notes of sweet smoke, orchard fruit and rolled tobacco, alongside roasted coconut, almond, leather and baked apple.

A 2026 Ardara Single Malt Cask Strength edition has also been released at 60.9% ABV, offering a more intense expression of the same peated style.

Ardara Single Malt offers notes of sweet smoke, orchard fruit and rolled tobacco.

To mark the launch, Ardara Distillery opened its doors for complimentary tours during Ardara Show Day, with visitors also able to taste the new edition at the show.