Sliabh Liag Distillers Introduction – Belfast Whiskey Week 2021

Name: Belfast Whiskey Week 2026
Start: 2026-07-24
End: 2026-08-01
Location: Belfast

Filed: 28 Jul 2021
By: Belfast Whiskey Week
Read: 3 min
Format: Online Tasting
Ref: BWW/21/380

There is something quietly powerful about pouring a dram that carries the smell of the Atlantic on it — and that was precisely the spirit, in every sense, that Sliabh Liag Distillers brought to Session 34 of Belfast Whiskey Week 2021. This introductory tasting drew together whiskey lovers from Belfast to Brisbane, from Donegal to Denver, for a guided encounter with one of the northwest's most compelling distilling stories. Three drams, one glass, and the full weight of a Donegal coastline waiting in the bottle.

About This Event

This tasting includes 3 x 50ml Samples & Glass and will take place on the 28th @ 23:00.

For those in the USA, Australia, Sweden, Europe, the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, you will be able to save on delivery costs by having your package to sent to a localised depot for collection. You will be charged a small fee upon collection, but the cost will be much cheaper than having packs delivered to individual addresses. If you would like to avail of this option, please make a note in the Special Instructions box, and we will contact you at a later date to arrange this and refund your delivery charges.

Looking Back

Sliabh Liag Distillers sits at the edge of things — geographically, culturally, spiritually. Based in Donegal and looking out over the same stretch of grey-green Atlantic that has shaped this corner of Ulster for centuries, the distillery produces spirits that feel less manufactured than summoned. Their An Dulaman Irish Maritime Gin and the Silkie whiskey range carry the duchas of that coastline in every sip — a deep sense of belonging to place that you either feel immediately or spend the rest of the evening trying to find. Session 34 was the ideal entry point for those coming to Sliabh Liag for the first time.

The format was straightforward and all the better for it: three 50ml samples and a glass, delivered to your door (or, for those taking advantage of the localised depot option, collected closer to home at a reduced cost). What the event lacked in physical gathering — this was BWW 2021, still shaped by the shadow of the pandemic — it more than made up for in intimacy. Whiskey tasted at home, on your own terms, with expert guidance threading through the session, has a particular quality to it. You notice more. You slow down. The tír comes through.

The introductory format suited Sliabh Liag well. For a distillery whose identity is so rooted in seanchas — in story, in the inherited knowledge of a place — there was real value in starting from the beginning. Attendees were walked through what makes these whiskeys distinct: the provenance, the influence of the maritime environment, the vision behind the Silkie range. It was the kind of grounding that rewards patience, and it set up those who wanted to go deeper with exactly the vocabulary they needed. For comparison, those curious about how an older Ulster distillery tells its own story might have found Session 83's Bushmills History MasterClass a rich companion piece from the same festival year.

The global reach of the event was one of its quiet achievements. Participants joining from the USA, Australia, Sweden, and across Europe and Ireland found themselves, for the space of an evening, sharing the same liquid experience — a small act of solidarity across time zones that felt very much in keeping with the diaspora-aware spirit of Belfast Whiskey Week. Sliabh Liag's presence at BWW 2021 extended beyond this single session too, with an Ardara Distillery short film screening adding further texture to the northwest's contribution to the festival programme. You can explore their full range on the Sliabh Liag Distillers collection page.

At £15, Session 34 was an accessible way in — a fair price for three considered drams and the kind of guided context that turns a tasting into something closer to understanding. For those building a picture of the island's whiskey landscape, pairing this session with a look at the Belfast Whiskey Week whiskey map gives a useful sense of how Donegal fits into the broader geography of Irish distilling. Sláinte to Sliabh Liag for bringing the uisce beatha of the northwest to a genuinely global audience. The sheugh between Donegal and the rest of the world felt a little narrower by the end of the night.