OUR ESTATE - Glen Keen Estate Whiskey

GLEN KEEN ESTATE ESTABLISHED 1600 DURING THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH

Home to the powerful O’Malley Family from 1600, the Estate still remains in the family ownership to the present day with current Owner and Direct descendant Catherine O’Grady Powers.

GLEN KEEN ESTATE DESIGNATED AS A SPECIAL AREA OF CONSERVATION BY THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR ITS ECOLOGICAL PURTIY, THE GOLD STANDARD OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.

Our story begins in the heartlands of Ireland’s West, close to the mighty Atlantic Ocean. Here is some of the country’s wildest natural and unspoilt territory, with cascading rivers and pristine lakes in the cradle of remote and unspoilt uplands. It took special qualities of enterprise and endurance to set up home here, but this is where some of Ireland’s famous families put down roots, from the 16th century onwards.

Grace O’Malley, Ireland’s pirate queen, ruled these coasts and inlets at the time of Queen Elizabeth; and here too the valiant O’Malley’s, Catherine’s ancestors became lords of a vast territory in Doo Lough, the Valley of the Black Lake, carved by the glaciers from the last ice age.

At the head of the huge fjord of Killary Harbour, in the shadow of Ben Gorm, the Blue Mountain, the O’Malley’s established their ancestral home. Their livestock thrived on the pastures of the river valleys, while their sheep grazed the sweet heather of the mountains. Here, too, they distilled their traditional spirit using the pure water off these rain-swept mountains taking advantage of the many benefits of Ireland’s Western micro climate.

The nearby Killary Fjord, Ireland’s only fjord which is in visual range of the Glen Keen Estate served as the gateway for the Western region to enjoy a bountiful seatrade which included Europe, North Africa and hub routes to Asia linking in with the Ancient Silk Road.

Catherine’s ancestors and the region’s population all in one form or capacity participated in engaging in these global sea trade routes over the centuries. Spirits/Small Pot Spirits, Animal Skins, Whale Oil, Natural dyes, Wool and other products formed part of the export trade from the West of Ireland in turn for importing Wines, exotic spices, tobacco and tea.

Glen Keen Estate continues the legacy on through the generations Glen Keen is now harnessing this tradition for a new brand of excellence in distilling, using water filtered by the mountains from Atlantic rains, along with Ireland’s native Barley and Grain. Delivering to you uniquely crafted Irish Single Malt Estate Irish Whiskey, a spirit to savour and enjoy.