The Irish Sea, as much as the legend itself, plays a significant role in the production of this whiskey. These premium spirits are blended, finished, and bottled in casks aged in the salty sea air, imparting their unique flavor and character. Inspired by the remarkable legend of Grace O’Malley, the designs seek to embody the force of her life story as a warrior Queen, a fearless mariner, and a powerful female figure.
The design process was meticulous, with extraordinary lengths taken to capture her striking pose, timelessness, strength, and confidence in an almost 3D vintage cameo-shaped label. This central illustration, combined with a bespoke bottle, mirrors and pays tribute to the ancient pirate rum bottles of old.
The design story is subtly interwoven with embellishments reflective of Grace O’Malley’s unique story: symbols such as Easter eggs, her ship (The White Seahorse), skulls, shamrocks, an anchor, and long flowing Celtic hair. These elements offer clues to her life and legacy, explaining why she continues to be a much-loved historical figure.
The true beauty of this range is revealed when the collection is fully assembled. It is then that one can fully appreciate the thoughtful brand styling, the richness of the labels and their colors, and how these designs reflect the flavors of rum cask, dark char cask, stout cask, and maritime cask. The verdigris green on each label, complementing the coppers, is a nod to finding an antique washed-up beach pirate bottle. All elements converge to honor Grace O’Malley, visually perpetuating the romanticism of Grace as the heroic Pirate Queen, truly embodying the O’Malley clan’s motto, ‘Powerful by land and by sea’.
