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WALSH WHISKEY APPOINTS ANZAC WINES & SPIRITS AS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTORS OF WRITERS’ TEARS & THE IRISHMAN PREMIUM WHISKEY PORTFOLIOS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Walsh Whiskey has appointed Anzac Wines & Spirits as exclusive distributors of its Writers’ Tears and The Irishman whiskey portfolios in Northern Ireland. The portfolios include 6 core expressions in a range of 14 premium and super-premium Irish whiskeys. The Writers’ Tears range is Pot Still led, while The Irishman portfolio has a focus on Single Malt.

Walsh Whiskey was established in 1999 by husband and wife, Bernard and Rosemary Walsh. Demand for their critically acclaimed whiskeyscurrently exceeds available supply in the 50 countries they are distributed to worldwide. The company also produces The Hot Irishman Irish coffee and The Irishman – Irish Cream liqueur.

Announcing the partnership, Walsh Whiskey co-founder and Managing Director, Bernard Walsh said: “We share a family-run style with Anzac Wine & Spirits and are confident that our whiskeys will benefit from their value-add approach. Most of all Anzac have very strong reach across Northern Ireland which will enable more people to have the opportunity to explore the Writers’ Tears and The Irishman portfolios.”

Director of Anzac Wine & Spirits, Garry Connolly, said: “We are very excited about bringing this range to the trade, the whiskeys are fantastic and the stories and history around the brands are inspiring.  We struck a chord with Walsh Whiskey realising that our core business values are very similar which is really important for us.  We are not just about buying and selling products at Anzac, we build relationships, develop brands and engage with all elements of the supply chain to ultimately ensure that customers and consumers get the very best to enjoy.  We have every confidence that Writers’ Tears and The Irishman portfolios are special characters in the ever-growing whiskey category, and we look forward to bringing them to more people throughout The North.”

The Writers’ Tears Range

First created by Bernard Walsh in 2009, Writers’ Tears comprises a range of six expressions of super-premium, triple-distilled Irish whiskeys. The range includes three core (Copper Pot, Double Oak & Red Head) and three limited-edition expressions. Two of the limited-edition expressions in the range are under the Writers’ Tears Copper Pot line and feature rare cask finishes – Marsala and Mizunara. The third limited-edition expression is a Cask Strength vintage, produced annually. All but one of the expressions (Red Head is a Single Malt) are a unique vatting of mainly Pot Still combined with Single Malt whiskeys. This style originates from the 19^th century when it was known as – ‘the Champagne of Irish whiskey’.

The Irishman Range

The Irishman range of eight expressions is Single Malt focussed, either championed in blends under the Founder’s Reserve brand, or pure Single Malt expressions. It has three core expressions (Founder’s Reserve – a Pot Still & Single Malt blend; Single Malt and 12 Year Old Single Malt) and five limited editions (17 Year Old Single Malt Cask Strength finished in Oloroso sherry barrels, Single Malt finished in Florio Marsala wine barrels and three special Founder’s Reserve editions – an annual Cask Strength vintage, a Caribbean Rum finish and an Oloroso Sherry finish).