Louise McGuane is a self-described “lifelong drinks industry person” who has worked at the likes of Diageo, Pernod Ricard, and Moët Hennessy, but in 2015 she decided to strike out on her own and found J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey. The company is a revival of an old firm in her hometown of Kilrush, County Clare, and was the first new Irish whiskey bonder in over 50 years when she launched the brand.
Back in the golden age of Irish whiskey during the 19th and early 20th century, many distilleries sold whiskey in bulk via these bonders, who tended to run pubs or general stores, and would mature it under bond (ie. without having to pay duty). Most towns in Ireland had a few of these dotted around, but as the Irish whiskey industry declined during the latter part of the 20th century these bonders disappeared. The legacy lives on in brands like Green Spot, originally made by Mitchell’s, a firm of Dublin wine merchants, as well new bonders like J.J. Corry.
McGuane says her ultimate goal is to build the most diverse library of Irish whiskey in the world, and with an increasing number of distilleries producing interesting and singular spirits, as well as her commitment to creating the most intriguing whiskey with them, her ambition certainly seems on the right track. J.J. Corry has released both blends and single distillery whiskeys, often with interesting cask finishes, such as The Battalion which spent seven months in a combination of Tequila and mezcal casks.