The haunting beauty of Donegal, captured in Irish Whiskey form.

"Up here it's different," says the slogan of County Donegal. It's Irish, no doubt about that, yet it's a unique place, home to hauntingly beautiful glens and cliffs. But it also has a rich history in illegal distilling, Poitín in particular. Mountain Dew or Devil's Spittle, as it's known, is a pot-still Spirit that can reach up to 180 proof and is the reason behind Donegal at one point having more illicit stills than the rest of the country put together. But all that was ages ago. Today? Well, Sliabh Liag Distillers are planning to return the county to its former glory with Silkie Irish Whiskey.

While their distillery is being built, they have turned to sourcing some mighty fine double and triple distilled Malts, soft grain Whiskey, and peated Malts. These juices comprise Silkie, named after the shape-shifting sea maidens of legend. They're off to a good start, as the 92-proof Spirit turned out to be an award-winning soft & rich affair with a touch of smoke in there that differentiates it from the rest of the pack. This is definitely the correct way to go about bringing back the distilling heritage of a very special place.