Fercullen whiskey debuts in the US

Irish whiskey brand Fercullen has entered the States through a distribution partnership with Zamora Company.

Fercullen is produced at the Powerscourt Distillery, based on the Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow, Ireland.

The US arm of Zamora Company will import, sell, and market Fercullen in the market, effective immediately.

“As we continue to grow our world-class spirits and wines in the US, Irish whiskey has long been at the top of our list of categories to strengthen our portfolio, and Fercullen from the Powerscourt Distillery has always been our top choice,” said Andrew Stewart, global brand manager at Zamora Company USA.

Fercullens Fall, Fercullen Single Malt, 15-year-old Fercullen whiskey, and limited edition Fercullen 21 Year Old, will be available in the States.

Fercullen Falls is a 50/50 blend of malt and grain whiskeys with a high malt content.

The malt whiskey in the blend was matured in first fill ex-Bourbon barrels, while the grain was matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and new heavy char oak casks.

The whiskey takes its name and inspiration from Ireland’s largest waterfall, which is located on the distillery’s grounds.

Stewart added: “We’re especially excited to introduce Fercullen Falls, a lighter tasting and approachable Irish whiskey bottled at 43% ABV – a higher than standard for a malt whiskey blend – which makes it a perfect spirit for enjoying straight or as a cocktail base.”

Irish whiskey is one of the fastest-growing spirits categories in the US, projected to soar in volume by 67% from 2021 to 2026, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis data cited by Powerscourt.

Ryan Stapleton, Powerscourt Distillery’s global head of sales, noted that the US is the largest market for Irish whiskey sales globally, with 41% of market share in 2021 (Irish Whiskey Association’s International Trade Report 2022).

“We at the Powerscourt Distillery have waited until the right time and crucially finding the right partner before we launched Fercullen Irish whiskey into the US market and we are in a great position to appoint Zamora Company USA as our national importers,” he continued.

“We look forward to bringing our core Fercullen and limited release Irish whiskeys to the US in 2023 and working closely with the excellent team at Zamora Company USA in the years to come.”

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits distributes Zamora’s portfolio in 41 markets, and the company works with wholesalers such as Horizon Beverage Group in other US states.

Last year, we looked at the potential for Irish whiskey to take on Scotch in the US.