Yearly we join the festivities alongside the upcoming St. Patricks Day in Ireland with a tastings-serie in The Netherlands. And as we gear up for our St. Patrick’s Day(s), we’re thrilled to announce to be able to bring you a taste of Ireland’s rich heritage, together with Blacks Brewery & Distillery from Kinsale!

In a full throttle series of whiskey tastings through ‘the Lowlands’ we’re highlighting the best from this leading craft whiskey producer distillery, suitably placed as the ‘first to hop off’ on the famous Wild Atlantic Whisky Way just outside Kinsale, Co. Cork.

The Combo: Brewery & Distillery

As we all know, beer is the fore post of Whiskey making, but rarely is this combined in one location. Let’s ask sales manager Darren Murphy whats’ in it for us?

Darren, with almost 20 years of roaming the world of spirits, what are the advantages of the beer-spirits combo at Blacks’?

“Its all about flavour experiences, combinations and creating an atmosphere for conversation to flow.

We started looking at how we could take our customers on a unique flavour journey leaning on our core competencies including the fusion of great irish whiskeys together with our award winning beers.

Its fun,experimental and pioneering in a way that suits the identity of our organiseation but ultimatley we need to execute an extremeley tasty drink.

We found that both Single Malt and Single Grain whiskey were great conduits when absorbing the beer flavours from the pre seasoned barrels and as a result we released ‘the pieces of 8 Series’. The Single malts retained the structured backbone with whiskey dominating the falvour profile and the beer notes harmonizing brilliantly. The Single Grains emphasising the Beer notes having naturally a lighter body and elevated the syneregy of beer and whiskey.

Each Sip hits with its own story and vibe, and Darren brings that energy to life through the flavour, culture, and craft of Blacks Distilling.”

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Darren Murphy, Blacks Brewery & Distillery

Darren Murphy is the whiskey‑obsessed force of nature at Blacks Brewery & Distillery, one of Ireland’s most exciting craft whiskey makers in the heart of Kinsale, Co. Cork. After almost twenty years roaming the world of spirits, he’s become a go‑to voice on Irish whiskey—especially the bold, adventurous creations coming out of Blacks.

As a born host with a talent for pairing great food with even better whiskey, Darren turns every tasting into a story, every event into an experience, and every curious newcomer into a lifelong fan. Wherever he goes, the reputation of Blacks’ premium Irish whiskeys follows—usually with a few converts in tow.

With nearly two decades of domestic and international experience, Darren is a recognised expert in Irish whiskey—particularly the acclaimed Blacks Distillery range. A seasoned hospitality professional and master of food‑and‑whiskey pairing, Darren brings a deep understanding of flavour, service, and storytelling to every tasting and event, elevating the profile of Blacks’ premium Irish whiskeys worldwide.

Darren’s Quote

“In my tastings and masterclasses, I dive into the world of Irish distilling with the same excitement that drives everything we do at Blacks. We explore bold, innovative whiskeys, talk about what makes them stand out, and get into the stories, techniques, and creative sparks behind every drop. It’s immersive, it’s fun, and it’s all about experiencing whiskey in a fresh, modern way.”