Unlocking the untold: Lambay Irish Whiskey launches Castle Prestige Edition

Unlocking the untold: Lambay Whiskey is supporting its Castle Prestige Edition launch with an intriguing digital-first campaign

Camus-owned Lambay Irish Whiskey has revealed a 20 Year Old Castle Prestige Edition single malt.

Two years in the making and limited to 8,000 bottles, the expression has a 43% ABV and a recommended retail price of €500 to €600.

Lambay Castle Prestige is available through selected travel retailers, including Lotte Duty Free and DFS, in India, Asia and the USA.

The liquid was aged in bourbon barrels for 18 years, before being finished for a further two years in Cognac casks that have been exposed to the sea air on Lambay Island, just a few miles off the coast of County Dublin, Ireland.

Lambay Irish Whiskey Company (LIWC) Managing Director Jean-David Costberg said: “With the prestige of five generations of the world’s finest French Cognac blending and maturation expertise, along with the impact of a unique maritime finish on our whiskey, our goal was to truly craft a single malt that has the spirit of Lambay to its core.”

Lambard Whiskey shares some of the secrets behind its Castle Prestige on the pack. Click on images to enlarge.

Described as the “quintessential expression of the Lambay Whiskey brand”, Castle Prestige claimed The Spirits Business 2022 Global Luxury Master Award.

The story of Lambay Irish Whiskey centres on two families – Camus and Baring – and one “mysterious and alluring” island.

Entrepreneur Cyril Camus represents the fifth generation of Maison Camus, the renowned French family Cognac house. Alexander Baring is a direct descendant of the Baring family which purchased Lambay Island in 1905.

Lambay Irish Whiskey’s bonded warehouse, The Sea Cask Room, is located on Lambay Island. According to the partners, it allows the whiskey to undergo its maritime maturation process, giving the French oak casks the opportunity to absorb the rich microclimate of the maritime winds and sea pollens.

Water from the island’s Trinity Well is also used in the final flourish of the whiskey to ensure the ultimate flavour profile.

To support the launch of its first prestige age statement, LIWC has created an innovative digital-first campaign.

‘Unlock The Untold’ aims to bring the brand’s provenance to life through rich and evocative storytelling, linking the product’s characteristics together with the personality of the island and the Camus Cognac finishing style.

‘Lambay Unearthed’ artwork featured in the Castle Prestige Edition campaign is from local Dublin artist, David Norton.

A digital key (QR code) on the bottle unlocks exclusive access to a bespoke microsite detailing the world of Lambay and all its eccentricities while inviting customers to explore the island remotely.

A distinctive ‘keyhole’ visual identity features across the ‘Unlock The Untold’ messaging. Customers are encouraged to find out more about the brand and the island as well as the limited number of products to be released during the launch.

The microsite is split into three sections:

  • Unlock the Prestige: Learn about the liquid tale of collaboration between distiller and blender and the collaboration with David Norton on creating the world’s first piece of Lambay art.
  • Unlock the Craft – The art of the blend with Master Blender Yonael Bernard, with audio recordings about the maritime impact on the casks, and tasting notes for the 20 Year Old.
  • Unlock the Untold – an exclusive VIP section for buyers, by scanning the QR code on the bottle and entering the code ‘untold’, users can view and discover Lambay Island “like never before”.

The microsite map offers the user a self-exploratory journey of the island, by clicking on points of interest and wildlife hot spots in a personal user experience which can include a whiskey tasting with Yonael Bernard. The virtual tour includes details on the impact of maritime air on Camus’ Cognac casks and a look at the private living room to uncover items of interest and history relating to the Baring family history.

Norton has used macro photography to catch the essence of Lambay through colourful visuals with complex crystalline formations from a cross-section of indigenous volcanic Lambay porphyry rock. Norton’s illustrations touch on the Lambay Whiskey process, the island, and its colourful history including its castle and bird sanctuary status.

LIWC Senior Brand Manager Sabine Sheehan commented: “Lambay Unearthed has an organic connection to our brand story, as we usually reference our micro-climate on Lambay, our Cognac casks, and volcanic spring water in the finish of our whiskey, we never realised how stunning the island would look from within, a fascinating world’s first.”

Lambay Irish Whiskey Castle Prestige Edition tasting notes

On the nose: Vanilla, oak, plums, green apples, and lingering rancio, a maritime influence of salt and iodine.

Taste: Spices including saffron, ginger and pepper, with almond, honey, and nuts (walnuts). Plum and apple fruit is well balanced with this Cognac-cask finish, lingering notes of ginger.

Finish: Long-lasting rancio fruit balanced with salt, pepper, honey and ginger.

Recommended Serve: As a digestif, served with lightly whipped Crème Brulé or neat with a drop of water on the side.

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