A 400-year tradition of whisky making has been recognised by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.
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The couple toured The Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, yesterday (21.05.08), and met many of the 120 staff who help produce 500,000 cases of Old Bushmills every year.
The distillery’s bottling manager Lyle Pyper said: “This royal visit has been the icing on the cake for the 400th anniversary. It’s a great birthday present.”
During a tour of the distillery staff explained the first stages of the whisky making process to the royals, which the prince found particularly interesting.
He said: “It’s a great joy to be able to visit. Having visited a few distilleries in my time I am fascinated to see what you do here. I’m glad that an ancestor of mine had the good sense to grant a license!”
During their visit the couple signed a cask, which was then filled with whisky and sent to the warehouse where it would be left to mature.
After a “tutored tasting” from the company’s master blender, Charles and Camilla unveiled a plaque commemorating their visit. At the end of the tour the couple were presented with a personalised bottle of malt whisky and a 1608 anniversary bottle of Crystal whiskey.
