W.D. O'Connell: the Irish whiskey merchant who doesn't need a distillery
W.D. O'Connell Whiskey Merchants is not a distillery, but something that had nearly died out in Ireland for decades: an independent bonder, blender, and bottler. Founder Daithí O'Connell sources young whiskey from existing Irish distilleries and then ages, blends, and bottles it himself from a restored 19th-century workhouse building in Kilmacthomas, County Waterford. With Bill Phil, he released the first triple-distilled, peated Irish single malt in over a hundred years in late 2019.
In short
| Set up | 2019, by Daithí O'Connell |
| Location | Kilmacthomas, County Waterford (Ireland), in a restored 19th-century workhouse building on the Waterford Greenway |
| Type of company | Independent bonder, blender & bottler — no own distillery |
| Whiskey distilled at | Cooley Distillery and Great Northern Distillery (both Ireland) |
| Most famous bottle | Bill Phil — first triple-distilled, peated Irish single malt in over a hundred years (2019) |
| Recognition | Double Gold (10 Year Old Single Grain) and Gold (Bill Phil), San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022 |
A distillery that never came into existence
Daithí O'Connell initially considered building a distillery himself. The investment required—stills, permits, waiting for years before even a single bottle could be sold—proved to be too high a hurdle. When he moved back to Ireland from Dubai in 2017, he saw a country that had changed in just a few years: whereas Ireland had had only a handful of active distilleries for decades, the country suddenly boasted more than forty. That growth suddenly made another, older business model viable again: that of the independent bottler, who sources whiskey, ages it themselves, and releases it under their own name. "Bottlers are a rarity in Ireland," O'Connell says, "and that had mainly to do with the lack of distilleries." With enough distilleries to source from, he was able to take up that rare role again.
From workhouse to whiskey warehouse
W.D. O'Connell is based in Kilmacthomas, a village on the Waterford Greenway, in a building of approximately 11,000 square feet (over 1,000 m²) on the site of the former Union Workhouse — a 19th-century almshouse that has since been converted into commercial space. That location also gave its name to one of the most famous series: Tomásín, named after "Choill Mhic Thomáisín," the ancient, wooded townland where Kilmacthomas is now situated. From this premises, O'Connell sources young whiskey from Cooley Distillery and Great Northern Distillery, among others, and then personally determines in which casks, and for how long, that whiskey matures further.
Bill Phil: One Hundred Years Without a Successor
The bottle that W.D. The one who put O'Connell on the map is Bill Phil: at its launch in late 2019, the first triple-distilled, peated Irish single malt in over a hundred years. Triple distillation is traditionally the classic Irish style — softer and rounder than the double distillation common in Scotland — but is almost never combined with smoky, peated malt. By bringing together precisely those two traditions, O'Connell created a whiskey that could come from nowhere else: Irish in structure, but with a smoky depth you would sooner expect in Scotland.
Small, independent and international
The releases of W.D. O'Connell is deliberately small: often no more than 200 to 250 bottles per single cask release. Yet the company now extends beyond Ireland alone, with exports to the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, South Africa, and parts of the United States. In 2022, O'Connell's work was doubly awarded at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition — Double Gold for the 10 Year Old Single Grain, Gold for Bill Phil — and the company received a Waterford Local Enterprise Award for its growth.
Why W.D. O'Connell is worth the effort
W.D. O'Connell demonstrates that a good whiskey does not necessarily need its own distillery. By choosing precisely which distillery to source from, and then deciding for himself in which cask and for how long that whiskey ages, Daithí O'Connell builds his own recognizable style — independent, idiosyncratic, and with a healthy dose of guts, from the first triple-distilled peated malt in a century to the small, numbered single-cask releases that have followed since.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has W.D. O'Connell a distillery of his own?
No. W.D. O'Connell is an independent bonder, blender, and bottler who sources whiskey from established Irish distilleries, such as Cooley Distillery and Great Northern Distillery, and then further ages and bottles it himself.
Where is W.D. Located at O'Connell?
In Kilmacthomas, County Waterford, in a restored 19th-century workhouse building on the Waterford Greenway.
What is Bill Phil?
Bill Phil is the most famous bottle of W.D. O'Connell: at launch in late 2019, the first triple-distilled, peated Irish single malt in over a hundred years.
Where does the name Tomásín come from?
Tomásín is named after "Choill Mhic Thomáisín", the ancient, wooded townland in which Kilmacthomas — the home of W.D. O'Connell — now lies.
How big are the releases of W.D. O'Connell?
Often no more than 200 to 250 bottles per single cask release, which makes the releases distinctly exclusive.
