Pride in our home and love of our craft are just two values that we at Wicklow Wolf share with our neighbours at Glendalough Distillery.
After many conversations exploring our shared expertise in brewing and distilling, and following the success of our 2025 release, we have come together once again to create not one, but two distinctive beers, rooted in our shared home and love of craft.
The Still Hand 2026
Building on the success of last year’s original Still Hand release, this year’s vintage sees us releasing a bold 15.3% Barleywine aged in Glendalough’s ex-Oloroso whiskey barrels.
Named The Still Hand 2026 after Glendalough’s stills and St. Kevin’s patient legend, this beer is defined by time. It pours deep mahogany with rich caramel, marmalade, dried fruits, warming sherry sweetness, smooth whiskey character, and toasted oak complexity. Enjoy.
The Deer Stone
The Deer Stone brings together our shared passion for Wicklow, the ancient forests that once spanned the country and the wildlife that roamed freely, all in an Imperial Stout aged in Wicklow Oak casks that held Glendalough’s Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey.
Named after the Glendalough legend of a meeting between St. Kevin, a deer and a wolf, this beer celebrates the character of our shared home. Rich roasted malt, dark chocolate and coffee meet smooth whiskey warmth, vanilla and toasted oak, with hints of dark fruit and spice. At 12.5%, this is a deep, warming stout aged and rooted in ancient Wicklow. Enjoy.
The Oak, The Deer and The Wolf
Where wolves once kept deer populations in check, allowing young trees to thrive. Forest clearance and the disappearance of wolves disrupted that balance. Today, Sika deer feed on saplings, hindering the recovery of native woodland. Together, we’ll plant one Irish Oak tree for every 12 cans sold, to help tomorrow’s forests take root!
The Deer Stone
Near St. Kevin’s Church in Glendalough lies the Deer Stone, a hollowed rock steeped in folklore. Legend tells of a doe whose milk sustained Kevin’s foster child. When a wolf killed her fawn, Kevin commanded it to take the fawn’s place, while the doe continued leaving milk in the stone to nourish the child.
This legend gives our Wicklow Oak Barrel Aged Imperial Stout its name—a collaboration between Wicklow Wolf and Glendalough Distillery, rooted in the woods, legends and shared spirit of Wicklow.
Greenan Forest
The Whiskey casks used to season this beer were crafted from Wicklow oak sourced in Greenan Forest near Rathdrum. Home to some of Ireland’s finest native oak, the forest reflects the shared Wicklow roots that brought Wicklow Wolf and Glendalough Distillery together.
Single Pot Still
Glendalough Single Pot Still is a uniquely Irish whiskey style, made from malted and unmalted barley and distilled in traditional copper pot stills. Rich in texture, orchard fruit character and signature spice, it is finished in rare Wicklow oak casks, making Ireland’s native whiskey style even more Irish.
From Forest to Cask
Glendalough Distillery individually selects every Wicklow oak tree used for its finishing casks. From forest to cooperage to cask, each tree follows a fully traceable journey connecting the whiskey directly to the Wicklow landscape. To ensure these forests continue to thrive, seven native oak saplings are planted for every tree used.
Rare by Nature
Irish oak once flourished across the Irish landscape but is far rarer today. By bringing together Ireland’s native whiskey style and rare Wicklow oak, Glendalough creates an expression rooted in both Irish spirit and Irish wood. This helps to shape the flavour imparted on The Deer Stone.
Shaped by Wicklow Oak
Finished in rare Wicklow oak casks, the whiskey develops layers of almond, clove, nutmeg, toasted oak and vanilla. The influence of the wood is distinctive yet balanced, enhancing the whiskey’s orchard fruit character, rich texture and signature spice. All these flavours help to shape the rich, distinct taste of this Wicklow Oak Barrel Aged Imperial Stout.
on Our Collaboration
Ciarán ‘Rowdy’ Rooney, Head Distiller at Glendalough Distillery, said:
“It’s brilliant to be working with our neighbours at Wicklow Wolf again, The Deer Stone legend is part of the story of Glendalough Distillery, so it felt right to build a beer around it. We take great care in sourcing our Wicklow oak and selecting the right trees for our whiskey casks, so pairing our Single Pot Still casks with Wicklow Wolf’s brewing skill is a great way to bring that story to life.”Quincey Fennelly, Managing Director of Wicklow Wolf, said:
“The Still Hand was one of our most talked-about releases last year, so we knew we wanted to brew it again. This year’s barleywine has really taken on even more of the Oloroso depth and barrel character that people liked, and The Deer Stone gives us a rich, decadent imperial stout to sit alongside it. Brewing beer and aging it in casks from our neighbours adds something you can’t get any other way – a true taste of Wicklow.”
Both The Still Hand 2026 and The Deer Stone are available nationwide now in all good Independent Off Licences, O’Briens, Molloy’s, Number 21, Fine Wines, and select Supervalu Stores.