“To be perfectly honest with you I’d love to be making whisky in England. The GI (Geographical Indicator) in Ireland is quite restrictive compared to in England, but at the same time it’s good to have a challenge and be as innovative as possible.
“Once I had the whiskies at the point I wanted, Cian [Quilty, founder and managing director of Sailor’s Home] asked if he could put my name on the new bottles and of course I said that’s fine, I’d always wanted my name on a bottle of Irish whiskey.”
For the majority of people in their 70s the global pandemic has been used as an opportunity to step back from work, but not Ó’Sé.
“I can’t wait for things to be normal again so I can get out and visit new places and work on new projects. I’ve had lots of samples delivered home and although I’ve always considered myself a whiskey drinker, I’ve certainly built up a collection over the past year.
“I’d really like to write a book at some stage, but it took me 14 years to get a PhD so I’m not sure if I’d find the time – especially when I can get back out in the real world.”
