PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Roe & Co carries a name with genuine 19th-century pedigree. George Roe was one of Dublin's most celebrated whiskey makers, running the Thomas Street Distillery — for a time, the largest pot still distillery anywhere in the world — until Prohibition-era hardship helped bring the original operation to a close in 1926. Diageo revived the name in March 2017, marking the company's return to Irish whiskey after selling Bushmills a few years earlier, and in 2019 built an entirely new distillery inside the old Guinness power house on Thomas Street, not far from where Roe's original operation once stood, using buildings Guinness had itself purchased from the Roe estate decades before.
What genuinely sets this whiskey apart is exactly how it was built: Diageo Master Blender Caroline Martin spent two years working directly alongside five Dublin-based bartenders, representing some of the city's most celebrated cocktail establishments, tasting through more than 100 prototype blends before landing on the final recipe. As Martin put it herself: "we're extremely proud to partner with some of Dublin's most innovative mixologists that helped create the unique blend of whiskeys aptly named Roe & Co, an homage to celebrated Irish whiskey-maker George Roe. After two years of experimenting with more than 100 prototype blends, the team landed on a smooth balance of quality malt and grain, aged in ex-bourbon casks, that truly personifies the spirit of a new frontier of Irish whiskey." The whiskey is a blend of malt and grain whiskies matured exclusively in bourbon casks, a high proportion of them first-fill, bottled non-chill filtered.
Christopher Null's independent review at Drinkhacker found it "a very fragrant whiskey, particularly so for an Irish." WhiskyCast's tasting described "light and floral" character "with rose petals, lemon custard, and a hint of fresh berries" on the nose, developing into a taste that's "creamy and slightly tart at first with lemon pepper and pineapple notes, followed by touches of clove and allspice balanced by berries and honey," closing with "a long finish with lingering spices and hints of dried flowers, peaches, and apricots" — concluding "this whiskey has a good overall balance and complexity, and while it was blended with cocktails in mind, it's just as enjoyable on its own." Master of Malt's tasting found it "creamy, delightfully fragrant and remarkably rounded with notes of soft spice and mellow spun sugar along with warm hints of woody vanilla," the palate showing "velvety texture and sweet flavours including spiced pears and vanilla," lingering gently "with a light creaminess" — a bottle that's earned more than 39,000 five-star reviews on that platform alone. The Whiskey Wash's Kenji Mizumori found "honey and orange zest, but also floral elements somewhere between eucalyptus and honeydew," noting the whiskey is "on the lighter side," with a finish that "doesn't last that long" — genuinely honest, useful context alongside the more enthusiastic reviews. This is genuinely versatile Irish whiskey, built from the ground up with cocktails in mind, but entirely capable of standing on its own.
Roe & Co is produced by Diageo, launched in March 2017 as the company's return to the Irish whiskey category. The whiskey is named in honor of George Roe, a celebrated 19th-century Dublin distiller who ran the Thomas Street Distillery, once the largest pot still distillery in the world, until it closed in 1926 amid the hardships of American Prohibition. In 2019, Diageo built the Roe & Co Distillery inside the former Guinness power house on Thomas Street, near the St. James's Gate Brewery, close to the site of Roe's original operation. Roe & Co Distillery was named Ireland's Visitor Attraction of the Year and Brand Innovator of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Awards 2025.
The whiskey was crafted by Diageo Master Blender Caroline Martin, working over two years with five Dublin-based bartenders representing some of the city's most celebrated cocktail establishments, testing more than 100 prototype blends before finalizing the recipe. Roe & Co is a blend of malt and grain whiskies matured exclusively in bourbon casks, a high proportion of them first-fill, bottled non-chill filtered at 45% ABV / 90 proof.
No formal numerical critic score from a major spirits publication is confirmed for this product at this time.
Christopher Null, Drinkhacker:
"Ready for another contender in the rapidly crowding Irish whiskey space? Roe & Co is a new brand from Diageo, 'perfected by bartenders for bartenders.' This is a very fragrant whiskey, particularly so for an Irish."
WhiskyCast (extended tasting note):
"The nose is light and floral with rose petals, lemon custard, and a hint of fresh berries. The taste is creamy and slightly tart at first with lemon pepper and pineapple notes, followed by touches of clove and allspice balanced by berries and honey. The finish is long with lingering spices and hints of dried flowers, peaches, and apricots. This whiskey has a good overall balance and complexity, and while it was blended with cocktails in mind, it's just as enjoyable on its own."
Master of Malt (extended tasting note):
"Creamy, delightfully fragrant and remarkably rounded with notes of soft spice and mellow spun sugar along with warm hints of woody vanilla. The quality and perfect balance of the blend is immediately apparent on the palate through its velvety texture and sweet flavours including spiced pears and vanilla. Lingering and gentle, ending with a light creaminess."
Kenji Mizumori, The Whiskey Wash (extended independent review):
"Definitely on the sweeter side for this one. Think honey and orange zest, but also floral elements somewhere between eucalyptus and honeydew. The flavors for the Roe & Co were pretty straightforward and reminiscent of what you pick up in the nose. The whiskey itself is on the lighter side, so the finish doesn't last that long."
Caroline Martin, Master Blender, Diageo:
"After two years of experimenting with more than 100 prototype blends, the team landed on a smooth balance of quality malt and grain, aged in ex-bourbon casks, that truly personifies the spirit of a new frontier of Irish whiskey."
Nose
Light and floral, with rose petals, lemon custard, and fresh berries, alongside honey, orange zest, and soft spice, with hints of eucalyptus and honeydew.
Palate
Creamy and slightly tart, with lemon pepper and pineapple notes, developing into clove and allspice balanced by berries and honey. Velvety texture carries spiced pear and vanilla, with mellow spun sugar and woody vanilla throughout.
Finish
Long, with lingering spice and hints of dried flowers, peaches, and apricots, closing gently with a light creaminess — some tastings find the finish comparatively short given the whiskey's lighter overall body.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Blended Irish Whiskey |
| ABV / Proof | 45% ABV / 90 Proof |
| Blend | Malt & grain whiskies |
| Maturation | Bourbon casks (high proportion first-fill) |
| Distillery | Roe & Co Distillery — Thomas Street, Dublin, Ireland |
| Distillery Founded | 2019 (built inside the former Guinness power house) |
| Owner | Diageo |
| Master Blender | Caroline Martin |
| Name Origin | George Roe, 19th-century Dublin distiller, Thomas Street Distillery |
| Launched | March 2017 |
| Chill Filtered | No |
| Distillery Awards | Ireland's Visitor Attraction of the Year & Brand Innovator of the Year, Icons of Whisky Awards 2025 |
| Style / Identity | Light, floral, and honeyed — a genuinely versatile Irish whiskey built with cocktails specifically in mind |
| Aromas & Flavors | Vanilla, caramel, orchard fruit, honey, rose petal, dried flowers, allspice |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Highball
2 oz Roe & Co · soda or tonic water · a zesty kick of grapefruit — the brand's own recommended serve.
Irish Coffee
A decadent, warming twist using Roe & Co as the base spirit.
Old Fashioned (White Chocolate & Honey Twist)
Roe & Co stirred down with white chocolate and honey for a rich variation on the classic.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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