LYQD Publishes Irish Whiskey Supply Report 2026

Ireland’s first independent Irish whiskey inventory report, commissioned by LYQD, reveals the scale, resilience and untapped potential of one of the world’s fastest-growing whiskey categories

Deep in bonded warehouses across Ireland, approximately 4.5 million barrels of whiskey are quietly maturing, enough to supply the entire global Irish whiskey market for nearly nine years. Until now, no one had put a definitive, independent number on it.  That changes today.

LYQD, Ireland’s first secure digital exchange for cask whiskey, has commissioned the most comprehensive public analysis of Ireland’s maturing whiskey inventory ever produced. The Irish Whiskey Supply Report, authored by independent industry analyst Martin Purvis (October 2025), examines stock levels by age profile, production capacity, export trends and the structural outlook for a category that now sells into more than 120 countries worldwide.

The timing is deliberate. Irish whiskey has absorbed a pricing correction of approximately 25 percent in recent years, and new production has slowed significantly into 2025. For some, that signals caution. The data tells a different story.

What the Numbers Show

Ireland’s cask inventory spans new make through to well-aged whiskey, with stocks above seven years assessed as particularly illiquid and therefore likely to hold value, creating rare depth across age statements and price tiers that few spirits categories can match.

Irish whiskey delivered historical growth of approximately 8 percent CAGR over the last decade. Forward modelling in the report applies 2 to 5 percent annual growth scenarios, still representing sustained international demand rather than a post-pandemic sugar rush.

The slowdown in new production is expected to support the long-term value of mature stock already laid down. This is a dynamic that played out in near-identical fashion in Scotch and American whiskey before those markets matured.

The current pricing cycle reflects market consolidation rather than terminal decline, consistent with recognised patterns from comparable premium whisky markets.

The report goes beyond supply. It analyses consumption data in granular detail: who is buying Irish whiskey globally, which markets are accelerating, and what the trajectory of international demand actually means for the 4.5 million casks sitting in bond today.

Why It Matters

Irish whiskey has a transparency problem. Reliable, independent stock data has historically been fragmented, inconsistent and largely inaccessible to anyone outside the largest distilleries. That opacity has made informed decision-making harder for everyone: brands, buyers, brokers and investors alike.  LYQD commissioned this report to change that.

James Jardella, CEO, LYQD, said:

“Irish whiskey is one of the world’s great success stories, but it has operated without the kind of transparent market data that Scotch and American whiskey have long taken for granted. This report exists because better decisions require better information. We wanted to put an objective, independent reference point into the hands of everyone operating in this category.”