Stands Out

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey
46% ABV
$35 to $40
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Our Flagship Irish whiskey and our attempt to create the most interesting Blended Irish whiskey. This small batch bottling consists of hand selected casks which are given further maturation in ex-rum barrels imparting extra character and smooth flavour unique to Irish whiskey. By bottling at 46% with no chill filtration completes an Irish whiskey of true character.

NOSE An inviting nose where vanilla and spice dances with bright sweet notes of Rum.
TASTE While being very approachable the influence of the rum cask and higher percentage alcohol creates a unique smooth, sweet, slightly woody marriage that sparkles on the tongue.
FINISH Slightly moorish, sweet spice finish complimented by woody undertones.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The rum definitely shines through on the nose. You would think it spent longer than six months in those casks. That honey sweetness is laid against a lighter orange blossom fragrance.
Palate: Toffee and vanilla sweet, rich, and creamy with a nice spicy black pepper kick to balance it out.
Finish: A little of the peppery note carries over into the finish but quickly gets out of the way for a more subtle lingering woody finish.
Comments: A high malt content Irish blend finished for six months in rum casks. Yes it’s as good as it sounds. It is a real stunner at it’s price point. I would have no problem picking this up again and again. This is probably my favorite rum finished Irish whiskey of all that I’ve tried to date.
Rating: Stands Out

Knappogue Castle Twin Wood Single Malt Irish Whiskey Aged 16 Years
40% ABV
$100
Website

What the Bottler Says:
With the help of the finest distillers and craftsmen, we bring you Knappogue TWIN WOOD — the first Sherry Finished Knappogue Castle matured for sixteen years in two types of wood. The result is a perfectly balanced single malt Irish whiskey with a complex, rich taste and a slightly sweet sherry finish.

We took the best of our 1994 vintage distilled single malt and aged it for just over fifteen years in bourbon barrels for our signature smooth taste. This perfect whiskey was then put into casks especially seasoned for Knappogue using Oloroso Sherry. We bottled only 1,900 bottles of this exquisite whiskey in December of 2010. Each individually numbered bottle is a true work of art.

Our Passion is for Perfection. Experience it in Knappogue Twin Wood.

Color: Medium deep reddish gold.
Aroma: Intense aromatic, rich, malty, fruity, spicy, nutty, vanilla, dusty dark chocolate, good age complexity.
Taste: Really deep and complex, nutty sherry maltiness, fruity, dusty dark chocolate, spicy, pleasant woodiness, vanilla notes, slightly peppery, some sweetness, mellow and rounded.
Finish: Nice sherried maltiness, some sweetness and dark chocolate lingering.
Comment: The greater age of this Knappogue expression serves to enhance and intensify the flavour of this single malt whiskey; and the sherry finish adds a further layer of taste complexity. The result is an Irish malt whiskey that ranks with the very best of the world’s single malts.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Even with the extra time in sherry wood the fresh grassy Bushmills-esque nose comes through. You have to give it some time for that sherry to start peeking around the edges.
Palate: Creamy, fruity sweet, and nutty with a dusting of cocoa powder and hints of sherry.
Finish: The finish leaves behind more of that lingering cocoa powder note.
Comments: The age and finishing are nice improvements over the regular 12 year old but not as much as the 14 year old limited edition. I think this one would also benefit from the same higher proof.
Rating: Stands Out

Knappogue Castle Twin Wood Single Malt Irish Whiskey Aged 14 Years
46% ABV
$59.99
Website

What the Bottler Says:
Distillation & Selection Process:
The malted barley is dried in ovens without the use of peat, allowing the crisp, clean flavor of malted barley to come through without smoky overtones. The dried malt is then ground and mixed with pure Irish spring water to extract the sugars. Single malt whiskies of Knappogue Castle are distilled three times in traditional onion shaped copper pot stills. The spirit is then placed in oak casks, formerly used for bourbon, stored at a relatively consistent temperature, and aged.

After 14+ years in bourbon casks, the whiskey for 14 Year Old Twin Wood was selected by the Master Distiller to be married with more Irish single malt – this time aged in casks specially infused for Knappogue Castle with Oloroso Sherry.

The delicate distillation process, along with the moist and temperate Irish climate, and the special aging in bourbon and sherry casks, has yielded the distinctive flavor of the Knappogue Castle 14 Year Old Twin Wood. The use of two kinds of wood casks in Twin Wood has produced a whiskey which has a deep, complex, and very smooth taste.

Knappogue Castle 14 Year Old Twin Wood is not chill filtered and, unlike many whiskeys, no coloring is added.

Tasting Notes:
The color is a light, reddish gold. The nose shows the orchard fruits typical of Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, but is given depth by the Oloroso Sherry cask-aged whiskey. This results in hints of fleshy fruits – like plum and apricot. The taste is rich and fruity with hints of green apple and the zest of grapefruit. The malt helps to bring out the quality of the wood – sweet vanilla with light tannins from the charred oak. The finish is lengthy, with full fruity notes transitioning to a dry, pleasant barley conclusion.

Distillation Date: November 1998
Bottling Date: October 2012
Age: 14 years in two types of wood: bourbon & sherry casks
Number of Bottles: Only 2,000 bottles produced. Each is numbered and signed.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Light and fruity. Crisp apple, peaches, and tangerine fruit salad.
Palate: Rich and creamy like poached stone fruits with a sherry reduction sharing the plate with a bit of apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream.
Finish: The finish is a little prolonged with a bit of peppery and tannic bite.
Comments: This is a delicious step up from the standard 12 year old. The wood mixture and especially the extra proof really kick this expression up. I’ve not been the biggest fan of Knappogue over the years but this one really stands out to me. If it wasn’t a limited one off then I would surely pick up another.
Rating: Stands Out