Origin: Drogheda (Ireland)
Type: Irish Blended Whiskey
Strength: 43%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon and ex-Calvados
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Boann Distillery
Average price: € 50.00
Official website: boanndistillery.ie
Vote: 84/100
After having tried two single malts from the Irish distillery Boann, I now have in my hands a blend of 35% single malt and 65% single grain, which has finished maturing for at least 15 months in casks containing Calvados, a cider spirit from Normandy.
This is a limited edition of 3000 bottles released in 2020, like the previous ones made from whiskey from other distilleries and finished on site.
There is no musical name for this special version, which is part of a series consisting of two other bottles with a different finish: Imperial Stout and Sherry Oloroso (the latter soon to appear on these pages).
Tasting notes
Light gold with some amber reflections in the glass.
The bouquet is very fresh, almost floral, with freshly peeled apples and pears and a hint of wet grass. Soon, however, sweeter scents open up, of vanilla, banana, cinnamon, apple pie (needless to say) and shortbread. Slight undertone of walnuts. Lighter than I expected, in a good way.
Creamy and sweet on the palate, always dominated by the cooked and raw apple, with the herbaceous tones present but in a lesser accent. Spicy notes from the wood with hints of leather counterpoint those of vanilla, peach, nuts and touches of aniseed. Rather simple but structured.
Not very long finish of apple, cinnamon, vanilla, wood.
It’s certainly not a surprising whiskey, but in its lightness it does offer points of interest that are far from common, a variation on the theme that doesn’t disappoint. Of course, if you don’t like apples it’s best to avoid it…