Origin: Clare (Ireland)
Type: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Strength: 40%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon
Chillfiltered: Yes
Added colouring: Yes
Owner: Castle Brand Inc.
Average price: € 65.00
Official website: www.knappoguewhiskey.com
Vote: 83/100
The “kissing hill” castle whiskey was founded on the initiative of an American, Mark Edwin Andrews, who purchased Knappogue Castle in 1966 in order to strengthen his roots in Ireland.
After restoring the structure with his wife, he began buying casks from various distilleries in the country, finishing the ageing process under this label, with the last bottling being the now legendary Knappogue Castle 1951, from Tullamore (closed in 1954), a pot still (made from malted and unmalted barley) matured in ex-Sherry casks and bottled in 1987.
The tradition continued in the hands of his son, Mark Edwin Andrews III, who in 1998 founded Great Spirits LCC, which in 2010 merged into what is now Castle Brand Inc, distributing this 12 year old the same year, breaking with the tradition of only indicating the vintage (the year of distillation) on the label.
The distilleries of origin are not stated, but it’s fairly certain to be Cooley (as is often the case with bonders) and Bushmills.
There are three bottlings in the portfolio, all triple-distilled single malts with 12, 14 and 16 year olds, plus some limited editions including versions with different finishings of the 12 year old, including one in Barolo which we will discuss on these pages.
Thanks to the distillery and Italian distributor Pallini for the kind bottle.
Tasting notes
The nose is very fresh and herbaceous, crisp, with a marked wood spice (cinnamon, nutmeg) over fruit (ripe banana, peach, yellow melon), baked apple, dried apricot, honey, marzipan, malt. And lots of vanilla. Very classic and intense.
In the mouth it’s an explosion of juicy fruit, a triumph of peach and apricot flanked by tropical touches of pineapple, coconut and grapefruit, with very lively ginger and nutmeg on a sea of vanilla, cereals and honey. Impression of orange juice.
Medium length finish with nutmeg, touch of ginger, peach tea, orange and cereal.
A malt with all the fresh boldness of youth, quite summery and pleasing but intense, very drinkable without being trite or cloying.
Reviews of Knappogue Castle whiskey in the blog:
Knappogue Castle 12yo Marchesi di Barolo Cask