This whiskey is a fun one out of West Cork Distillers. If you’ve been following our collaboration series with different whiskey bars around the country you will know that on our first flight with the Dylan Whiskey Bar this expression featured heavily.
The Glengarriff Cask Series is a Peated Barrel Single Malt rather than a Peated whiskey. A fascinating concept to change the final character of the whiskey to create a unique flavour experience.
This is strange and funky and has one of the craziest noses in whiskey. And all of those things make it a big favourite of mine this year!
This whiskey revealed itself through door #6 of my Drinks By the Dram, Irish Whiskey Calendar. Bottled at 43% ABV this single malt is distilled in West Cork Distilleries and aged in sherry butts and then finished in barrels that were literally Peated in a peat charring apparatus out the back of the distillery.
This is a true piece of innovation as Distiller John O’Connell actually built this peating contraption himself. The fuel is peat from Glengarriff, hence the name.
Anyway, before I jump into the tasting notes I will note that this whiskey has one of the most interesting and confusing noses I’ve ever experienced. I suggest you all get a chance to throw your own noses into one of these.
Tasting Notes Conducted by Matt Healy, Chief Editor of Potstilled.com.
Colour: Gold/Amber
Nose: there is a top level of salty, medicinal peat, with an underlying pungent, fruity, stewed apple pie with cinnamon. This is followed through with a roasted chestnut at the back.
Palate: the opening is light but there is a quick explosion of salinity, medicinal peat, juicy pears, cinnamon and toasted wood.
Finish: medium length, tingling, some sugar sweetness with vegetal peat remaining.
A very interesting drop and is certainly unlike anything on the Irish market at the moment. It retails in the Republic of Ireland for approximately €40.
If you want to read the rest of my Advent reviews, click here.
Enjoy tippling!
Sláinte