Mizunara-Finished Irish Whiskey is vivid, but delicate with seamless depth. It is vibrant, fruity, and floral on the nose, enjoying a luxuriously smooth mouthfeel with notes of dark chocolate orange, sandalwood, and cinnamon synonymous with Mizunara wh…
Mizunara-Finished Irish Whiskey is vivid, but delicate with seamless depth. It is vibrant, fruity, and floral on the nose, enjoying a luxuriously smooth mouthfeel with notes of dark chocolate orange, sandalwood, and cinnamon synonymous with Mizunara whiskeys.
Glendalough Double Barrel Whiskey is a single grain whiskey aged in ex-Bourbon and then finished in Oloroso Sherry barrels. I don’t know why they chose to go with Double Barrel instead of sherry finished, seems like an odd marketing choice to me for two reasons. One, in the current American market “double barrel” mostly refers […]
Glendalough Double Barrel Whiskey is a single grain whiskey aged in ex-Bourbon and then finished in Oloroso Sherry barrels. I don’t know why they chose to go with Double Barrel instead of sherry finished, seems like an odd marketing choice to me for two reasons. One, in the current American market “double barrel” mostly refers to using a second new-charred oak barrel. Two, “sherry finished” is a big turn-on for a lot of whiskey drinkers, it also sounds premium.
The term double barrel isn’t regulated, so either one is fully accurate, but when it comes to marketing a product, one of the two (sherry) holds a lot more gravitas and garners instant interest from whiskey drinkers while the other (second charred cask) is usually a waste of a second cask. But I’m not here to judge their marketing team and their odd decisions, I’m here to assess the whiskey.
Let’s get to drinkin’!
Glendalough Double Barrel Whiskey – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Style: Single Malt (Irish) Region: Ireland Distiller: Undisclosed Bottler: Glendalough
“This globally awarded, single grain whiskey has been aged twice – first in American oak Bourbon barrels and again in Spanish oak Oloroso Sherry barrels.” – Glendalough
Glendalough Double Barrel Whiskey Tasting Notes
EYE
Light amber copper
NOSE
Woody, lemon rind, grain-sweet, some fruit and black walnuts with a touch of frosting sweetness.
The aroma is grainy and earthy with just a bit of sweetness and in a weird way reminds me of the Bog Oak.
PALATE
Woody, dry grain, stale brown sugar, cocoa powder and some spice and strawberry taffy.
Drier and a touch tannic with a slight candy sweetness that heads into the finish.
FINISH
Medium -> Spice, grain, cocoa powder, and wood fade to a light taffy sweetness.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Not fully balanced, medium body and a lightly dry feel.
Glendalough Double Barrel Whiskey – Overall Thoughts and Score
Meh. One of the two casks isn’t doing this whiskey any favors, or maybe it’s the grain whiskey itself. I don’t know, but I can’t get into this one as a sipper. However, it does make a decent Tipperary and adds a bit of a chalky cocoa note to an otherwise sweet and herbal drink. So it’s not completely without merit.
There’s obviously a drinker this aligns with out there, but it isn’t me. The more I sipped of this Glendalough Double Barrel Whiskey, the more I felt like it was missing something and came through on the hollow side.
The real emerald in the Irish Whiskey crown are single pot still whiskeys like this Glendalough Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Sure Irish whiskey is known for its light blends and their single malts have been growing in favor, but this is the true Irish Whiskey. Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, this […]
The real emerald in the Irish Whiskey crown are single pot still whiskeys like this Glendalough Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Sure Irish whiskey is known for its light blends and their single malts have been growing in favor, but this is the true Irish Whiskey. Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, this all-malt whiskey is unique to Ireland and is the style I gravitate to the most.
Not too long ago, the only distillery making this style was Midleton (Jameson), but now we have dozens of distilleries picking up their ancestral reigns and bringing this almost-lost style of whiskey back to life. As a fan, I couldn’t be happier about it and while there’s no guarantee they’re all going to be good, it’s exciting nonetheless to see this category expand and grow.
Now, let’s get to drinkin’!
Glendalough Pot Still Irish Whiskey – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Style: Single Pot Still Region: Ireland Distiller: Glendalough
Mash Bill: 100% Barley (Malted and Unmalted Barley) Cask: ex-Bourbon, New Charred Irish Oak Age: NAS (3+ years) ABV: 42%
“There is no more Irish a whiskey than Pot Still, so we felt it was fitting to age it in Irish Oak.” – Glendalough
Glendalough Pot Still Irish Whiskey Tasting Notes
EYE
Honey
NOSE
Grassy, coppery, malty, lemongrass, pine nuts and a light bit of honey and Necco wafers.
Very unique in the pot still world with its crisp, lemongrass, aroma. Also quite light.
PALATE
Grassy, malty, copper, vanilla taffy, caramel, nutty and slightly spicy and candy sweet with a touch of oak.
The crispness and sharpness of this is intriguing, delicious and noticeably bolder than the aroma.
FINISH
Medium -> Lemongrass, copper, spice and some malty oak.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Well balanced, medium body and a clean crisp feel.
Glendalough Pot Still Irish Whiskey – Overall Thoughts and Score
It’s fresh, it’s grain-driven (but not in a cloying or harsh way) and it’s tatys. I wish I had more of this Glendalough Pot Still Irish Whiskey… looks like I’m going to have to go out and buy a bottle.
Unique and fun with a clean crisp delivery that’s unlike most of the other pot stills I’ve had which tend to be more round, soft and velvety. It’s a stunning beginning, and I see the unbridled potential here. This is going to be an exciting line to watch from the Glendalough distillery.
SCORE: 3.5/5 (tasty, worth checking out ~ B | 83-86)
*Disclosure: The sample/bottle for this single pot still Irish Whiskey review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Dublin-based Glendalough Distillery has released a seven-year-old single malt Irish whiskey finished in Japanese mizunara casks from the island of Hokkaido. Glendalough 7 Year Old Single Malt Mizunara Finish was bottled at 46% alcohol by volume [92 proof] and is said to contain notes of cinnamon, dark chocolate orange and sandalwood. Glendalough 7 Year Old […]
Dublin-based Glendalough Distillery has released a seven-year-old single malt Irish whiskey finished in Japanese mizunara casks from the island of Hokkaido.
Glendalough 7 Year Old Single Malt Mizunara Finish was bottled at 46% alcohol by volume [92 proof] and is said to contain notes of cinnamon, dark chocolate orange and sandalwood.
Glendalough 7 Year Old Single Malt Mizunara Finish is being made available in limited quantities for $100 per 750ml bottle.
