Distiller Notes
The Knappogue Castle 21 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey is a marriage of two single malts distilled in copper pot stills and then matured in ex-bourbon casks – one for 23 years (put into barrel in 1994) and another for 21 years (put into barrel in 1996) before blending them together. This expression is non-chill filtered.
Orchard fruit in the foreground, with rich pastry notes accented with subtle clove and baked apple spices. Toasted oak adds additional character to the background aromas. Soft and mellow with further depth and complexity owing to the long maturation period in oak, with malty richness throughout. Lingering, with delicate barley cereal notes fanning over the palate.
The result of an historically prohibitive tax placed on malted barley by the English crown, Irish Whiskey is most often produced from a combination of un-malted barley and other grains. Whereas most other Whiskeys are twice distilled, Irish Whiskeys are distilled three times in a column still and must mature in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. These intricate production steps combine to make them lighter, smoother and more approachable than other styles.