Knappogue Castle California Barrel Select Limited Release Single Malt Irish Whiskey 12 year 750 ml

Knappogue Castle California Barrel Select is a limited-release single malt Irish whiskey aged 12 years, taking its name from the County Clare castle pictured on every Knappogue label. Like the rest of the range, it starts as 100% malted barley whiskey matured in ex-bourbon wood, and this release adds a California angle by finishing part of the blend in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels sourced from West Coast wineries before marrying it back. That wine-cask finish layers dried dark fruit and a touch of tannin over the honeyed, orchard-fruit character single malt Irish whiskey is known for. It's a bottle for Irish whiskey drinkers ready to move past the standard bourbon-cask expressions.

How to drink Knappogue Castle California Barrel Select

Pour it neat first to catch the wine-cask fruit before it's diluted — this finish is the whole point of the release. A single ice cube is fine once it's opened up, but skip mixers here.

Irish WhiskeyEx-bourbon, finished in California Cabernet Sauvignon casks · Ireland