What does a couple – one an architect – do when they find a run down castle in Ireland? Buy it and use it as the muse for a distillery. That’s at least what Mark Edwin Andrews, former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Navy, and his wife, Lavonne (the architect) did in 1966 to this neglected castle left too long untended in County Clare, Ireland. At Scotchology, we can appreciate fine architecture and fine whiskey, simultaneously when at all possible. This brand is known for producing exceptionally smooth, triple-distilled Irish whiskies. We have sampled some of their core expressions in the past and now we dive into a member of their Cask Finish Series, the Knappogue Castle 12 Year Burgundy. We have loved burgundy cask finishes in the past, so read on to see what we think of this one.
Brand: Knappogue Castle
Distillery: Midleton
Region: Foreign
Age: 12 years
Strength: 46%
Price: $86.27
Maturation: ex-Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Burgundy casks
Location: Midleton, County Cork
Nose: Butter, chocolate chip cookie dough, sugar cane, simple syrup
Palate: Grapefruit, sauvignon blanc
Finish: Vegetal, grapefruit peel, tannin, burgundy
Comments: 690 bottle release. If you get the opportunity, also try alongside other Knappogue Castle offerings to compare.
Adam – I have a soft spot for Knappogue Castle, since first trying the Knappogue Castle 12 for our first World Whisky Day tasting. Given the positive experience we’ve had with both wine-finished Irish whiskies and burgundy-finished ones in particular over the years, I leapt at the bottle when I had the chance. And it does not disappoint. However, it is very different than the Springbank 12 Burgundy, in that the wine influence subtly expands the sweetness and fruits already inherent in the base spirit rather than hoisting the entire experience on its back. The sweetness on the nose is surprisingly complex, and then the fruits come through on the palate and finish, but this time with some nice wine-y notes as accompaniment, creating delightful harmony. The Knappogue Castle 12 Burgundy is a whiskey that made me want to spend time exploring the wines from Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret, so I could better appreciate the influence.
Bill – What I really like about the Knappogue Castle 12 Burgundy is that it is obviously Irish, no mistaking it. I absolutely love that. It didn’t hide that, and it wasn’t overawed by the finish. What I love about Irish whiskey is that it is a completely different beast than scotch whisky. What I love about this one in particular is that it has something new, a complexity I couldn’t identify. The straight up Burgundy finish that comes back to haunt you in the best ways you could wish to be haunted at this time of year. It sang a little bit and was a gorgeous thing. It had all those wonderful notes people love about Irish whiskey and then it had a little more and it was beautiful.
It had all those wonderful notes people love about Irish whiskey and then it had a little more and it was beautiful.
Henry – Cane syrup and layers of wine must on the nose yield to ruby red grapefruit and sauvignon blanc in the palate. The finish is vegetal and tannic, with even more sauvignon blanc leaf and a hint of aromatic citrus. Burgundy reappears on the finish, balancing it out. Lovely and refreshing.
Kristin – The flavor keeps rolling here.
Ben – I love the Knappogue Castle 12 Burgundy. Knappogue Castle was the first Irish whiskey that I loved. There’s so much elevation in this with the sweet wine, and then the grapefruit comes in the middle. Beautiful.
