Glendalough was founded in 2011 by five friends and was one of the first craft distilleries in Ireland after the whiskey production on the island had dwindled to four major distilleries at the turn of the millennium. They make a variety of whiskies, gins, and poitín. The image on the bottle is St. Kevin, a seventh-century abbot who lived for several years in Glendalough. One of the distillery’s focus is on the wood, and all their whiskies are aged in an additional cask besides the usual ex-bourbon. The Glendalough Grand Cru Burgundy is a single grain whiskey aged for 3 years in ex-bourbon casks before spending another year in ex-Grand Cru Pinot Noir casks from Burgundy. 12 casks were produced, each yielding 366 bottles.
World Whisky Day 2020
Scotchology is going to be celebrating World Whisky Day by offering a virtual tasting this year for the first time. Safety first. With the world in pandemic and subsequent stages of isolation, it looked like our annual event might be called off for the first time in seven years. But we humans are adaptable creatures. Could our World Whisky Day tasting still happen, but in a virtual space? With a little exploration and bravery at the unknown, we’ve decided to take the plunge. The theme this year is a feature of cask finished whiskies from around the world.
The Dead Rabbit
The Dublin Liberties Distillery, as you might be able to tell from the distiller name, is intensely proud of their roots. The Liberties section of Dublin is a famous and storied part of the city with a history too checkered and daring to include here. Everything about the distillery is intricately tied to historical people and places from the Liberties or connecting to Ireland more broadly. Take a tour and you’ll see, trust us. This particular offering is 5 years old and made in collaboration with The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog in New York City. This Irish Whiskey bar is in turn named after the Dead Rabbits, a notorious gang of Irish immigrants in the mid-1800s whose rivalry with the Bowery Boys eventually resulted in riots that lasted for days.