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.
Some, Er, Love’em: Whiskies in Warm Weather
For many people, there is a season or occasion for certain drinks. Mint juleps for the Kentucky Derby. Champagne at weddings. Wine by the glass at a fancy dinner…or by the box, alone in your apartment after a bad breakup. For a lot of folks, whisky is often a drink they associate with the cooler months of the year. We get it. One of the great things about exploring any kind of food or beverage is the associations you make when you think about them. Dare to explore whisky in the warmer months of the year and invoke new memories.
Knappogue Castle 17 Year Twin Wood
While the trend in cask finishes is not as prominent in Irish whiskies as they are in scotch, you can still find them. Knaggogue Castle put out a limited release, distilled in 1994 and bottled in 2011, featuring a spirit finished in sherry casks. The Knappogue Castle 16 spent a few short months being finished in ex-sherry casks, and this release extends that sherry maturation. The Knappogue Castle 17 Year is somewhat limited (our bottle proclaims it as number 104 out of 4500), it doesn’t carry the rarity or price of the truly limited releases from the distillery and finding a bottle isn’t terribly difficult. So far, at least!