1995 Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey (700ml)

In the early 1900's, the finest whiskey in Ireland was often sold in casks rather than in bottles. Spirits merchants bought the filled barrels, aged them and bottled the whiskey under their own brand names. In the 1960's, Mark Edwin Andrews, an American with strong ties to Ireland, began buying casks of fine pot still whiskey from the top distilleries in Ireland. He aged them and bottled them under the 'Knappogue Castle' label, named after the castle in Ireland that he owned.

Knappogue Castle 1951, the last of Mr. Andrews’ whiskey that remains available, is a traditional pot still whiskey which means it is made from both malted and unmalted barley. It was triple distilled at the famous B. Daly Distillery in Tullamore and was aged in sherry casks for 36 years making it now the oldest and rarest Irish whiskey in the world. Today, the Andrews family carries on the Knappogue Castle legacy with vintage dated Irish single malt whiskey. For each vintage, a limited number of casks of the finest Irish single malt are selected. Each is distilled with the utmost care one batch at a time. Knappogue is lightly chill filtered and unlike many whiskeys, no artificial colouring is added. 

The 1995 release follows suit alongside the two previous vintages with distillation occurring at the Bushmills distillery (Cooley distillery for vintages 1990-1993).  Bottled in 2007, this is the oldest release to date at 12yo.

Other Reviews: Golden yellow color. Delicate dusty bread flour, clay, Brazil nut, and floral honey aromas. A soft delicate entry leads to a dryish light-to-medium body with grain, cream, white nut, and golden raisin flavors. Finishes with a pleasant warming honey, sweet spice, and chamomile tea fade. Very tasty with great poise and elegance.
Rating: 92 points (Exceptional) - www.tastings.com

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