Clonakilty Double Oak Finish Irish Whiskey (700ml)

Winner Best Irish Blend - 2020 World Whiskies Awards.

A 6000 bottle limited edition blend of malt and grain whiskeys, first aged in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in a combination of new American oak barrels and shaved and toasted ex-Bordeaux red wine casks. A passion project of the Scully Family, the distillery is based in southwest Ireland with barley sourced from the 9th-generation family farm, however the earliest releases were based on sourced whiskies. Non chill filtered.

Other reviews... this has apple, vanilla, pepper, and clove, with green herbal hints, fresh-mowed grass, banana leaf, and a suggestion of fresh mint. Lychee, fresh lemon, vanilla, and pear warm up with ginger, pepper, baked apricot, and citrus, then some late caramel flavors. A hot dry finish of residual pepperiness and a little creaminess. 89 points - whiskyadvocate.com

...Pale gold in color. The nose belies the alcoholic strength, offering a fresh and light character with hints of apple and pear, strong vanilla, cut grass, and gentler undertones of pepper and cinnamon. The palate is equally pleasing, with the spices stepping forward and adding a dash of ginger, a vanilla-honey creaminess, and more of that refreshing apple/pear element augmented with a hint of almonds. On the finish it’s all vanilla and spice.

It all makes for an excellent sipping whiskey, perhaps with just a drop of water or a single ice-cube to damp down the alcohol and draw the flavors out a little more. - drinkhacker.com

Double Gold - San Francicso World Spirits Competition