Limavady Single Malt Irish Whiskey (700ml)

A new whiskey brand from Northern Ireland that currently makes just one product: A single barrel, single malt whiskey, triple distilled from Irish barley, finished in ex-bourbon and PX sherry casks. Former Bushmills and Dublin Liberties Distillery Master Distiller, Darryl McNally is behind the project that launched in 2021. He wants to revive his family’s heritage of making whiskey in Northern Ireland’s County Antrim. His family actually owned the old Limavady distillery before Prohibition, which dates back to 1750, though there’s no real connection between then and what’s being turned out since the recent revival. The new whiskey is bottled in partnership with WhistlePig distillery. It sports a generous bouquet that vacillates between fresher, ripe citrus and sawn oak notes and richer, Bourbon-like aromas of vanilla, ripe peach and fig-laced chocolate. It's more distinctively Irish on the palate with an oily delivery that's well rounded and weighty through the middle stages; Suggestions of dried peach and shortbread are followed by a sprinkling of pepper and light astringency before hints of Toblerone bar, jaffa and vanilla come through the aftertaste. 46% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... Aromas of minerality, vanilla fudge, zested lime, barley sugar, rosewater, and white pepper. It spills sweet flavors of butterscotch, barley sugar, and candied orange peel over the tongue, pursued by a stealthy rise in pepperiness, and ending with a throat-coating finish of baked orange, burnt sugar, and Kit Kat. This is small batch, triple distilled merriment. 91 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Jonny McCormick 2021

...Golden amber color. Aromas and flavors of peach, starfruit, spiced caramel, butter cookies, and hints of grapefruit with a velvety, vibrant, dryish medium-full body and a peppery, very complex, very long finish conveying impressions of toasted scones with honey, baked apples, roasted nuts, and toasted sourdough. A complex Irish Single Malt with big impact and big elegance. Gold Medal. 94 points - tastings.com

...Rich and racy on the nose, with lots of deep sherry character — plus an ample, sandalwood-driven earthiness. Aromas of sesame and brown butter give the whiskey a modest sweetness, with notes of hemp rope filling in the cracks. The palate is chewy, with more sesame and notes of crushed honey grahams, then a more bready pretzel dough character emerging. Mixed floral notes give the whiskey a certain perfumy character, which pairs fairly well with the winey notes up front. The finish is rather dusky, focusing on the whiskey’s well-roasted grains and becoming increasingly savory over time. Notes of tea leaf and lemongrass kick in after awhile, making for an odd — but certainly interesting - bunch of flavors to contend with. - drinkhacker.com