Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old

After sitting in the cabinet for close to a decade it was time to get this thing popped open!

Nose - Very fruity and sweet. Fresh apples covered in light balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. This smells delightful. Add some water and we mellow out with more wood and vanilla loaf.

Palate - Soft arrival that opens up with a great balance of light, fruity sweetness, light spice, with a hint of lemon freshness. Well rounded, complex yet light in nature.

Finish - Fairly long, light spice in back, lingering fruit on the tongue, near the end woody notes appear again.

Conclusion - Fantastic, sweet/fresh summer sipping dram! This is sophisticated, yet "light" Irish single malt. Absolutely delightful from start to finish. Very surprising as I was expecting a whisky that was plain, simple and forgettable. Opened this bottle around mid/late March 2023 and almost done as of this review. Would definitely pick up another one in the future.

An Irish single malt, aged in bourbon casks and bottled at 40% alc/vol. without added colouring.

Nose

With a single ice cube, it exhibits a crisp, sweet aroma of green apple and cedar sawdust. A very bright and lively aroma.

Taste

Creamy, lemony sweetness greets the tongue. Then things get crisp and bittersweet in a hurry. There is a slight metallic edge, characteristic of a triple-distilled Irish. Lightly perfumed at the back of the tongue.

Finish

Somewhat bitter and woody, and of medium length. A simplistic but fitting fade.

Balance

I really like this. Fully matured, affordable, naturally pale and pleasing to the senses, this makes a great everyday malt and a good entry at the price point.

After seeing a few bottles at my local LCBO I read some reviews and my interest was piqued. My first taste burned without much flavour. I gave it a few minutes to breath and added a few teaspoons of water. That really opened the flavour (much more than with other whiskey); bringing out the sweetness. Long, warm, sweet, pleasant finish.

To date, my favourite whiskey. And at $48 (CAD) an incredible value.

The bottle says it's a single malt Irish whiskey, aged 12 years; which is a departure from the traditional Knappogue Castle (pronounced NAH' pogue) style of labelling their whiskeys by vintage e.g. 1995, 1994, etc). Aged in Bourbon Oak Casks with no caramel colouring added.