In my experience, nearly every liquor joint I sashay into displays all the available Irish whiskey bottles into a single, four to five foot wide section. A big store might have two of these sections at most. Because of this, it is easy for a schmuck like me to visualize the entirety of available options within a given category. Years ago, when there where really only 3 distilleries producing whiskey, independent bottlings, as a consequence, were few and far between. Knappogue Castle was one of a few brands at the time bottling sourced whiskey and seems to have built a positive reputation for itself. For a time they bottled an elemental, bourbon aged Bushmills, and are now sourcing their stuff from Cooley Distillery. On to some particulars, if you are not already bored out of your mind.
Same as their old Bushmills stock, Knappogue bottles ex- bourbon cask aged spirit with no finishing or caramel coloring added. It is aged 12 years, triple distilled, and clocks in at a svelte 40% ABV. It should be noted that our bottling today is indeed a single malt, not a blend of malted and un-malted barley that we typically see from Ireland. If you’re still reading, let’s get on to it.
SWC Review
Note- Perfumed and grassy. Lemon, citrus peel. Nice cereal notes. Heathery, dry feel with a touch of vanilla.
Taste- A bit of a bland repeat of the nose with almonds and apricot.
Finish- Sweet perfume, biscuity and nutty. A souring dryness. Medium length.
Comment- While the notes above may not inspire, in the end this was a pleasant, clean malt. A light, spring dram as they say. We certainly didn’t dislike it, however, Knappogue Castle 12 wasn’t exactly gunning our engines either.
SWC Rating – 76/100
Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments section below.
Contact us at SpokaneWhiskey@gmail.com
Spokane Whiskey Club 
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