December Whiskey of the Month!

My November Whiskey of the Month was so good I decided to go back to the same West Cork Distillers (website) for my December Whiskey of the Month! I wrote about this relatively recently set up distillery (22 years ago) in my November blog, if you haven't already read it, there's some background to West Cork Distillers and the 3 lads who set it up in that blog.  

West Cork Distillers Glengarriff Series Bog Oak Charred Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey (43.0%) being an Irish Whiskey, is triple distilled using locally grown grain; the distilling process is excellently explained in detail on their website. The Bog Oak Charred Cask Single Malt Whiskey is then matured in casks before bottling, adding colour, flavours and complexity. This one is first matured in sherry casks for at least 30 months, and then for a further 4-6 months in unique 'bog oak charred' casks; indeed, being an Irish whiskey it has to be matured for at least 3 years. The casks they use come from the USA, but they are charred on the inside, on the Irish side of the North Atlantic, using oak harvested from the local boglands of Glengarriff.

So, what was my second whiskey from West Cork Distillers like? Aroma-wise I got toffee and butterscotch, and a very subtle wood and spiciness, and an even more subtle smokiness. Indeed, I got little of the smokiness in aroma and taste apparently described in some other reviews, but we do all have very different palates! The flavour of this very smooth whiskey was sweet to start with, toffee, butterscotch, stoned fruits, pear and apple, and with a lovely dry warm finish.

Another pretty damn good Irish Whiskey, sláinte! 😁

December Whiskey of the Month

My 'first' December 'Whiskey of the Month' is from Dublin distillery Teeling, the first new distillery to open in Dublin for over 125 years in 2015 (website). Why my first of the month? I have to admit I already have another new whiskey for me put by in a kitchen cupboard for Christmas. 😉 Anyhow Teeling's Small Batch (46%). This triple distilled whiskey is a blend of 'hand-selected' grain and malt whiskeys, separately fully aged in ex-bourbon barrels, and then 'married' in Central American rum casks to develop and age for up to a further 12 months. 

The Small Batch is a bright golden colour, with a spicy rum, vanilla and dried fruit aroma. It is slightly sweet to taste, with subtle hints of rum, caramel and cinnamon flavours. Another very smooth and luxurious Irish whiskey, with a bit of warmth when going down the throat and, again, another easy to drink whiskey, slainte! 👍

Incidentally, my previous November Whiskey of the Month The Sexton (blog), I very recently saw on the shelf at The Crown, 64-66 All Saints Street, Hastings TN34 3BN, a coincidence! 😲