Knappogue Castle Twin Wood Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Aged 14 Years

Knappogue Castle is usually seen in my geographic region as a 12 years old single malt whiskey, ripe with citrus flavors. On a trip to Florida for the wedding of friends, I stopped into an ABC store and found this 14 years old expression of Knappogue Castle. It was retailing for $59.99 and, as my friend Mike is in part of Irish descent, I thought this 14 years aged whiskey would be a nice gesture for a toast. And I liked the handsome box, too. I decorate my law office with whisk[e]y boxes.

This whiskey is no color added, non chill filtered and bottled at 46% ABV. The color is a pale golden yellow, akin to straw. The nose is very gentle and sweet, with grapefruit and honeydew coming to mind.

The dram is malty with a bit of oak and spice on the palate, with that honeydew sweetness coming forward while clove, nutmeg and cinnamon tease and linger on the tongue. There is minimal burn from the alcohol, which is quickly extinguished by adding a few drops of water to the dram, smoothing out the whisky and highlighting the sweetness and gentle spice. The finish is almost creamy and lingers long with the spice and sweetness.

The guests at the small wedding with whom I shared this bottle were younger and older, with few persons particularly "into" whisk[e]y. The consensus was that it was a very nice and easy drinking spirit, sweet enough to appease those who were more into bourbon that whiskies from across the The Pond. I believe that the twin casking and extra aging give this whisky a lot of flavor and a bit more complexity than its 12 year old cousin, which I usually consider a great bargain buy whiskey. If you see this 14 years old expression, purchase it and see what you and your drinking companions think. Slainte!