Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey 1951 36 year old
Price:$1,499.99 SKU73604000390 | Add to Cart |
Knappogue Castle
A heady mix of overripe (almost black) banana, big oaky notes. Demerara sugar (slightly molasses, in fact), soft honey, ripe greengages and pepper. On a blind nosing, I might have considered this a rum. Just a few ripe barley notes pop through, but essentially when cold. Big, booming start. Very rich from the off: attractively oily and mouthwatering, immediately showing an unmalted pedigree to the clean barley and perhaps a hint of oats. However, to the middle, there is a sweet, coppery, estery texture more attuned to Jamaican pot still. Long, quite hard and brittle—as one would hope from a whiskey of this genre—and some of the deeper vanillas one might expect to find in an old bourbon. Chewy, with licorice and a hint of chicory. It is that estery, vaguely honeyed, oily copper pot rum that hangs on the longest. A highly individualistic whiskey that refuses to take prisoners. Another year in the cask might have tipped this over the top. We are talking brinkmanship here, with a truly awesome display of flavor profiles ranging from traditional Irish pot still to bourbon via old Jamaican pot still rum. A whiskey of mind-boggling duplicity, tricking the taste buds into reading one thing after another and then moving off on a different tangent altogether. About as complex and beguiling as straight Irish whiskey ever gets. Astonishing and truly a thing of beauty.
Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of succulent, dried fruit, oaky vanillin, marzipan, candied almond and buttercream chocolates—an altogether enticing and mature bouquet. Thankfully, not a plump, warm and fuzzy Sherry-a-thon in the taste stage; the crisp spirit keeps the taste buds engaged as the flavor shifts to the moderately candied side of the ledger. Finishes refreshing, agile and clean.
Score: 90-95.
July
01,
2004.
All sizes are 750mL unless otherwise noted.
Vintages and ratings subject to change at any time.
All pricing and availability subject to change.
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