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Irish

Clonakilty Single Batch Double Oak Irish Whiskey

$49.95

OVERALL
RATING

8

Whiskey Review: Clonakilty Single Batch Double Oak Irish Whiskey

Tasting Notes:

About:
87.2 proof (43.6% ABV), 750 ml MSRP $49.95, Product of Ireland.
Appearance:
Golden straw.
Nose:
On the nose are delicate and bright flavors of clover honey, lemon zest, and sweet floral notes with hints of cedary oak, green tea, and golden raisins.
Palate:
Slightly spicy wet grass notes give way to poached orchard fruit, lightly buttered toffee, and vanilla with hints of sweet almonds and honeysuckle.
Finish:
Comments:
Moderately complex with a silky texture that segues nicely into a slightly crisp, medium to long finish. It’s clean and light-bodied with a lush and earthy depth of flavor. It accomplishes a nice balance between sweet and savory flavor notes, leaning just a little more towards sweet, yet without tasting syrupy or sickeningly sweet. Overall it offers an approachable and satisfyingly tasty Irish whiskey experience that’s spot on for the price point and makes for a refreshing dram at the end of the workday.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.

Clonakilty Single Batch Double Oak Irish Whiskey comes from the Clonakilty Distillery, a farm-to-glass distillery that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean from the southwestern coast of Ireland in Co. Cork. The Clonakilty Irish Whiskey brand was established in 2016, followed by the 2019 founding of the distillery by the Scully family who have farmed the local land in and around the town of Clonakilty for nine generations.

Because of the coastal air and sea salt spray of the Atlantic coast that’s said to enhance the flavor of the grains used in their whiskey and the barrels used for aging it, their location makes for an idyllic maritime distillery. 

Clonakilty Single Batch Double Oak Irish Whiskey is a blend of eight-year-old grain whiskey and 10-year-old triple-distilled malt whiskey. It’s matured in ex-bourbon casks before finishing in Virgin American oak and re-charred ex-red wine European oak casks. This European oak aging method, which utilizes ex-red wine barrels from the Bordeaux region of France, makes this what’s said to be the first Irish Whiskey to be finished in NEOC, aka the New Era of Cask.

The distillation process includes the Irish whiskey-making tradition of using single copper pot stills, of which the distillery has three. Clonakilty Double Oak is non-chill filtered and bottled at 87.2 proof (43.6% ABV). Official distillery tasting notes suggest “Aromas of soft spices and vanilla [that] lead to flavours of ginger, hazelnut and a long finish with toffee/caramel sweetness and spices lingering on the palate.”

Along with their mission of creating single pot still, grain-to-glass Irish whiskey, Clonakilty Distillery is committed to environmentally conscious methods of production through such practices as using their own naturally filtered water, supplying their own electricity, and working to eliminate plastic waste.

In an article for The Irish Times, Denis O’Flynn of Clonakilty said, “We are one of the few distilleries to have Origin Green designation, and are part of CoolClon, the town’s plan to be the first sustainable town in the country.” Additionally, the grain used in the making of their spirits is either grown on-site or sourced from local Irish farmers many of whom are within a 10 mile radius. 

Clonakilty Single Batch Double Oak Irish Whiskey won Double Gold at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It is the flagship edition of three expressions in Clonakilty Distillery’s Cask Finish Series whose other expressions include Clonakilty Port Cask and Clonakilty Single Grain.

In addition to their line of whiskeys, the Clonakilty Distillery also produces a range of gin and vodka which includes Minke Irish Gin, Minke Irish Vodka, and Minke Sloe Gin. The use of the name ‘Minke’ is meant to be a tribute to the Minke whales known to visit the Clonakilty Bay. 

Clonakilty Single Batch Double Oak Irish Whiskey review
We review Clonakilty Single Batch Double Oak Irish Whiskey, finished in re-charred ex-red wine European oak casks and Virgin American oak. (image via Jennifer Williams/The Whiskey Wash)

Tasting Notes: Clonakilty Single Batch Double Oak Irish Whiskey

Vital Stats: 87.2 proof (43.6% ABV), 750 ml MSRP $49.95, Product of Ireland. 

Appearance: Golden straw.

Nose: On the nose are delicate and bright flavors of clover honey, lemon zest, and sweet floral notes with hints of cedary oak, green tea, and golden raisins. 

Palate: Slightly spicy wet grass notes give way to poached orchard fruit, lightly buttered toffee, and vanilla with hints of sweet almonds and honeysuckle. 

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