Ireland’s West Cork Distillers Adds Trio Of Cask Finished Whiskies

West Cork Distillers, which earlier this year rolled its Black Reserve and Barrel proof Irish whiskies into the American whiskey market, is hitting up whiskey drinkers again with a trio of new 12-year-old, cask finished expressions. All three are limited edition, with only 2,500 bottles of each being distributed domestically.

The new West Cork 12-Year Old Sherry Cask, 12-Year Old Rum Cask, and 12-Year Old Port Cask, according to the distillery, are each made from 100% Irish malted barley and cut with spring water from Ilen River, near the site of the distillery. All are non-chill filtered and of natural color.

Each whiskey is first aged in first-fill straight Kentucky bourbon casks for 12 years and then finished for six to 12 months in sherry, rum, or port casks. The rum casks are sourced from the West Indies; the sherry casks are from Andalusia, Spain; and the port casks are of the Douro Superior genre. The time of extra maturation in each was determined by West Cork’s Frank McHardy, in order to get “a gentle rum, port or sherry cask finish, without compromising the flavors from Bourbon cask maturation.”

All three of these imports are bottled at 86 proof and price around $66 each.