Knappogue Castle Brings A 21 Year Old Irish Whiskey To The US

The Knappogue Castle is something of a storied brand in Irish whiskey folklore. As it goes in 1966, Mark Edwin Andrews purchased Knappogue Castle, a 15th century castle in Ireland, with the intent of fully restoring it from the ruined state it was said to be in. He also added into the mix aging casks of pot still whiskey purchased from distilleries in the country, including a legendary 1951 vintage.

Fast forward to today, and his son Mark Andrews III is looking to build upon the legacy of his father as he builds out the Knappogue Castle label. A number of core range expressions already exist, including 12-, 14- and 16-year bottlings. To this mix is now added a limited edition 21 year old whiskey.

The Knappogue Castle 21 Year Old, as we recently learned from a news article out of Houston where the Andrews family is from, recently came to American shores. It is a 1,400 bottle release, said to consist of “marriage of two single malts distilled in copper pot stills and then matured in ex-bourbon casks – one for 23 years (put into barrel in 1994) and another for 21 years (put into barrel in 1996) before blending them together. This expression is bottled at 92 proof and is non-chill filtered.”

You’ll find some official tasting notes for this whiskey below for your consideration. It looks to be pricing for at least $200 per 750 ml bottle at retail. It should be noted as well, per the previously mentioned article, that “in past years, due to demand and consistency, Knappogue Castle decided to move its entire operation to Old Bushmills distillery.”

• Nose: Orchard fruit in the foreground, with rich pastry notes accented with subtle clove and baked apple spices. Toasted oak adds additional character to the background aromas.
• Taste: Soft and mellow with further depth and complexity owing to the long maturation period in oak, with malty richness throughout.
• Finish: Lingering, with delicate barley cereal notes fanning over the palate.