Knappogue Castle 12 yo

redlead

I was recently talked into buying a bottle of this by one of the lads in the celtic whiskey store. I haven't opened it yet. Can anyone tell me anything about this, mainly who distills it? As usual with any Irish whiskey, their websites are too busy telling you about celtic mysticisim and leprechauns to actually tell you something useful. He said Bushmills distill it, is that true? I guess I'm just slightly worried that I've been sold something for the yank market that isn't worth the money.

the beer revolu

AFAIK Cooley make it.
It's lovely - a pretty light and delicate whiskey.

BeerNut

IrishWhiskeyCha has a page on it here. The 12 yo is from Bushmills, it seems.

redlead

Thanks. That's a very handy little website!

I'm intrigued about these type of bottlings. Do Knappogue specify exactly how they would lke the whiskey to be distilled or do they just commission a distiller to make a whiskey for them? Would it make a difference whether Cooley or Bushmills distilled it etc? Presumably Knappogue bottle it themselves?

Brockagh

Knappogue might get to chose the casks once they have been distilled and partly aged, but they wouldn't have a say in how it's distilled. They can probably finish it in whatever cask they choose to.

Knappogue started out bottling Cooley 1990-1992, and now are with Bushmills (1993-1995, as well as the 12 yr old). The 16 twin wood is also Bushmills. They also have some smaller batch ones distilled by Cooley. They also, of course, bottled Tullamore whiskey distilled in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

They haven't stopped bottling Cooley stuff either. They have some of it maturing in some interesting casks at the moment. Some kind of maidera casks, I think. I can't remember for sure.