Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey

Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey is a premium Irish whiskey brand produced by Irish Distillers, a Pernod Ricard company. It’s a single malt whiskey named after Knappogue Castle in County Clare, Ireland, and is known for its high-quality, vintage-style offerings. The brand also references Knappogue Castle 1951, a famous old bottling from a historic distillery.

History
- The Knappogue Castle story began in 1966 when Mark Edwin Andrews and his wife bought Knappogue Castle and started collecting rare single-malt whiskeys. They privately bottled Knappogue Castle 1951, a whiskey from the old B. Daly Distillery in Offaly.
- In 1996 the castle was sold to Shannon Development and became a venue for weddings and events.
- In 1998, Mark’s son launched Great Spirits LLC and released Knappogue Castle 1951 to the public. In 1999 the company began offering vintage-dated single malts under the Knappogue name.
- Great Spirits merged into Castle Brands in 2003, and in 2010 Castle Brands released Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt.
- Today Knappogue sources whiskey from various distilleries, including Cooley.
- In 2021 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey was acquired by Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard).

Variants
- Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt: A premium, triple-distilled Irish single malt aged 12 years in bourbon barrels. 80 proof (40% ABV). No added color.
- Knappogue Castle 14 Year Old Twin Wood: A blend of 14-year-old bourbon-cask whiskey and 14-year-old sherry-cask whiskey (oloroso). 92 proof.
- Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old Twin Wood: A mix of 14 years in bourbon casks plus 21 months in oloroso sherry casks. 80 proof.
- Knappogue Castle 1951: A single pot still whiskey distilled in 1951 at Old Tullamore Distillery and aged in sherry casks for 36 years before bottling in 1987.
- Limited releases: Master Distillers, 17 Year Old, and 1949 Very Special Reserve (older and rarer).

Reception
- Knappogue Castle Whiskeys are generally well regarded. Reviewers have praised the depth and balance of the 12 Year Old, with Drinkspirits.com highlighting its flavor and approachability. The brand also earned a high rating (92) in the 2014 Ultimate Beverage Challenge.

See also
- Irish whiskey brands
- Irish whiskey

External link
- Brand website: www.knappoguewhiskey.com