Sourced from Cooley stocks Batch 1 of W.D. O’Connell’s 17 year old Single Malt Irish Whiskey has been matured in 1st fill ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in a Pedro Ximenez sherry cask for 6 months. 370 bottles were produced and can be purchased directly from the bottler for £149.95 or from a number of retailers including the Celtic Whiskey Shop.
Nose: Immediate apple turnovers alongside berry-filled Danish pastries and dried mango slices. Strawberry bootlaces together with foam mushrooms and shrimps reveals a confectionary sweetness, whilst gingerbread dough and malt loaf sit with lightly toasted cereals. Reduction offers icing sugar and nutmeg spices alongside a rhubarb and custard note.
Taste: Opening with a creamy weight. Apple and hedgerow berry flan filled flans together with poached pears and apricot liqueur. The mid-palate offers darker fruits with a selection of plums, raisins and dates. Chopped almonds and candied peels sit with orange juice whilst biscuit crumbs provide a malty heart. Dilution adds a more citric centre with pink grapefruit slices together with chocolate covered stem ginger.
Finish: Medium with drying oak and supple but noticeable tannins together with cask-led cinnamon and vanilla.
A solid opening gambit from W.D. O’Connell that combines a high-quality fruit-driven distillate with a sympathetic finish of the right length of time. Here the PX has added notes of additional richness and spice without ever becoming overwrought and burying the underlying character of the spirit.
Review sample provided by W.D. O’Connell