The Woodpecker & The Leprechaun Applewood Finish Whiskey 0.5 l

Volume: 0.5 litres | Alcohol content: 56.6% | Chill filtration: No

Special Features:

This Irish Single Malt from Great Northern Distillery first matured for five years in first-fill ex-bourbon casks. In February 2023, a portion was transferred to a handmade 50-litre cask made from fresh applewood for twelve months. In February 2024, the whiskey, now six years old, was bottled at its cask strength of 56.6%. The release yielded 64 bottles of 0.5 litres each, without added colouring or chill filtration.

The applewood finish is part of a series exploring how different woods influence the same base whiskey. Five portions matured side by side for twelve months in casks made from apple, pear, cherry, mulberry and wild service tree wood. The Applewood release combines green wood notes with vanilla, oats, blossom honey, bitter almond and gooseberry, with a nutty, woody finish.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, green wood, vanilla and rolled oats mingle with blossom honey. Notes of gooseberry cake topped with meringue are joined by bitter almond and chocolate.
• Palate: On the palate, vanilla and sweet sponge cake meet fresh wood, gooseberry and grain. Ginger biscuits and blossom honey complement the flavours.
• Finish: The long finish leaves nutty and woody notes.

Distillery/Bottler:

Great Northern Distillery produced this triple-distilled Single Malt in May 2017. Located in Dundalk in Ireland's County Louth, on the site of the former Great Northern Brewery, the distillery has been producing whiskey since 2015. Its pot stills and column stills allow it to make different styles of Irish whiskey, supplying businesses including those that sell whiskey under their own brands.

Sebastian Büssing, through The Spirits Alchemist, was responsible for the selection, applewood finish and independent bottling. The series grew out of his collaboration with Irish whiskey specialist Neil Saad, whom he met in winter 2022. Saad's contacts in Ireland and Büssing's experience with his own cask maturation and finishing projects led to their joint venture, The Woodpecker & The Leprechaun, which launched in May 2024. The woodpecker in the name refers to the focus on the wood used for the finishing casks, while the leprechaun reflects the whiskey's Irish origin.

Facts: