West Cork Single Malt Virgin Oak Cask Finish

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 43% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

A finish in unused oak casks gives this West Cork its oak-led character. The single malt first matures in first-fill bourbon casks. For the subsequent maturation phase, the distillery uses Virgin Oak Casks from Kelvin Cooperage. The whiskey thus combines two distinct cask influences: the previous bourbon contents and the fresh oak of the finishing casks.

Part of the Cask Finish Collection, this whiskey is produced in small batches using Irish malted barley and water from Mullaghmesha Mountain. It is triple distilled and bottled at 43% alcohol. West Cork neither chill-filters this bottling nor adds colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, hay, oak shavings and sawdust mingle with vanilla. Ripe pear and a creamy vanilla note add to the bouquet, alongside a lightly peppery nuance.
• Palate: The whiskey is light and fruity on the palate. Ripe pears and sweet oranges combine with ginger and bold oak. Black pepper becomes prominent towards the end.
• Finish: The medium-length finish offers tropical fruit and light, fresh citrus notes.

Distillery/Bottler:

West Cork Distillers was founded in 2003 by childhood friends John O’Connell, Ger McCarthy and Denis McCarthy. Their first distilling experiments took place in a room behind Denis’ house in Union Hall, using two small stills purchased from a Swiss schnapps producer. In 2014, the company moved to Skibbereen in County Cork, Ireland.

Some of the distillery equipment was built in-house to suit the growing operation. West Cork carries out production, distillation, maturation and bottling at its own site. The company sources ingredients locally wherever possible and works with local service providers.

Facts: