Glendalough Pot Still Irish Whiskey Review

BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Glendalough Distillery

• MASH BILL: Malted barley

• AGE: NAS

• YEAR: 2022

• DISTILLATION: Copper pot distilled

• PROOF: 86 proof (43% ABV)  

• MSRP: $60

STEVE'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Hard to say, since … well … read below.

WORTH THE PRICE: No

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bust

OVERALL: This Irish whiskey spends an unspecified time in used American oak barrels and as much as a year in new Irish oak casks. The combination of wood does little to influence a whiskey that, despite its good mouthfeel, is unassertive. The nose is a tad piney though curiously and pleasantly resinous, and other than some honeyed accents, not much else going on. A little barley, honeydew melon and candied lemon drop show up at the front palate before all of it disappears heading down the hatch. The finish is a tad dry and flavorless. Even at a modest proof such as 86, it drinks much softer than that, which only compounds its lack of distinct flavor.

I’ve had other Glendalough releases that were enjoyable, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it doesn’t deliver any bang for those 60 bucks.

BRAND NOTES

There is no more Irish a whiskey than Pot Still, so we felt it was fitting to age it in Irish Oak.

We at Glendalough Distillery are proud to play our part in bringing back the use of Irish oak for whiskey cask-making.

This most quintessentially Irish style of whiskey, pot still, is first matured in ex-bourbon casks, then in Irish Oak felled in the mountains around the distillery.

While the bourbon cask softens and sweetens the whiskey, the higher levels of flavor in Irish oak complement and balance the classic pot still spices.

We like this one neat, over ice, or in a highball (garnished with a grapefruit peel & mint sprig).