The Powerscourt Distillery is regarded to hold what is considered as the second largest personally-owned collection of aged Irish whiskey in the world (after Bushmills) consisting of stocks that Noel Sweeney purposely chose on his departure from his former 28 year career at Cooley Distillery. Navigate World Whisky was amongst one of the first to select and bottle two such single casks, representing two of the oldest and finest examples of these casks released to date.
Hailing from this same collection of aged casks that the first two single casks for Navigate World Whisky were bottled, being the 2000 vintage 21 year Straight Bourbon and the 2001 vintage 20 year old Oloroso finish, this is the third single cask to be selected by Navigate World Whisky with the entire cask bottled exclusively for the South African market.
First 2000, then 2001 and now a 2002 vintage, this 21 year old single malt, that has been finished in an Amarone cask for over three years, is a fitting follow on. As with all the casks of this nature, majority of its aging was done in ex-Bourbon casks with a fresh Amarone cask providing a perfect combination in what can only be described as a very decadent single cask of Irish Single Malt Whisky.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Honey Gold.
Profile: Decadent.
Nose: Madeleine. Lemon custard Crème brûlée. Syrup, crêpes suzette, butter balls, Melba toast, mandarins. A little citrus, deep red fruits and sweet oak spice.
Palate: Spicy poached pears. Hot Toddy, spices (lots of a little this and a little that). Deep and dark bitter fruits on the end of the palate moving into dried cranberries, red berries, apricots. Delicious soft ripe stone fruit, layers of vanilla with almond extract.
Finish: Spicy, buttery, long and comforting. Lingering spices and an ever-toasted note.