Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: C+

Ireland’s Glendalough Distillery follows what is a tried-and-true pattern for craft outfits in America. Since whiskey takes a while to age and hardly anyone wants to wait anywhere from a few to several capital-hungry years before building a brand, Glendalough has resorted to a mix of unaged spirits and sourced whiskeys in the meantime. On the one hand they have their barely-aged poitins (Irish moonshine) and gin, and on the other they have a line of sourced whiskey.

The most recent release from that whiskey line is Glendalough Double Barrel, out as of last month. A no age statement (NAS) whiskey that is reportedly between three and four years old, it is also a single grain from a corn and malt mashbill, and one that was aged in ex-bourbon barrels before receiving a six month finish in ex-sherry casks (hence, “Double Barrel) and being cut with local, Wicklow Mountain water. Then it is bottled at 42% abv.

The Whiskey
Glendalough Double Barrel presents itself in a straight forward enough way, with a clear glass bottle capped with a screw top, and adorned with their logo depicting St. Kevin of Glendalough. In the glass, the whiskey has the appearance of white wine, which is what I expect from any young spirit aged in used wood.

The nose packs apple and grass scents, with a solid note of dry wood. The flavor is fruity and woody in equal measures, in a place where white raisins mingles with peppery wood, mixed in with creamy butterscotch for good measure. The finish is light, but long lasting.

Glendalough Double Barrel is a nice little sipper, and one where the sherry finish shows itself well. In going that route, Glendalough has taken what might have been a youthful and unremarkable grain whiskey and built on it in a relatively short space of time.

The Price
Glendalough Double Barrel is priced at €28 in Ireland.