Kilbeggan Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Kilbeggan is something of an oddball, not just among Irish distilleries, but even in the larger picture of world distilleries. Restored in 2010 and boasting the oldest working still set in Ireland, most of what sports the Kilbeggan name isn’t actually made there. If you buy a bottle of regular Kilbeggan, for example, only some of the contents come from the namesake distillery. The rest is made at Cooley.

This isn’t unique; when Woodford Reserve was introduced in 1996, none of what was in the bottles was made at the brand new distillery. This new Single Pot Still is only the second Kilbeggan expression drawing entirely on Kilbeggan-distilled stocks.

Another odd twist in the Kilbeggan story is that they use double distillation in a country that prides itself on triple distillation. That characteristic is another shared with the Cooley Distillery, which isn’t a coincidence. John Teeling the whiskey patriarch who established Cooley in the 1980s, was behind the restoration of the Locke Distillery (founded in 1757) into what is now called Kilbeggan. Both Cooley and Kilbeggan are now owned by Beam Suntory.

Single pot still whiskey must be made from a mix of malted and unmalted barley, but also up to 5% other grains. Kilbeggan’s whiskey draws on an antique recipe that calls for 2.5% oats. Bottled at 43% ABV, it joins a the growing ranks of Irish single pot stills. That lengthening list of single pot still whiskeys is one of the most welcome developments to come out of the modern whiskey boom, since just a few years ago the phrase “single pot still” referred a group of whiskeys that came from a single distillery: New Midleton. The character of the category was necessarily narrow, but with expressions like this one it is flowering.

The Whiskey
A pour of Kilbeggan Single Pot Still has a golden look and a viscous coat, the latter wearing a heavy crown and marked by chunky tears. The nose is a fruity one, with a strong apple note, plus hints of spice and grassiness.

The palate has a creamy, smooth texture, while the flavor leads with a malty, honeyed sweetness and a weighty pear note. This is rounded out by a touch of vanilla, and balanced by a light note of dry, spicy wood. The finish opens with more of that honeyed sweetness, which fades to dry, spicy wood.

The Price
In the U.S., this whiskey fetches $45 a bottle.