Glendalough Distillery is set to launch three newly-crafted whiskeys for 2018, along with a distinctive new bottle design across its full range of spirits.
A globally awarded double barrel Irish whiskey, and seven year old and thirteen year old single malts will roll out to trade from the start of 2018, alongside the distillery’s Wild Botanical gin and traditional Poitín – all of which will feature the new, revamped packaging.
The craft specialists behind Glendalough Distillery have focused on perfecting the ageing and finishing of its whiskeys through a unique wood programme; exploring the breed of oak and predecessor liquid that would best accentuate each of the whiskeys’ flavours. As a result, the whiskeys are matured in Bourbon barrels before being uniquely finished in a second, very different cask.
The double barrel gains its sweet, smooth vanilla notes from three years in Bourbon barrels before being transferred to 500 litre Oloroso casks from Montilla, for up to a year, where it becomes steeped in rich, dark, fruity and floral flavours (raisins, sultanas, fig, candied peel, cinnamon and nutmeg) with a nutty, complex finish.
The seven year old single malt gets its flavour from Dublin craft porter barrels. ‘Black Pitts Porter’, whose deep, dark flavours of chocolate malt and roasted barley give the whiskey its cocoa, toffee and dark-chocolate-orange notes.
The thirteen year old single malt is the first and only Irish whiskey that uses Japanese Mizunara oak. Extremely rare and expensive, the oak is found in the forests of Hokkaido; its high levels of vanillans pack a punch, with exquisite sandalwood flavours, layered with honey, and citrusy notes for a distinctly unique tasting whiskey.
Kevin Keenan, founder and creative director at Glendalough Distillery, said, “Our new look, and bespoke bottle really brings the range together as a family, while the new cask-finishes set the whiskey apart from anything else being done in Irish whiskey.”
Glendalough’s design makeover welcomes taller, slimmer bottles across its 70cl spirits, complete with contemporary labelling in muted blues and greys to reflect the brand’s birthplace: a mountainous glacial valley in County Wicklow. St Kevin, the legendary monk who founded the Glendalough settlement in the 6th Century, remains the centrepiece of each bottle.
The new-look bottle will also be introduced to Glendalough’s fresh, Wild Botanical Gin, as well as its Mountain Strength Poitín, which will relaunch at 55% ABV instead of its previous 60%, and be sold in 50cl bottles, down from 70cl.
Glendalough will continue its global expansion in 2018, with its product currently present in 40 markets.
